Kent Ornithological Society 
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- Peter Eerdmans
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White-rumpled Sandpiper - Frank Cackett
Waders took the headlines in an excellent week of Summer birding in Kent. An adult White-rumped Sandpiper was discovered at Oare Marshes on the 28th and stayed for the remainder of the week. There have been close to 40 records of this species in Kent, but could it be the same individual that was at Dungeness last year? Another American wader did show up at Dungeness from the 29th, a Pectoral Sandpiper was in the SE corner of the ARC.
Another good bird was the Black-crowned Night-heron that was on show from Hooker's ramp at Dungeness RSPB the afternoon and evening of the 25th. Unfortunately it did not stick around.
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- Peter Eerdmans
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Wood Sandpiper - Peter Eerdmans
The number of returning waders picked up this week. Three Little Stints were at Oare as well as Shellness early in the week, while singles were seen at Pegwell and at Dungeness later. Up to 7 Curlew Sandpipers were seen at Oare while one was at Cliffe,There were plenty of Wood Sandpipers around as well as a few Spotted Redshank.
Sea-watching also was a bit better this week with Pomarine Skua past Herne Bay and Foreness/North Foreland on the 19th, while a couple of Balearic Shearwaters flew past Dungeness.
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- Peter Eerdmans
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Yellow-legged Gull – Martin Casemore
The most noteworthy sighting of the week was a very unseasonal Jack Snipe seen at Worth Marsh on the 12th. There are very few July records of this species in Kent, less than a handful. Difficult to judge if it never left this Spring or is a failed breeder that decided to return early.
The Bonaparte’s Gull remained at Oare Marshes, where there also was a Spoonbill later in the week. It is still quiet in terms of returning waders, with just a few Spotted Redshanks and Wood Sandpipers recorded in Kent this week.
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- Peter Eerdmans
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Caspian Tern – Martin Casemore
One of the regular North Foreland watchers kept the incredible year so far for that broader area going with an adult Laughing Gull flying past on the 6th. If accepted, it will only be the 10th for Kent and the first since the 2016 Dungeness bird. Unfortunately, it was not seen by anyone else. The other rare gull in Kent (the Bonaparte’s) was more cooperative and was on show at Oare throughout the week.
The fourth Caspian Tern of the year (although likely involving the same individual on at least some occasions) was found on the evening of the 4th roosting on the beach of Greatstone-on-Sea.
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- Peter Eerdmans
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Zitting Cisticola – Peter Eerdmans
Another mega was recorded in Kent this week!! A Zitting Cisticola was found at Foreness Point on the evening of the 2nd, only meters away from where the Black-headed Bunting was seen earlier in the Spring. It was mobile, but sang and showed regularly, including in display flight. It was seen until 21.10 and fortunately it was still there for the early risers the next morning as it continued to perform from 5am in the suitable habitat of scrubs and grass. However, at 6.10am it flew high inland. This is only the 6th record for Kent with less than 10 seen in the UK.
Other exciting news over the week was the return of the Bonaparte’s Gull at Oare Marshes on the 2nd for its 13th consecutive Summer!
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- Peter Eerdmans
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Ruddy Shelduck – Peter Eerdmans
A relatively quiet week, with the best bird being a Rosy Starling that was seen briefly in a private garden in Burmarsh on the 23rd. Another nice bird was a singing Serin on the morning of the 22nd at St Margaret’s at Cliffe. European Bee-eaters were seen or heard flying over Kingsdown on the 19th and on the 20th over Aycliffe.
Several White Storks toured the county, with the largest group a group of six over Betteshanger near Sandwich Bay. Wood Sandpipers have started to return with sightings at Oare, Worth, Dungeness and Bough Beech.
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- Peter Eerdmans
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Hobby - Terry Laws
As the weather warmed up, the birding got expectedly a bit quieter. An immature Golden Oriole was seen and heard at Reculver on the 17th. As so often with this attractive species it only stayed around briefly. It has been a good spring for Black Kites, with another flying into the county at Dover on the 17th, while about the 10th Bee-eater of the Spring flew over Kingsdown on the 19th.
Intriguingly, two Cranes were seen again, this time circling over Haysden CP on the 14th
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- Peter Eerdmans
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Rose-coloured Starling – Martin Casemore
Another week and another very rare bird in Kent. A Western Orphean Warbler was found on the 11th near Cliffe singing and showing well. It was found during a survey on private land and access for more birders was unfortunately not granted. If accepted this would be the first record for Kent! Another good record was a beautiful adult Rose-coloured Starling that performed well at Dungeness near the Observatory also on the 11th.
The south-westerly winds provided some sea-watching opportunities, with two Balearic Shearwaters past Dungeness the best of the bunch. This however wasn’t a new bird for the Kent year list as we had a very unseasonal sighting in January already. Good numbers of Manx Shearwater (with 27 past Dungeness on the 7th) and Arctic Skua were also seen.
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- Peter Eerdmans
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White-tailed Eagle – Terry Laws
An Icterine Warbler found singing at North Foreland on the morning of the 30th was the best bird of the week. Unfortunately only a portion of the local birders connected with the bird as it could not be refound later in the morning.
Further highlights included more of the species we have been enjoying over the past few weeks with a Black Kite flying over Seasalter and later Elmley on the 1st, a pair of Red-footed Falcons at Stodmarsh on the 30th and a Bee-eater over Thanet on the 1st. A White-tailed Eagle from the Isle of Wight reintroduction program was at Elmley on the 3rd and 4th. Continuing with the raptor theme, several Honey Buzzards entered the county, mostly over Dover, but singles were also seen at Hope Point and Seasalter. At Oare there were four Curlew Sandpipers on the morning of the 3rd. A Quail, the first recorded for the year, was flushed from a garden near Sandwich Bay on the 31st, while a Ruddy Shelduck was seen at Cliffe on the 4th.
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- Peter Eerdmans
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Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler – James Dee
Last week’s mega was topped by another this week, an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler was found in the trapping area near the Dungeness Bird Observatory! The first confirmed record for Kent no less, and only the 9th for the whole of the UK. Many birders descended on the area during its one day stay. While it had shown well to the initial finder, as the winds picked up, it became increasingly hard to see during the day, with many of those present struggling to get ‘tick-able views’. It did sing almost constantly though and also called its diagnostic ‘chip’ on occasion.
The Dungeness area also enjoyed a Bee-eater which finally showed well on the morning of the 23rd. As the female Red-footed falcon disappeared from Stodmarsh, one turned up at Dungeness and was seen hawking with the local Hobbies for most of the week. Stodmarsh didn’t have to do without one long, as a second calendar year male Red-footed Falcon showed up on the 26th.