Recent Rarity Decisions

All records of rare birds in Kent are assessed by the KOS Rarity Panel and where applicable the British Birds Rarities Committee. All accepted records are published in the Kent Bird Report for the relevant year and details are also published in the KOS Newsletter. We appeal to observers to provide details of their sightings as soon as possible after their sighting in order to speed the decision process and ensure publication of their records in the report for the relevant year. In an effort to improve feedback to observers we are also including details of accepted records here.

The following records have been assessed and accepted by the KOS Rarity Panel and where applicable the British Birds Rarities Committee. In cases where a decision has been made not to accept a record, details and reasons are given directly to the observer.

ASSESSMENT OF RARITIES

A press release on January 10th 2006 indicated that the following species will no longer be assessed by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) and therefore are to be assessed at a county level. This will cover all records of these species after 1st January 2006

Red-footed Falcon

Subalpine Warbler

Arctic Redpoll

Alpine Swift

Red-rumped Swallow

Rustic Bunting

Red-throated Pipit

Greenish Warbler

Dusky Warbler

Radde's Warbler

American Golden Plover

Great White Egret

White-rumped Sandpiper

Wilson's Petrel

White-winged Black Tern

Black Kite

Ferruginous Duck

BBRC will continue to consider rare races of the above species eg. albistrata Subalpine Warbler and Two-barred Greenish Warblers

British Birds Rarities Committee has decided that, as from January 1st 2002, the following species will no longer be considered by BBRC and which are consequently added to the list of species considered at county level:

Black-crowned Night Heron
American Wigeon
Rose-coloured Starling

Acceptances - Last revised: 23rd June 2008

BB Rarities

Cattle Egret at Sevenoaks WR 31st Jan 2007

Cattle Egret (2) ad+juv Grove Ferry 21-24/7/07

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Oare marshes 10-11th Aug 2007

Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare 2nd Oct 2006- 12th April 2007

Long-billed Dowitcher at Bough Beech 29th Sept- 2nd Oct 2007

Long-billed Dowitcher at Minnis Bay 3rd Oct 2007

Great Spotted Cuckoo at Dungeness RSPB 6-7th march 2007

Savi’s Warbler at Oare marshes 18th-20th May 2007

Penduline Tit at Swanscombe 30th Jan 2007

Paddyfield Warbler at St Margaret’s (Bockhill) 28-29th Sept 2007

Great Reed Warbler at SBBO 15th June 2006

Great Reed Warbler at Lydd 10-20th June 2007

...

Trumpeter Finch at Tankerton 24th-25th May 2005

Trumpeter Finch at North Foreland 9th June 2005

Trumpeter Finch at Dungeness 11th-13th June 2005

Laughing Gull at Dungeness 10th-13th Nov 2005

White-billed Diver at Dungeness 28th April 2005

Cattle Egret at Sandwich 4th Aug 2005

Great White Egret (3) at Elmley 17th Oct 2005

Black Stork at Walland 16th Sept 2004

Baird's Sandpiper at Dungeness 3rd-17th Oct 2005

Gull-billed Tern at Dungeness 4th-15th May 2005

Red-rumped Swallow at Capel-le ferne 6th May 2003

Red-rumped Swallow at Capel-le ferne 27th May 2003

Subalpine Warbler at Dungeness 1st May 2005

Radde's Warbler at Bockhill 3rd-4th Oct 2005

Dusky Warbler at Dungeness 8th Oct 2005

Cattle Egret at Sandwich Bay 24th May 2005

Black Brant at Chetney 2nd Jan 2005

Black Brant at Harty marshes. 2 from 13th Feb, 1 remaining until 13th March 2005

Black Kite at Hythe 12th April 2005

White-rumped Sandpiper at Shellness 4th July 2005

Broad-billed Sandpiper at Cliffe 14th-15th May 2005

White-winged Black Tern at Oare 3rd Sept 2005 

Great Reed Warbler at Dungeness 18th May 2005

Penduline Tit (2) at Dungeness 26th Oct 2004

Citrine Wagtail at Sandwich Bay 8th-10th May 1990

Greater Yellowlegs at Allhallows 21st Jan-2nd Feb 1997

Paddyfield Warbler at Seasalter 20th Sept 2005  

Southern Grey Shrike at Ash 6th to 7th Nov 2004 

Lesser Scaup at Scotney 17th Nov 2004 to 28th Feb 2005 

Squacco Heron at Dungeness 3rd June 2004

Dusky Warbler at Birchington 9th Oct 2004

Savi's Warbler (east Kent) 17th July 2004

Dusky Warbler at Pegwell 3rd Nov 2004

Red-rumped Swallow at Northward Hill 30th April 2004

Red-rumped Swallow (2) at capel-le ferne 12th-13th May 2004 

Squacco Heron at Minnis Bay 4th June 2004 

Great White Egret at Cliffe 1st Sept 2004 

Black Stork at Bockhill 19th Sept 2004

Black Brant at Lower Halstow 12th Dec 2004

Black Kite at Bockhill 10th May 2004

Red-footed Falcon at Grove Ferry 24th April 2004

Alpine Swift at Bockhill 7th May 2004

Dusky Warbler at Samphire Hoe 25th-28th Nov 2004

Black Kite at Dungeness 12th May 2004 

White-winged Black Tern at Cliffe 24th-28th May 2004 

Red-rumped Swallow at Grove Ferry 12th May 2004

Red-rumped Swallow at Bockhill 2nd May 2004

Red-rumped Swallow at Bockhill 15th May 2004

Savi's Warbler at Oare 14th July 2004

Subalpine Warbler (albistriata) at Dungeness 1st May 2004 

Red-footed Falcon at Lydd 12th May 2001

Desert Wheatear at Dungeness 16th Nov 2003

Greenish Warbler at Reculver 26th- 30th Aug 2003 

Ferruginous Duck at New Hythe pits 19th Dec 2003

Great White Egret at Pegwell bay 22nd Aug 2003

Penduline Tit at Dungeness (juv) 10th Nov 2003

Penduline Tit at Dungeness 2 male, fem, 2 juvs 24th Oct 2003

Black Stork at Dungeness 10th Sept 2002

Radde's Warbler at St. Margaret's 9th Oct 2001

Paddyfield Warbler at Dungeness 9th Sept 2003 

Red footed Falcon at Grove Hill/Collards Lake 31st May 2003

Little Bittern at Dungeness 11th-18th May 2003 

Red-breasted Goose at Dungeness March to May 2003 (identification accepted)

Whiskered Tern at Dungeness 28th-29th May 2003 

Whiskered Tern at Dungeness 26th-27th Sept 2003

Red-rumped Swallow at Dungeness 26th April 2003

Red-rumped Swallow at Dungeness 1st May 2003

Black Kite at Margate 3rd May 2003 (same as Bockhill and Swalecliffe the same day)

Marsh Sandpiper at Elmley 2juvs 16th-26th Aug 2002 
Savi's Warbler at Dungeness 15th-20th June 2002
Great Reed Warbler at Grove Ferry 7th June 2002
Black Kite at Swalecliffe 3rd May 2003
Red footed Falcon at Dungeness 31st May 2003
Red footed Falcon at Kingsdown 15th June 2003
Marsh Sandpiper at Elmley 25th to 28th April 2003
Red -rumped Swallow at Wouldham 26th April 2003
Great Reed Warbler at Dungeness 15th May 2003

Black Kite at Bockhill 3/5/03  
Iberian Chiffchaff at Dungeness 14-17/4/01.  

Red-footed Falcon at Eastborough on 1/6/03
Alpine Swift at Foreness 8-9/3/03
Black Kite at Pegwell Bay 31/5/03

Pallid Harrier (3rd cal year male) at Elmley 3-20th Aug 2002  

Alpine Swift at Bockhill on 10/4/02
Alpine Swift at Bockhill on 17/5/02
Little Bittern found dead on the Hoo Peninsula 19/07/02
Great White Egret at Elmley 10-26/08/02
Great White Egret at Capel Fleet on 20/10/02

Black Brant at Funton Creek on 9/11/02
Red-rumped Swallow at Dungeness on 25/05/02

Glossy Ibis at Dungeness on 24-25/10/01
Pallid Swift at Dungeness on 31/10/01
Dusky Warbler at Foreness on 23/10/01

Black Brant at High Halstow, 3-8/3/97
Cattle Egret at Dungeness 30/8/01  

Red footed Falcon at Collard's Lake, female on 11th -14th , two on 14th May 2000
Bonapartes' Gull at Dungeness, adult on 10th June 2001  
Dusky Warbler at Dungeness, 29th Sept to 3rd Oct 2001  
Isabelline Shrike at Dungeness, 29th Sept to 5th Oct 2001  

Whiskered Tern at Stodmarsh 13/5/01

KOS Rarities

Great White Egret at Seasalter 11th Sept 2006

Melodious Warbler at Reculver 27th-30th Aug 2003

Pectoral Sandpiper at Sevenoaks WR 7th Sept 2002

Aquatic Warbler at Seasalter 17th-20th Aug 2006

Hooded Crow at Netherhale 27th Nov 2003

Green-winged Teal at Dungeness 3rd Feb 2004

Serin near Lade 11th April 1983

Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Oare 9th-10th Oct 2006

Black Guillemot at Reculver 1st Nov 2006

Ring-billed Gull at Copt Pt  4th April 2001

Stone Curlew (2) at Northward Hill 21st April 2006

Black Brant at South Swale 15th Nov 2006

Great White Egret at Grove Ferry 9th July 2006

Black Kite at Seaton 20th May 2006

Black Kite at Grain 9th May 2006 (same as Cliffe bird)

Ring-necked Duck at Bough Beech 30th Nov 2005

Pectoral Sandpiper at Dungeness 20th-21st July 2004

Pectoral Sandpiper at Dungeness 28th-31st July 2004

Pectoral Sandpiper at Oare 18th July 2004

Storm Petrel at Copt Pt 31st Oct 2000

Sabine's Gull at Shellness 24th Sept 2004

Subalpine Warbler at Margate Cmy 2nd June 2006

Storm Petrel at Minnis Bay 3rd Aug 2006

Great White Egret at Harty Ferry 8th-9th Feb 2006

Black Kite at Bockhill 6th May 2006

Black Kite (2) at Abbotscliffe 6th May 2006

Black Kite at Cliffe 9th May 2006

Kumlein’s Gull at Dungeness 6th-8th Feb 2006

Alpine Swift at Bockhill 17th April 2006

Red-rumped Swallow at Bockhill 27th April 2006

Subalpine Warbler (male)  at Samphire Hoe 19th April 2006

Raven (2) at Samphire Hoe 19th-20th April and 5/5 2006

Raven (2) over Dartford 14th May 2006

Red-throated Pipit at Bockhill 4th May 2006

Sabine’s Gull at Dungeness 23rd Oct 2005

Hooded Crow at Bockhill 26th Oct 2004

Stone Curlew at Dartford Marshes 2nd May 2004  

Richard's Pipit at Capel Fleet 10th Dec 2005

Ring-necked Duck at Scotney 3rd-26th Jan 2004

Cory's Shearwater at Dungeness 15th April 2005

Storm Petrel at Dungeness 6th Nov 2005

Pectoral Sandpiper at Scotney 18th Aug 2005

Sabine's Gull (3) at Shellness 16th Sept 2005

Sabine's Gull at Dungeness 30th Oct 2005

Richard's Pipit at Dungeness 16th Oct 2005

Tawny Pipit at Dungeness 23rd Aug 2005

Melodious Warbler at Dungeness 29th July 2005

Black Brant at St Mary's Marsh 18th Jan 2006

Purple Heron at Capel-le ferne 13th April 2003

Purple Heron at Elmley 16th-17th May 2004  

Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Grove Ferry 2nd-18th Oct 2004

Iceland Gull at Cliffe 12th and 21st Feb 2006

Corncrake at Cliffe 11th Sept 2003

Black Guillemot at Swalecliffe 5th Aug 2004

Black-crowned Night Heron at Bockhill 20th Dec 2004

Sabine’s Gull at St Margaret’s 28th Oct 2005

Richard’s Pipit at Abbottscliffe 3rd Oct 2005

Tawny Pipit at Bockhill 10th Sept 2005

Sabine’s Gull (3) Thames off Cliffe 16th Sept 2005

Barred Warbler at Oare 18th Sept 2005  

Red-breasted Flycatcher at St Margaret's 10th Oct 2004

Bee eater at Dungeness 6th July 2003

Iceland Gull at Dungeness 10th April 2004  

Green-winged Teal at Cliffe 20th to 21st March 2005

Purple Heron at Dungeness 30th Sept 2004

Rough-legged Buzzard at Cliffe 19th March 2005

Green-winged Teal at Netherhale 14th-15th Feb 2005

Ring-necked Duck at Stodmarsh 24th March 2005

Ring-necked Duck at Collards's 28th March to 9th April 2004

Ring-necked Duck at Westbere 7th-8th March 2004

Storm Petrel at Cliffe 11th Oct 2004

Night Heron at Boughton Park 28th May 2005

Green-winged Teal at Pegwell 28th March 2005

Corncrake at Bockhill 4th Sept 2000

Dipper at Furnace Pond near Cowden 23rd April 2004

Sabine's Gull at Dungeness 10th Sept 2004

Sabine's Gull at Dungeness 30th Sept 2004

Icterine Warbler at Dungeness 16th Aug 2004

Stone Curlew at St Margaret's 29th July to 1st Aug 2002

Stone Curlew at Cliffe 15th May 2004

Bee eater (10) at Seasalter 6th June 2004

Bee eater at Abbotscliffe 18th May 2004

Bee eater at Bockhill/Kingsdown 4th Sept 2002

Aquatic Warbler at Waterham 2nd Aug 2004

Pectoral Sandpiper at Northward Hill 6th to 11th Sept 2004

Storm Petrel at Reculver 14th Oct 2003

Storm Petrel at Reculver 15th Oct 2003

Richard's Pipit at Abbotscliffe 4th Oct 2002

Richard's Pipit at Abbotscliffe 15th to 16th Oct 2004

Common Rosefinch at Capel-le-ferne 31st May 2002

Hooded Crow at Minnis Bay 16th March 2004

Common Crane (4) at Hollingbourne 3rd Mar 2002  

Common Crane (3) at Swalecliffe 28th Mar 2002

White Stork at Shadoxhurst 9th Oct 2003

White Stork at Oare Marshes 7th May 2004

Iceland Gull at Dungeness 18th Mar 2004

Roseate Tern at Sevenoaks Reserve 6th May 1989

Grey Phalarope at Minnis Bay 11th Nov 2001

Pectoral Sandpiper (11) various dates 14th July to 12th Oct 2003

Grey headed Wagtail at Hawthorn Corner 10th May 2001

Bee eater (5) at Kingsdown 16th May 2004

Icterine Warbler at Samphire Hoe 28th Aug 2003

White Stork at Hawley 15th to 16th Sept 2003  

Common Crane at Harty 2nd May 2004

Common Crane (3) at Botolph's Bridge 5th Jan 2003  

Common Crane at Cliffe 1st May 1999

Taiga Bean Goose (2) at Higham 15th to 27th Feb 2004  

Pectoral Sandpiper at Elmley 31st Aug to 2nd Sept 2001

Grey Phalarope at Reculver 29th Dec 1967

Green-winged Teal at Cliffe/Higham 22nd Mar and 26th Mar to 10th April 2004  

Sabine's Gull at Reculver 9th Sept 2001

Garganey at Grove Ferry 25th Dec 2003

Long-tailed Skua at Reculver 21st Dec 2003

Richard's Pipit at Abbotscliffe 19th Oct 2003

Woodchat Shrike at Minnis Bay 5th June 2004  

Hooded Crow at Harty/Capel area (2) one bird 16th Oct to 16th Mar 2004, second bird 8th to 25th Jan 2004

Purple Heron at Dungeness Reserve 20 May 2001
Common Crane (x2) at Yantlett Creek 21 Sept. 2001
Grey Phalarope (ad) at Cliffe Pools 18 Sept. 2001
Grey Phalarope (juv) at Thames at Cliffe 18 Sept. 2001
Sabine’s Gull at Dungeness 14/17 Sept 2001
Common Crane (x2) at Dengemarsh 20 Sept 2002
Cory’s Shearwater at Reculver 20 Oct. 2003
Storm Petrel at Reculver 23 Oct. 2003
Rough-legged Buzzard at Naccolt 25 Feb. 2003
Corncrake at Dungeness Reserve 2 Sept. 2003
Red-necked Phalarope at New Downs Pool 14 Sept. 2003
Grey Phalarope at Cliffe Pools 19 Oct. 2003
Grey Phalarope at Dungeness 8/12 Nov. 2003
Sabine’s Gull at Dungeness 13/18 Oct. 2003  
Sabine’s Gull at Dungeness 23 Oct. 2003
Black Guillemot at Dungeness 12 April 2003
“Siberian” Chiffchaff at Dungeness 6 Nov. 2003
Mealy Redpoll at St.Margaret’s 29 Jan - 6 Feb. 2003
Common Rosefinch at Dungeness 10 June 2003
Ortolan Bunting at Bockhill 6 Sept. 2003
Little Bunting at Littlestone 16 Nov. 2003
Willow Warbler at Reculver 24/25 Jan. 2004

Rough-legged Buzzard at North Foreland 9/10/98
Rough-legged Buzzard over Margate Cemetery 21/4/03
White Stork at Lydd 8/4/03
Sabines's Gull at Cliffe on the Thames 8/9/01
Sabines's Gull at Cliffe on the Thames 6/10/02
Stone Curlew at Sandwich Bay 26/8/00
Corncrake at Cranbrook 19-22/8/02
Corncrake at Cliffe pools 31/8/03
Pectoral Sandpiper at Cliffe pools 7-11/9/03 (please note the second bird
not yet documented, and full dates to follow)
Bee eater at St Nicholas at Wade 13/7/03
Bluethroat at Palmarsh 17/3/02

Tawny Pipit at Swalecliffe on 30/9/01
White Stork 2 at Dover on 25/6/02
Ring necked Duck at Grain on 4/3/02
Rough-legged Buzzard 2 at Harty marshes17/10/02 to 8/3/03 at least
Crane 4 over Grove Ferry on 2/3/02
Green winged Teal at Oare 24-29/3/02
Sabine's Gull at Shellness on 12/9/02
Taiga Bean Goose at Dengemarsh 3 from 18/2-6/3/03  
Crane at Bockhill on 12/5/02
Bee eater at Bockhill on 31/5/02
Bee eater at Bockhill on 20/6/02
Barred Warbler at Bockhill on 1/9/02
Barred Warbler at Bockhill on 3/10/02

Sabines's Gull at Dungeness 5/11/00
Purple Heron at Lydd 7/5/00
Bee-eater at Capel-le-ferne 25/5/01
Bee-eater at Rye Street 28/6/02
Rough-legged Buzzard at Abbotscliffe 14/11/01
Red-necked Phalarope at Oare 9/9/01
Red-necked Phalarope at Oare (2 birds) 20/9/00 (checking dates, as
originally there was only one bird present)
Pectoral Sandpiper at Grove Ferry 16/7/00
Pectoral Sandpiper at Grove Ferry 27/5/02
Pectoral Sandpiper at Grove Ferry 21-22/7/02
Rose-coloured Starling at Sandwich 13-14/7/02 (awaiting full dates of this
popular birds stay)

Observers of any outstanding rarity records from 2002 (or earlier) are requested to supply the society with details of the sighting for assessment for publication in the Kent Bird Report.