Kent Birding Highlights for November 2025

                                                                   4th

                                        OARE MARSHES

                                                  

2 of 10 Spoonbills

A cold & windy trip to Oare Marshes on the 4th November was livened up with 10 Spoonbills feeding out in the Swale near Horse sands.

There were impressive numbers of both Wigeon & Brent Geese in the Swale and we saw up to 3 Sparrowhawks & 1 Peregrine during the morning.

Brent Geese.

8th

SOUTH  SWALE NNR

Desert Wheatear

News of a 1st winter ♂ Desert Wheatear showing well between the Sportsman pub & Castle Coote reached me on Saturday 8th November , i dropped everything and headed straight there !!!!

Thankfully the Desert Wheatear was still present and showed really well, here are a small selection of photo's i took :

Nice view of the black tail & sandy rump.

Desert Wheatear.

Eventually the Desert Wheatear moved along the seawall onto the posts and was quite content on feeding on the beach & flying up onto the posts when i eventually left it, great find by Neil Burt.

10th

WESTBROOK

Dusky Warbler

I had my best ever views of a Dusky Warbler on the 10th, a very confiding bird and even though it came so close it was not always easy to photograph due to the vegetation.

Noticeably long supercilium, buff underparts & constantly 'calling', here are a few photo's :

Long supercilium

Buff underparts.

Dusky Warbler

  18th

OARE MARSHES

3 Grey Partridges 

A real surprize on the 18th November as we approached Oare Marshes with the sighting of 3 Grey Partridges  in the field on left before you reach the cottages.

These were a new bird for my Oare Marsh Bird list & the first ones seen here for at least 10 years by Oare Marsh regular MW !!!

Grey Partridge

The morning walk around Oare Marsh was very enjoyable with some great views of the recently returned  (or new) Little Owl which was keenly picked out by AE.

Little Owl.

Another highlight on our walk was 3 Water Pipits on the East Flood.

Water Pipit

24th

NEW HYTHE LAKES

♂ Greater Scaup with 2 ♂ Tufted Ducks

I called over to New Hythe Lakes to hopefully see the Greater Scaup which was found by AE a few days earlier, we checked out Brooklands where it had been seen the day before but no luck there although lot's of Tufted Ducks were present.

We then checked out Abbey Mead pit & AE picked out the ♂ Greater Scaup very quickly, such smart looking ducks these & hopefully this bird might over winter.

♂ Greater Scaup with a ♀ Tufted Duck.

We then headed of to Alder Lake in the hope of seeing the 'Redhead' Goosander and after a little bit of searching we located it on the other side of the lake underneath some trees feeding.

There were lots of Pochard here and although the Goosander was a bit to far for a photo this lovely ♂ Pochard was a bit more obliging.

♂ Pochard.

25th

OARE MARSHES

Immature Spoonbill

A walk around the East flood produced a fly over immature Spoonbill plus 2 Cattle Egrets feeding among the cattle.

There was 2 Water Pipits near the pull-in and a Barn Owl had a fly around the EF, a small flock of 10+ Fieldfare flew over the Cottages & 5+ Redwings were also seen.

Looking from the Seawatch hide the usual wintering Whimbrel was feeding at the mouth of the creek.

Whimbrel.

A nice selection of waders were seen feeding on the mud including 5 Ringed Plovers & several Grey Plover were seen flying up & down the Swale.

Back near the car park a Chiffchaff was in the car park trees , plus a Rock Pipit was briefly heard & seen near the slipway.

Rock Pipit (Photo from the week before nr Sluice)

So that concludes another Month's summary, onto December , can it live up to last years highlights !!!