Leach's Petrel - Sean Clancy

As expected, given the strong winds, sea-watching was the main event of the week with Dungeness accounting for the bulk of the interesting sightings. Two European Storm-petrel (on the 24th and the 26th) and in total 13 Leach's Petrel (of which 10 on the 23rd) ) were the main highlight. A Puffin on the 26th and Grey Phalaropes on the 26th and 27th were also good, with a nice support cast of a more than a dozen Sooty Shearwater, a few Manx Shearwater and Great Skua, plus a Great Northern Diver. Outside of Dungeness, a male Long-tailed Duck in transitional plumage was seen feeding in the bay at North Foreland from the 26th, while an exhausted Grey Phalarope was picked up at Samphire Hoe on the 24th, but fortunately could be released shortly after. St Mary's Bay also offered some decent sea-watching with Leach's Petrel, Sooty Shearwater and Manx Shearwater seen during the week. Little Gulls continued to be reported around the county in very good numbers. On the 27th, 637 flew past Dungeness, while on the 24th some 130 took shelter on Burrowes Pit at Dungeness RSPB.

 Long-tailed Duck - John Carnell

Despite the winds, there was a decent variety of songbirds seen. The Hume's Warbler remained at South Foreland till the 25th, while a lovely Pallas's Warbler was discovered at Bockhill on the 24th. There were still five Yellow-browed Warblers along the east coast, while the first Siberian Chiffchaff arrived, an individual caught and ringed at Dungeness on the 29th. The first Richard's Pipit of the year flew in off the sea at North Foreland on the 24th. The fourth Great Grey Shrike in about 10 days was seen flying west along the cliff at Foreness on the 24th, closely followed by the fifth at South Foreland later that morning. Unfortunately all sightings have been very brief affairs. One wonders how many of these sightings concern the same bird. A few Ring Ouzel were seen during the week (e.g. at Langdon Hole, Chislet, Foreness and Dungeness). The good autumn for Woodlark continued, with a few seen at North Foreland, Cliffe and Margate, with a massive 23 in off the sea at Dungeness on the 24th. A Snow Bunting was again at Sandwich Bay on the 25th.

Pallas's Warbler - Nigel Jarman

A female Pallid Harrier was reported from Pegwell Bay on the 28th. A few more Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl were seen arriving in off the sea, while a juvenile White-tailed Eagle landed briefly at Bough Beech on the 24th before being chased off by the local corvids. Over 100 White-fronted Geese have settled on the Chislet Marshes, with over 140 at Reculver on the 29th. Three Whooper Swans were at Dungeness RSPB on the 28th, where a Glossy Ibis spent the afternoon on the ARC on the 29th.

We are getting to late autumn when anything can show up. Good luck!

Peter Eerdmans

 Sooty Shearwater - Sean Clancy

(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)