Common Crane - Mark Chidwick

Another Bluethroat was found this week, this time a female a bit further north along the coast at Foreness Point on the evening of the 13th. Unfortunately it couldn't be refound after its initial discovery. A Common Crane lingered at Seaslater, providing distant views.

Other than that it was a relatively quiet week. Arctic Tern (on the 15th at Dungeness), Little Tern (13th at Reculver), Swift (12th at Stodmarsh), Grasshopper Warbler (16th at Westbere) and a Pied Flyctacher (11th at Margate) made their first appearances. A couple of White Stork roamed the county, while Ring Ouzels were seen at Foreness Point, Elmley, Cliffe, Boxley, Sandwich Bay and Herne Bay. Two Wood Sandpiper remained at Worth Marshes.

Sea-watching picked up towards the end of the week, with an increase in Common and Arctic Tern passage, the second Pomarine Skua of the year, a few Black-throated Diver, Great Nothern Diver, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Manx Shearwater, Velvet Scoter and a Red-necked Grebe all past Dungeness, with another a Red-necked Grebe past North Foreland.

In terms of Summer migrants, we can look out for Turtle Dove and Whinchat in the coming days. Enjoy.

Arctic Skua - Martin Casemore

Peter Eerdmans

(Thanks to all the observers who posted their records on the KOS Sightings website, BirdGuides, eBird and/or the main Kent Birding WhatsApp groups, Thursday-to-Thursday. Apologies for any omissions. If anyone has any photos they think may be useful for the weekly, please send to me by Wednesday. All records of rarities are still subject to official confirmation by the relevant rarities committees)