Kent Birding Highlights for August 2025

                                                 OARE MARSHES

                                       2nd August 2025

                                                

Wood Sandpiper

A visit to Oare Marshes on the 2nd August produced a good selection of waders including a Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper & a smart looking juv Spotted Redshank.

Curlew Sandpiper.

The Bonaparte's Gull was still present roosting on the East Flood.

CANTERBURY 

10th August 2025

One of two Kit's

An evening trip to the River Stour looking for Beaver's with views of 2 Kit's.

Kit.

I was reliably informed these were this years young.

OARE MARSHES

11th August 2025

5 of the 6  Black Terns

A brief afternoon visit for high tide on the 11th was rewarded with a good number of Common Terns roosting on a very dry East flood, there was also 3 Sandwich Terns.

I was just about to head home when i noticed some more smaller Terns fly in and briefly land before being flushed almost straight away by a Hobby.

I quickly worked out they were in fact 6 Black Terns which were a very welcome year tick.

Mixed flock of  Common & Black Terns.

OARE MARSHES

12th August 2025

Bonaparte's Gull

Another visit to Oare Marshes on the 12th was rewarded with some excellent views of the Bonaparte's Gull on the mud near the slipway.

Bonaparte's Gull.

SEASALTER

18 White Storks

We also saw 18 White Storks on route to Oare Marshes , these were part of a larger flock of 80+ birds seen the evening before and come from the Knepp estate reintroduction scheme .

White Storks getting restless

DUNGENESS  AREA

18th August 2025

Galloways 

Zitting Cisticola

A very successful trip to Dungeness on the 18th August to see the Zitting Cisticola which was found by BW along Galloways.

Heard it's distinctive 'zitting' flight note and saw it in flight on several occasions, it briefly perched in the nearby reeds but was mostly obscured , then  abit later on it showed a bit better right out in the open.

Zitting Cisticola

A bit later on it landed on a post although alot further away.

Distant view of Zitting Cisticola

A very showy Whinchat along the fence line was also great to see.

Whinchat

Rspb  &  ARC

A look from Dennis hide on the RSPB reserve produced very little other then a splendid adult Yellow Legged Gull.

Over on the ARC from Hanson hide there was a good selection of waders including ; Little Stint 1 ad, Ruff (6), Little ringed Plover (3) & a Spotted Redshank (juv).

THE MOAT

Pied Flycatcher

A walk around the Moat near Dungeness bird Obs is always worth a look as you never know what might turn up.

This was proven on this occasion as some really great views of a Pied Flycatcher landing on one of the closed mist nets was a very welcome year tick.

Pied Flycatcher

After enjoying the Pied Flycatcher for quite sometime i went back to my car to get some refreshments when i happened to noticed RG & JS rushing off over the Moat , this peaked my interest and headed off to investigate, on my way round RG called me over to say they have found a very interesting Warbler !!!!!

On my first views it looked quite large, long primary projection and long tailed, it had pale almost white looking wing panels and an overall grey in appearance.

Initial thoughts were Icterine Warbler , i have seen plenty of 'Icky's' over the years but never looking so grey in appearance & with such bold whitish wing panels.

By the time the word had got out and some of the local birders started to appear we had pretty much agreed on it being an Icterine Warbler.

The Icterine Warbler moved around the Moat as more birders started to appear and eventually we saw it in some very good light and the grey appearance was clearly a trick of the light as it begun to show some yellowish tones around the throat & the white wing panels faded into the more pale colour you would expect.

A  real bonus bird to see and a great find by RG.

Icterine Warbler

ST.MARGARET'S at CLIFFE

30th August 2025

An early morning visit to St.Margaret's at Cliffe for the recently found Dotterels was successful, unfortunately the bird were quite distant but good scope views of an Adult & 2 Juvs were obtained.

Whilst watching these birds they were flushed by a Hobby but reappeared later on in the day.

SANDWICH BAY

New South Downs Pool

Spotted Crake

I meet up with CG & KE at St.Margaret's and followed them to Sandwich Bay and then jumped into Chris Gillards car and got a lift to the private parking area near New south downs pool, thanks for the lift Chris.

We walked around to the Pool and had some superb scope views of the Spotted Crake , first one i have seen for a number of years.

Digi scope pic of  Spotted Crake

There was several Water Rails calling & one showed well near the Spotted Crake.

Spotted Crake

Kent Birding Highlights for July 2025

Bonaparte's Gull .

This month's report is more of an Oare Marshes highlights of the month as i only ventured away from there a couple of times during July.

All dates refer to Oare Marshes , any other sites will be mentioned separately.

1st JULY  

Looking from the pull-in towards the West Flood a Bittern was showing every so often by sticking its head & neck up above the reeds.

Spot the Bittern.

There was also up to 3 Cattle Egrets in superb summer plumage.

Cattle Egret.

2nd JULY

Bonaparte's Gull

News on the 2nd  filled me with joy as the  Bonaparte's Gull had once again returned for it's 13th year !!!

Such an iconic bird for Oare Marshes , thankfully it looks in pristine condition in it's full summer attire. (it's now in heavy moult).

Bonaparte's Gull.

3rd JULY

Caspian Tern with Black headed Gulls.

Oare marshes once again produced the goods on the 3rd with only it's 2nd ever record of Caspian Tern which was seen along Faversham Creek.

Needless to say i headed straight there (thanks for the lift MW).

Here are a selection of photos i took of the Caspian Tern :

Huge bill

Size comparison with Black headed Gulls

Caspian Tern.

8th JULY

Little Ringed Plover.

On the 8th we started off with a look over the East Flood, Black.T.Godwit, Redshank & Avocet were in good numbers , i also saw 2 Green Sandpipers.

A close in near the road Little ringed Plover was an added bonus.

From here we headed down to the Slipway and AE picked out a distant  male Common Scoter which was a very good find in July at Oare Marshes, it drifted off west towards Uplees and eventually out of sight.

15th JULY

Kent Woodland

On the 15th July i ventured out into one of Kent's many Woodland areas and was treated to some very close birds coming down to a puddle to drink, this puddle has now dried up and no longer visited by these birds sadly.

Here are a small selection of photos i took :

♀ Bullfinch

♂ Bullfinch

Dunnock

♀ Common Crossbill

♂ Common Crossbill

30th & 31st JULY

Back at Oare Marshes on the 30th & 31st was rewarded with a superb find by Alan Fossey : White-Rumped Sandpiper.

Just about see the white rump.

Nicely marked bird.

White-Rumped Sandpiper.

 

 

 

Kent Birding Highlights for June 2025

                                                    OARE MARSHES

                                           3rd June 2025

                                                 

4 Adult Curlew Sandpipers.

News reached me that there were 4 Adult Curlew Sandpipers on the East Flood Oare Marshes on the 3rd June (thanks MW).

Thankfully they were still present when i arrived , they were mainly staying in the middle of the EF & often feeding around the legs of Black tailed Godwits.

Eventually the Black tailed Godwits got a bit fed up with the Curlew Sandpipers and flushed them, they flew high and away towards Isle of Sheppey.

Little ringed Plover.

There was also 2 Little ringed Plovers on the EF which were displaying and eventually mating, i also heard a distant Turtle Dove.

There was also a Great white Egret briefly on the EF.

Great white Egret. Photo from 2024.

OARE MARSHES

10th June 2025

Cattle Egret

Another visit to Oare marshes on the 10th June produced 3 more Cattle Egrets, the record was broke this year with a total of 12 birds seen.

Turtle Dove. Photo from 2019.

There were at least 2 Turtle Doves on the weather vane in the paddocks plus a distant Cuckoo was seen on the telegraph wires. 

KINGS WOOD

11th & 20th June 2025

Nightjar

Two visits to Kings Wood for  Nightjar  were very successful on both occasions.

Nightjar

Feeding well

Magical  'Churring'

A brief view of a Tree Pipit on the 11th was a nice surprise plus a Bullfinch on the 20th was also a good bird to hear.

Lot's of  Bat species both nights & a Glow worm on the 20th was a cracking find. 

OARE MARSHES

24th June 2025

Little Tern.

On the 24th June another visit to Oare Marshes produced a really smart Little Tern feeding along the incoming tide.

The Little ringed Plovers on the EF were now sitting on eggs and fending off all comers with feigning injury which is a behaviour i haven't seen before.

Turtle Dove's were still 'Purring' in the paddocks and a Hobby was hunting dragonflies overhead.

Hobby.

Lastly there was a really bright Yellow Wagtail near the pull-in which posed nicely.

Yellow Wagtail.