Ray O’Reilly - KOS Outdoor meetings organiser  - writes:

On 22 July 2026, I led our monthly Kent Ornithological Society field outing. Weather wise, we have rarely had a better day, which was warm with little wind and it only became hotter towards late afternoon.

We recorded 79 species of birds that included a pair Turtle Doves at Oare Marshes, 6 Cattle Egrets, 6 Little Ringed Plover, several Bearded Tits, 2 Green Sandpipers, a handful of Whimbrel, Greenshank, Peregrine and great views of the adult Bonaparte's Gull still in breeding plumage. During the day several Clouded Yellow butterflies, a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Garden and Red-tailed Bumblebees and an Emperor Dragonfly added to our enjoyment.

With the tide dropping at Oare, we decided to go to Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory and have lunch in their lovely garden.

Following lunch we went to the New Downs area and met Keith Privett before seeing our second American species of the day, a fine adult Pectoral Sandpiper which had befriended a Common Snipe. Up to 4 Water Rails, adults and juveniles were feeding in the open and another bunch of Bearded Tits were feeding at the base of the reeds on the mud. We finished our day at the Restharrow Scrape, adding duck such as Eurasian Teal, Northern Shoveler and Gadwall to our day list and enjoying all the birds there that had young.

Pectoral Sandpiper - Bruce Rolls

It was the stripy-headed Little Grebes and the cute Tufted ducklings that won the most praise.

House Martins and Barn Swallows were hawking over the pool.

All in all it was a very enjoyable day.

Members note: I still have space on the Wednesday August 5th outing. So message me please on 07831-362502 if you would like to join us.

Thanks to Lyn Griffiths for her usual assistance and being in charge of the day list (and what goes on it) and to Yuti Chernajovsky and Bruce Rolls (shown image) for their photography.