Bonaparte’s Gull - Terry Laws

Main news over the week was the return of the Bonaparte's Gull at Oare on the 4th. Returning for its fifteenth summer, it surely will trigger the now annual pilgrimage by many birders to its favourite mudflat just north of the causeway. Caspian Tern is seen annually in Kent but in recent years has often been difficult to connect with. It was therefore a welcome change as last week's bird at Dungeness extended its stay into this week, having been seen last on the 5th.

Caspian Tern - Martin Casemore

Two Bee-eaters were seen flying over Kingsdown and later over Worth on the 6th. There were still a couple of Quail reported this week, while the  first juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls have started to appear, at Langdon and Dungeness. On the 9th, three Honey Buzzards were seen flying in off the sea at Dover/South Foreland. There was some evidence of wader migration with a Curlew Sandpiper, a Little Stint, 16 Knot and two Spotted Redshanks at Oare during the week.

Sea-watching was quiet with just one Manx Shearwater reported past North Foreland.

As we move further into July, wader migration should start to pick up further. Good luck.

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)