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KOS News

The Newsletter of the Kent Ornithological Society

Number 509 July 2017

Common Terns chasing a Hobby by Chris Bond

● News & Announcements ● ● Storm Petrels ●Photo Essay – Marsh Warbler ● Book Review – Chamberlains

Waders ● Sandown Primary School ● Bird Sightings May – June 2017 ● Fifty Years

Ago●

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KOS Contacts – Committee Members

Newsletter Editor: Norman McCanch, 23 New Street, Ash, Canterbury, Kent CT3 2BH Tel: 01304-813208 e-mail: nvmccanch@hotmail.com Membership Sec: Chris Roome, Rowland House, Station Rd., Staplehurst TN12 0PY Tel: 01580 891686 e-mail:chrisgk.roome@btinternet.com Chairman: Martin Coath, 14A Mount Harry Rd Sevenoaks TN13 3JH Tel: 01732-460710 e-mail: coathmartin@gmail.com Vice Chair.: Brendan Ryan, 18 The Crescent, Canterbury CT2 7AQ Tel: 01227 471121 e-mail: brendan.ryan@yahoo.co.uk Hon. Sec: Stephen Wood, 4 Jubilee Cottages, Throwley Forstal, Faversham ME13 0PJ. Tel: 01795 890485. e-mail: doctorstevewood@yahoo.co.uk Hon. Treasurer: Mike Henty, 12 Chichester Close, Witley, Godalming, Surrey GU8 5PA Tel: 01428-683778 e-mail: michaelvhenty@gmail.com Conservation & Surveys: Murray Orchard, 1, Gatesbury Way, Puckeridge, Ware, Herts SG11 1TQ Tel: Home 01920 822955 Mobile 07776 238645 Editorial & Records: Barry Wright, 6 Hatton Close, Northfleet, DA11 8SD Tel: 01474 320918 e-mail: umbrellabirds66@gmail.com Archivist: Robin Mace, 4 Dexter Close, Kennington, Ashford, TN25 4QG Tel: 01233-631509 e-mail: robin@mace-online.co.uk Website liaison: vacant

Indoor Meetings organiser: TBA Outdoor Meetings organiser: Ray O’Reily 44 New Road, Cliffe, Rochester,

Kent ME3 7SL 07879 636198 griff@batten.uk.net

Ordinary Members: Ken Lodge 14 Gallwey Avenue, Birchington, Kent CT7 9PA Tel : 01843 843105 e-mail: lodge9pa@btinternet.com Keith Privett 6 Tritton Close, Kennington, Ashford, Kent TN24 9HN Tel: 01233 335533 e-mail: keith.privett@ntlworld.com

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Jack Chantler 34 Gladstone Road, Walmer, Kent CT14 7ET Tel: 01304 366214 e-mail: j.chantler14@btinternet.com Andy Appleton 34 Pennine Walk Tunbridge Wells Kent TN2 3NW 01892 513542 e-mail: andrewappleton@btopenworld.com Tony Morris, The Hidden House, 28 Kingstown Road, St Margaret’s at Cliffe, Kent CT7 6AZ 01304 851943 e-mail: tonyandpam.morris@tiscali.co.uk

I began my previous editorial by saying that “It has been a very strange spring so far”. I can only reflect that so far it has been a very strange early summer too! Very dry, at times exceptionally warm and not at all friendly to my vegetable garden. However, my early optimism regarding my local breeding species was well founded and many are now on their third broods. Incredibly, one of my local Blackbird pairs seems to be settling down for brood number four, which is pretty well unprecedented in my experience. Of interest is that all the nests built by this pair have been within a radius of fifteen metres, occupying the overgrown hedges around my neighbours back door. We also now have at least two pairs of Song Thrushes around, at least one male singing again in the windbreak behind the sheep field. They have been a bit scarce locally in recent years and it is good to be able to contrast them with our local Mistle Thrushes which have some fledged young hopping around amongst the sheep in the field next door. By the time this issue ‘goes live’ we should be starting to see real evidence of autumn passage, particularly amongst the autumn waders. As I write this news has arrived of a White-rumped/ Sandpiper joining the Bonaparte’s gull at Oare, and our Kent Black-winged Stilts seem to have been very successful this year and reared a number of young to an age where they have a good chance of survival. This issue once again includes details of our forthcoming KOS Conference in November, a good opportunity to meet members and also to make your thoughts and ideas about the society known to a wider audience. The relevant committees are always on the lookout for willing recruits so if you have some time available please consider offering your assistance, it would be most welcome! Good birding, Norman

Editorial

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Older KOS Newsletters – a reminder Chris Powell is still keen to acquire copies of the KOS Newsletter, particularly those from earlier years. He writes “If anyone has older Newsletters they would like to find a good home for, l would like to put together a complete set if possible. I expect there are people who have some stored away in their lofts and I would not like to think they would be thrown away. I am happy to pay a reasonable fee or make a donation to the KOS. Currently I have a complete set from number 461 onwards with some gaps back to 391. It has been suggested that scanning a complete set and making them available to anyone might be an option and I would be happy to facilitate this if I can get a set"

If you can help please contact Chris on: - drchrispowell@live.co.uk Editorial and Records sub-committee The KOS Editorial & Records Committee would like to hear from any individuals within the membership that would like to join the county rarity panel. Contact Barry Wright or Alan Fosse, (details above) KOS Conference November 2017 Details of the forthcoming KOS Conference are included in this newsletter, along with a booking form. It looks set to be an interesting day and I look forward to meeting some of you in person! We like to keep in touch with all our members, so if you change address, email address or phone numbers please remember to inform our membership secretary, Chris Roome. He can be contacted on: Chris Roome, Rowland House, Station Rd., Staple Hurst TN12 0PY

Tel: 01580 891686 e-mail: chrisgk.roome@btinternet.com

News and announcements

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Storm Petrels in Kentish waters

Storm Petrel, Deal Pier by Richard Collins. (The white underwing bar is a good field

mark of this species)

At the beginning of June following a day and night of strong westerly winds, a number of Storm Petrels were found inshore between Dungeness and Thanet. This provided a good opportunity to catch up with this elusive species and a maximum of 121 were recorded between the 7th and 9th June. More details can be found in Chris Hindle’s excellent Summary.

Articles

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This was not entirely unprecedented as in the last week of May 2006, following a severe storm, there was a substantial westerly passage of this species through the channel, with a maximum of 424 birds recorded between the 20th and 28th May. It is very difficult to assess the true numbers involved in these movements as Storm petrels may well move with tides to exploit local food resources and could easily back track during darkness and potentially be recorded again, but generally the maximum number gives an indication of the scale of the movement. What makes these events extraordinary is their scarcity; a look back through KOS records reveals that these are the only years when Storm Petrel records reached double figures. In general, only two or three are recorded in a year, mostly in the autumn sea watch period where they are markedly less frequent that Leach’s Petrel. This in part reflects the breeding distribution of the species, with Storm Petrels having very large colonies along the western seaboard of Europe from Ushant on northern France to Iceland.

Storm Petrel, Calf of Man,1993 by Norman McCanch

I have been fortunate to ring hundreds of Storm Petrels over the years at offshore sites such as Skomer, South Bishop and Calf of Man. Experience there suggests that these recent influxes probably involve what are known in petrel ringing circles as ‘wandering non-breeders’. Like many seabirds Storm Petrels do not breed until they are about three years old and probably do not visit their natal colony in their first year of life. In subsequent years they will return but not land, and form large aggregations which visit breeding sites throughout the north Atlantic range. Journey times can be amazingly fast, I had two returns from one nights ringing on Skomer, a bird recaptured on Ushant only nine days later, another to St Kilda in only four days!! This influx of non-breeders tends to happen after breeding birds have arrived at colonies

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and settled down to breed, usually from mid-summer onwards, so it seems highly probable that the birds recorded in the channel this year (and in 2006) were part of this cohort of ‘wandering non-breeders’.

Storm Petrels, Skomer 1976 by Norman McCanch

Norman McCanch

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Photo Essay – Marsh Warbler

The Marsh Warbler is a scarce visitor to Kent and, given that it has an unenviable record of attracting the wrong kind of interest in its nesting attempts, tends not to be widely reported. It is also a fairly difficult bird to identify unless it is singing ,for that is the major claim to fame of the species, a remarkable propensity for mimicry. Superficially like a Reed warbler in appearance, it is hard to tell without prolonged clear views or catching for ringing. Still, any unstreaked Acrocoephalus warbler singing vigorously from scrubby cover with lots of nettles or willowherb is worth a second opinion. Just be very careful who you ask! This year a bird arrived and sang for a few days, before apparently moving on again, a typical pattern of occurrence. Some lucky observers managed to take some excellent photographs which have already appeared on the Society’s Facebook page, so they are repeated here for any who do not follow the dark arts of social media.

Marsh Warbler by Warren Baker

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Marsh Warbler by Ray O’Reilly

Marsh Warbler by Warren Baker

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Try to find the key ID features mentioned in your favourite Bird guide; there are also many excelelent recordings of the remarkab;le song on the Xeno-Canto website at: http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Acrocephalus-palustris

Norman McCanch

Book Review – Chamberlain’s Waders- The Definitive Guide to Southern Africa’s Shorebirds ,

by Faansie Peacock PAVO publishers ISBN: 978-0-620-73552-0 £29.99

I think it is pretty fair to say that most ‘real’ birders are just a bit obsessive. Naturally, that reveals itself in the lengths they will go to achieve their own version of success in their chosen hobby, but there are other ways that this obsessive behaviour can present. Take, for example, bird books. I have no idea how many I own; the last time I tried to count them I got side-tracked by an interesting account of moult in cormorants in one of them. Suffice it to say I have got quite a few piled up in several rooms, covering pretty well every aspect of birds and birding. I even have a copy of ‘Diseases of Birds’, written

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by Robert Stroud, better known as ‘The Birdman of Alcatraz’! And, yes, I have read it! Given that most of my birding takes place in one small corner of East Kent, why would I feel the need to buy a book subtitled ”The Definitive Guide to Southern Africa’s Shorebirds”? The simple truth is that in every respect this book is quite astounding in its content and execution. Extraordinary illustrations that look alive, lots of extra details of the kind beloved by ringers and museum workers, information that goes far beyond simple identification to give insights into the remarkable lives of shorebirds. There is a breath-taking description of the trans-Pacific migration of Eastern Bar-tailed Godwits which is quite humbling to read. There is an explanation of the status of male Ruffs on the lek dependent on their plumage which also reveals the hitherto un-recognised presence of “Faeder” males, which are effectively transvestite male Ruffs who exploit their plumage aberration to facilitate their own breeding! Extraordinary.

OK, but how is it relevant to Kent?? Well the book covers 80 species comprehensively, with a further 18 additional vagrants with shorter, but no less effective accounts. Of these 98, 64 have been recorded in Britain, with 50 on the Kent list. As it happens, I have seen 64 of the included species in my travels and it is revealing to look at birds one knows well in a guide like this as assessing the quality of the information. It is difficult to express just how enthralling I find this book; I found lots of clear illustrations with concise notes, a good text covering every aspect of identification and much that was a revelation.

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Selecting favourite illustrations is well-nigh impossible, so I chose a few to demonstrate the comprehensive nature of the work. A fine page of Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, and a close-up of head and breast details with notes(above).

Also a useful page of scapular feathers of breeding and non-breeding Tringa and a page showing the bills of godwits and Asian Dowitcher, revealing details which should be visible through a decent telescope and especially in high resolution digital photographs.

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Finally, a page showing a colour chart of Tringa leg colours (left) which will be useful all those times when we see a bird with ‘odd’ leg colour. It would be great if we could see similar charts for other variable waders. A number of other features add to the value, including some excellent illustrations of downy chicks and eggs which would be of real value to ringers and nest recorders. This sort of information is almost always lacking from other field guides, a real pity and until now a missed opportunity. I for one will never look at a wader the same way again. What makes this all the more remarkable is that this is the work of one man!! Who has also produced a similar book to the LBJ, s of Southern Africa! The energy and passion demonstrated in this book is to his eternal credit!

Norman McCanch

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Some months ago, the Society was approached by Sandown Primary School in Deal to seek our support for a new outdoor learning project for younger pupils which included a focus on birds. Encouraging young people to take an interest in nature is clearly very important, so Chris Roome arranged for us to donate a pair of RSPB binoculars and a copy of our Atlas to the school, which was gratefully received by the teacher in charge of the project, Anne Collins.

We were delighted to hear that recently the group has won a prize in a national competition and we received the following letter from Anne by way of explanation:

Dear Chris and the KOS,

I thought you would like to know about an award we have won from the Young Persons Trust for the Environment and Total Energy. We are the Regional Winner - South and Central, in the category of 'Thoroughly Active'.

We are due to receive a certificate and £500 for school funds (already allocated to more binoculars, pollinator enticing plants and crumpets for our hungry Bird Club Crew!).

I submitted details of our learners' ongoing fascination with 'Everything bird'. There's quite a list ... It all started digging for worms as part of the 'What's under your feet survey'. This was closely followed by your incredibly generous donation of a pair of binoculars (now used on a daily basis), bird feeder and bird box constructions, enriching our wildlife habitat provision, starting and running our very popular bird club (now attended by 34: 4,5 and 6 year olds and several parents). We had the visit from the Eagle Heights birds of prey, taken part in the RSPB, 'Big School's Birdwatch', dug for more worms, tracked, with excitement then sadness, the migration of Bill the cuckoo (several ideas as to his fate - lunch for an eagle is perhaps our most popular and the satellite tracker fell off; wishful thinking), been amazed that one of our nest boxes made by Seth, age 5 and his dad, had a nesting pair of great tits and to round off our Sandown news, we have as a school community been

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devastated that a further spate of vandalism over half term, has resulted in all 5 fledglings dying.

We plan to continue the journey and this term our theme for Green Zone sessions is 'Wings'. This will mainly be planting the pollen rich plants (as mini gardens), creating winged insects and imaginative creatures from found natural woodland materials and weaving giant pairs of wings using willow cuttings from our own trees. Unfortunately, the anticipated main event of watching our fledglings use their strengthening wings to fly will not be realised. Hopefully we will have another (undisturbed), nester next year.

Many, many thanks again for the encouragement of the KOS and a roller coaster ride of a year!

Anne Collins, Green Zone - Outside Learning and Forest School Leader

Sandown Primary School, Deal

KENT BIRD SIGHTINGS FOR MAY AND JUNE 2017 - Chris Hindle Where necessary the acceptance of records within this report is subject to ratification by the “British Birds” Rarities Committee (species in capital letters) or the KOS Rarities Committee. The results of these deliberations are regularly published on the KOS Website. WEATHER_____________________________________________ May began with low pressure bringing in showers however high pressure soon developed and there was a mainly easterly airflow which brought settled but cool and cloudy conditions to the south east. There was a notable hot and dry interlude between 24th and 26th with temperatures reaching the mid 20s Celsius. The month finished with widespread thunderstorms. The first part of June was unsettled bringing strong winds on 6th when 52mph gusts were recorded on the south coast. From 16th to 21st very warm air was drawn up from Iberia when the hottest day since 1976 was recorded on 21st

with a temperature of 34C. Fresher air then moved in during the following two days with low pressure taking hold at the end of the month. WILDFOWL____________________________________________ A White-fronted Goose was found on the beach at DBO on June 16th and a Bean Goose was seen with Greylags on Romney Marsh on May 15th.

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Up to 14 Egyptian Geese were recorded at Sevenoaks WR, Bough Beech, Penshurst Estate, Higham Bight and Dungeness RSPB and up to 20 Mandarins were reported from Furnace Pond, Bough Beech, Grove Ferry, Brockhill CP and Whetsted GPs. Single Garganey were reported from Dungeness RSPB, Reculver, Cliffe Pools, Pegwell Bay, Oare Marshes and Sandwich Bay. The male Ring-necked Duck remained at Dungeness RSPB until May 3rd, whilst a Long-tailed Duck flew past DBO on May 11th. A female Surf Scoter flying E past DBO on May 2nd is only the twelfth record of this species for Kent. On May 1st, five Velvet Scoter flew past DBO and two flew past Walmer Beach. There were also three at DBO on May 22nd. PARTRIDGE TO GREBES__________________________________ Calling Quails were reported from Bapchild on May 22nd, Cliffe Pools on May 24th, Wickhambreaux on June 16th and Ruckinge on June 21st. The Great Northern Diver that was seen during April at Reculver remained there until May 1st and during May a Black-throated Diver was seen at Bockhill on 1st and there were three at DBO on 2nd, two on 6th, ten on 11th, two on 12th and singles on 14th, 15th and 27th. A Sooty Shearwater lingered off shore for a time at DBO on May 21st and another was seen there on June 7th whilst two Balearic Shearwaters were reported from Sandwich Bay on June 8th with three off DBO on 29th and one the next day. Single Manx Shearwaters flew past DBO on May 1st, 14th and 22nd with three on May 15th and seven on May 21st. In June with a strong westerly wind blowing at DBO there were 12 recorded on 5th with 45 on 6th and 77 on 7th when there were also 22 off Bockhill. On June 8th there were 38 at DBO and seven off Deal and also at DBO there was one on 10th, 51 on 16th, three on 21st and four on 24th.

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Storm Petrels by Richard Collins

On June 7th, following a day and night of strong westerly winds, Storm Petrels were blown along the English Channel and found offshore between Dungeness and Thanet. There were 26 at DBO, 13 at North Foreland, seven off Deal, at least six off Sandwich Bay, four at Bockhill, three at Kingsdown and one at Walmer. The next day there were still counts of 40 at DBO, 16 at Deal Pier and four from Sandwich Bay and just one at DBO on 9th. With the strong winds on June 8th, 87 Fulmars and 1,155 Gannets also flew past DBO. Up to three Shags were reported from DBO, Sandwich Bay, Deal and Dover and as many as three Bitterns were reported from Dungeness RSPB and the Stour Valley. A SQUACCO HERON was found at Dungeness RSPB on June 11th and was last seen on 13th. This is only the tenth record of this species for Kent.

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Squacco Heron by Terry Laws

A Cattle Egret flew past DBO on May 11th and one or two Great White Egrets were seen at Netherhale, Sandwich Bay, Lade, Worth, Pegwell Bay, DBO and Dungeness RSPB with four flying W at Cliffsend on May 30th. A Purple Heron flew S at Foreness on May 1st and during May and June up to four Spoonbills were recorded at Oare Marshes, Sandwich Bay, Cliffe Pools, Dungeness RSPB, Elmley, Grove Ferry and Pegwell Bay.

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Spoonbills by Mike Gould

A Slavonian Grebe was still present at Dungeness RSPB on May 4th. BIRDS OF PREY_________________________________________ It was a good spring for Honey Buzzards with the first two reported from Sissinghurst on May 7th. These were followed, during the rest of May and June, by up to three migrant birds at Sandwich, Canterbury, Dover, Whitstable, Worth Marshes, St Margarets-at-Cliffe, Dungeness, Lydd, Folkestone, Littlestone, Pegwell Bay, Gillingham, Upnor, Abbotscliffe and Deal. In May single Black Kites were reported from Maidstone on 1st, Dover on 6th, Worth on 7th, South Foreland on 11th, Lenham on 16th, Minnis Bay and North Foreland on 27th, Lydd on 29th and Cliffsend on 30th. In June one flew W at Bockhill on 3rd.

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Red Kite by Andrew Finney

During the first part of May, Red Kites were reported from Reculver, Higham, Stodmarsh, Shepherdswell and Walmer. On May 24th, however, there was a large movement of birds moving north then west with 30 at Sandwich Bay, 25 at Bockhill, 13 at Shuart Farm and single figure counts at Dane Valley, Abbotscliffe, Cheriton, Seasalter, Lympne, Whitstable, Canterbury and Cliffe. However all these counts were eclipsed on June 3rd when an unprecedented movement of between 150 and 200 birds moved west through Kent with peak counts of 104 at Faversham, 80 at New Hythe and 73 at Graveney and smaller numbers at many other locations. During the rest of May and June up to 17 were counted at Sandwich Bay, Worth Marshes, Bough Beech, Swalecliffe, Folkestone, Lydd, Cheriton, Highstead, Bockhill, Manston, Pluckley and Rainham. In May a ring-tailed Hen Harrier was seen at Seasalter on 8th and there was a male at Dartford on 17th, a female at Bockhill on 20th, a male at Stodmarsh on 25th and a ring-tail at Walmer on 27th. Immature male Montagu's Harriers were seen at Cliffe Pools on May 10th and Foreness on May 27th and a male was recorded from Oare Marshes on June 1st.

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A Goshawk was seen in West on May 11th. Ospreys were seen at Sandwich Bay, Stodmarsh, Temple Ewell, St Margarets-at-Cliffe, Godmersham, Rochester, Chartham, Allington, Whitstable, Conyer, Pegwell Bay, Foreness and Bough Beech. A female Red-footed Falcon was found at Grove Ferry on June 2nd, an adult male was recorded from Worth Marshes on June 20th and a first summer male was at Stodmarsh from June 25th-30th with one reported from Sandwich Bay on June 28t

h. Red-footed Falcon by Terry Laws

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Red-footed Falcon by Steve Ashton

Single Merlins were seen at Bough Beech on May 7th and DBO on 14th. RAILS TO WADERS_______________________________________ A Common Crane was seen at Lydd and Dungeness RSPB on May 2nd and two arrived at Sandwich Bay in the evening. The Dungeness bird was seen again on 4th and the two Sandwich Bay birds flew over on 7th and were also seen flying N at Pegwell Bay. One was seen at Cliffe Pools on May 8th and another was heard flying over Cheriton on May 28th. Up to eight Black-winged Stilts were reported from Cliffe Pools RSPB during May and June and successfully bred. A Stone-curlew was disturbed from the beach at Reculver on May 2nd and flew W, whilst another was seen in the Desert at DBO on May 3rd and yet another was found in the Oyster Farm lagoons at Reculver on May 23rd. During May a Curlew Sandpiper was recorded at Cliffe Pools on 1st and 2nd with others at Oare Marshes on 9th and Dungeness RSPB on 11th and 27th and during May one or two Wood Sandpipers were identified at Grove Ferry, Worth Marshes, Margate and Sandwich Bay with the first returning birds seen at Oare Marshes and Stodmarsh on June 23rd.

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There were still one or two Purple Sandpipers at Dover, Hythe and Reculver until the last one at Hythe on May 9th. Up to three Little Stints were reported from Dungeness RSPB, Cliffe Pools, Sevenoaks WR, Reculver and Stodmarsh. A Spotted Redshank was seen at Reculver on May 2nd and three returning birds were recorded from Oare Marshes on June 23rd with up to four there until the end of the month. Others were seen at Grove and Lade. AUKS TO GULLS________________________________________

Pomarine Skuas flying past DBO during the first two weeks of May

May 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th

11 - - - 14 17 12 - - 12 15 9 - 3

During May there were three at Bockhill and Copt Point and five at Samphire Hoe and Mill Point on 1st, whilst five flew past Mill Point and on 6th and there were three at Samphire Hoe and Bockhill on 7th. In May up to 19 Arctic Skuas were recorded at DBO with smaller numbers at St Margarets-at-Cliffe, Mill Point, Sandwich Bay and Dover. In June one was seen at DBO on 4th with two on 8th. A Great Skua was recorded at Mill Point on May 1st and there were two off DBO on June 8th. A Puffin flew E at DBO on May 12th and a GULL-BILLED TERN was reported from Dungeness RSPB on May 16th. During May up to 104 Black Terns recorded from DBO with up to eight at Dungeness RSPB, Cliffe Pools, Whetsted GPs, Conningbrook GPs, Samphire Hoe, Hythe and Sandwich Bay. One was also seen off Bockhill on June 7th with two at Sandwich Bay on 8th. A Roseate Tern flew past DBO on May 4th with another one seen there on May 12th. Up to four Little Gulls were seen at DBO, Dungeness RSPB, Sandwich Bay, Shellness and Pegwell Bay whilst during May single Yellow-legged Gulls were seen at DBO, Cliffe Pools, Sandwich Bay and Reculver. There were also

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four at Dartford Marshes on June 20th and one at DBO on 23rd where 16 juveniles arrived on 27th with some reported until the end of the month. An adult Caspian Gull was seen at Bough Beech on May 19th whilst the wintering juvenile Iceland Gull was last seen at DBO on June 1st and a second calendar year bird was found at Dartford on May 10th. DOVES TO WOODPECKERS_______________________________ A Long-eared Owl flew in off the sea at Sandwich Bay on May 18th and another was recorded from Cliffe on May 25th whilst during May and June single Short-eared Owls were seen at Dungeness, Foreness, Conyer, Reculver, Pegwell Bay, Harty, Capel Fleet and Cliffe Pools. An Alpine Swift flew over Furnace Pond on May 6th and another was reported from Dungeness RSPB on May 30th. A Bee-eater was heard flying over Hythe on May 14th with others at Dungeness and St Margarets-at-Cliffe on May 15th and Margate on May 23rd. There were also six in a garden at Dymchurch on May 26th before they flew E and one at Dungeness the next day with others recorded there on June 2nd and 17th and at Lydd on 9th. Single birds were also reported from Foreness on June 15th and Stodmarsh on June 22nd. A Wryneck was found on the railway embankment at Reculver Marshes on May 4th with another in a garden at Birchington the next day. GOLDEN ORIOLE TO HIRUNDINES__________________________ A Golden Oriole was singing at Stonelees on May 28th. Up to four Ravens were recorded at Bough Beech, Bockhill, Wouldham, Shuart and Folkestone. A male Red-backed Shrike was seen at Denge Wood on May 27th and a male Woodchat Shrike was found on the beach at DBO on May 12th. Firecrests were seen at Sissinghurst on May 11th and Canterbury Cemetery on June 1st and a Red-rumped Swallow was identified at Grove Ferry on the evening of May 8th with another at Kingsdown on June 3rd.

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Red-rumped Swallow by Marc Heath

CETTI’S WARBLER TO WHEATEARS__________________________ During May and June single Grasshopper Warblers were only heard at Reculver Marshes, Dartford Marshes and Lade GPs. A singing Melodious Warbler was found at Swalecliffe on May 22nd and a singing Blyth's Reed Warbler was found in bushes at North Foreland at the same place that one was heard last year. If accepted this will be the fourth record for Kent. There was still a Waxwing at Whitstable on May 1st whilst an adult Rose-coloured Starling was found at Dungeness RSPB on June 1st. In May up to three Ring Ouzels were seen at DBO, Lade GPs, Reculver, Bockhill, South Foreland, Lydd and Cliffe Pools. A female Pied Flycatcher was seen at Wittersham on May 6th whilst one or two Black Redstarts were recorded from DBO, Samphire Hoe, Lympne, Reculver, Dover, Eastry and Foreness.

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DUNNOCK TO BUNTINGS__________________________________ Single Serins were seen at DBO on May 2nd and 27th with another at Reculver on May 9th. Eight Common Crossbills flew over Aycliff on May 22nd and others were heard at Church Woods on June 9th whilst a male was found at Thornden Woods on June 21st. A Hawfinch was seen at Bough Beech on May 12th.

DBO = Dungeness Bird Observatory BBRC = British Birds Rarities Committee

RSPB = Royal Society for the Protection of Birds “The Patch” = the warm water outflow from Dungeness Nuclear Power Station NNR=National Nature Reserve NR=Nature Reserve LNR=Local Nature Reserve

FC = Field Centre WR = Wildlife Reserve GP = Gravel Pits CONTRIBUTORS________________________________________ This summary owes much to the contributors to the various sites in “Latest Sightings” on the KOS Website at www.kentos.org.uk, KOSForum, Twitter and the RBA Hotline. Records have been contributed by A. Appleton, W.Baker, R. Bailey, G. Barker, P. Beraet, Bockhill Birders, R. Blackman, J. Bloor, Bough Beech (per A. Ford), R. Brockett, E. Brown, D. Bundy, G. Burton, F. Cackett, S. Capewell, M. Casemore, J. Chantler, P. Chantler, M. Chidwick, P. Cliffe, P. Coleman, N. Davies, DBO (per D. Walker), R. Dubbins, T. Dunstan, D. Eade, B. East, D. Faulkner, D. Feast, M. Finnimore, Folkestone and Hythe Birds (per I. Roberts), S. Gale, C. Gibbard, S. Ginnaw, P. Graham, V. Green, J. Guiver, J. Hall, S. Haughie, M. Heath, A. Hindle, C. Hindle, M. Hindle, A. Holcombe, B. Holcombe, M. Hollingsworth, B. Hunt, N. Jarman, C. Johnson, M. Kennett, M. Kidgell, A. Lawson, M. Lawson, A. Lipczynski, P. Lloyd, S. Mansfield, J. McLaughlin, M. McVail, S. Mills, S. Mount, M. Norman, M. Orchard, R. O'Reilly, A. Pavey, D. Perrin, A. Perry, J. Perry, C. Powell, K. Privett, M. Puxley, M. Roser, K. Ross, Samphire Hoe (per L. Collins, P. Holt, D. Smith, and P. Smith), SBBO (per I. Hodgson), Sevenoaks WR (per S. Clerici), I. Shepherd, D. Smith, D. J. Smith, W. Stoneham, D. Sutton, Swale NNR (per R.

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Smith, D. Faulkner, I. Davidson), R. Thorogood, P. Trodd, N. Upton, A. Wells, R. Wheller, M. Wilson, J. Woolgar, B. Woolhouse, S. Wood and B. Wright. Please send records for this review to: Chris Hindle, 42, Glenbervie Drive, Herne Bay, Kent. CT6 6QL Email: christopherhindle@hotmail.com Records sent to me may not all be used for this report as I try to extract the more interesting sightings. However all records are equally important and I forward them to the appropriate Area Recorders who enter them all onto the KOS database.

Fifty Years Ago

Turtle Dove by Terry Laws

Letters and Notes

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May 200 Turtle Doves were seen at Stoke on 14th and exceptional numbers up to 600) of this species occurred at Sandwich from 20th to 31st. Golden Orioles were recorded at Sevenoaks 6th, Northward Hill on 28th and 29th, Dungeness on June 5th and Maidstone in late June; these were part of a large influx which saw records as far north as Fair Isle and as far west as Lundy.

Golden Oriole (Wikimedia Commons)

KBR 1966

Norman McCanch

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What Future for Birds in Kent? An exciting one-day conference

Kent Ornithological Society Saturday November 4th 2017

This conference will explore some of the challenges facing wild birds in Kent. The morning sessions will be broadly themed on “Places” and the afternoon session will focus on “Species”. SPEAKERS Stephen Moss Naturalist, Birder, TV Producer and Author Alan Johnson RSPB John McAllister KWT David Walker Warden, Dungeness Bird Observatory Ian Hunter Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Dr Hazel Jackson University of Kent Murray Orchard Kent Ornithological Society Dr Stephen Wood Kent Ornithological Society Kent Bird Artists, Norman McCanch, Stephen Message and Ian Rendall will be exhibiting work.

Canterbury High School 9.30 - 4.15 (Registration & Coffee from 9.00am) This stimulating one day conference will examine a range of issues, especially the changes facing birds both resident in - and migrating through - Kent. Presentations will range over the importance of habitat and its preservation and enhancement for birds, and at the history of bird life in the County -

Booking To book a place please return the form below to: Chris Roome, Rowland House, Station Road, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0PY together with your cheque for the appropriate amount . Payment can also be made using BACS to the KOS.[see below]

Places are limited - book early!

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Kent Ornithological Society 2017 Conference What Future for Birds in Kent? £25 for current KOS members £30 Guests & Non KOS members £20 under 25s Including refreshments on arrival, morning coffee, buffet lunch and end-of-day refreshments. Please choose your method of payment from the two options below - cheque or BACS transfer, and send the completed form either by post or email to:- Chris Roome, (KOS Conf) Rowland House, Station Road, Staplehurst, Kent, TN12 0PY. chrisgk.roome@btinternet.com] Number of Places required:- Member - £25_______ Guest - £30________ Under 25 - £20________ If paying by cheque please make the cheque out to Kent Ornithological Society. [Please tick box to show payment method used] I enclose a cheque for £…………made payable to Kent Ornithological Society

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I have made a payment via BACS to Kent Ornithological Society of £…………… using Bank sort code: 30-95-37 and Account Number 01637909

Please include KOSCONF17 as the reference. Name: …………………………………………………………. Address : ……………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………. Post Code: …………………email: ………………………………………… A detailed programme and a map to the venue will be sent to the address you have indicated via email or by post if you have no email address. Please indicate numbers of vegetarian buffet lunch option if required: ……………………..

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