Red Kites Galore

                                               30th  &  31st May

                                        Over my Garden

                                            

Red Kite

Over the weekend of the 30th & 31st May i added Red Kite to my garden bird list, in fact i added in total 146 Red Kites !!!

Every year we get a large movement of Red Kites through this part of Kent but this is the most i have personally seen pass overhead.

I have only been at my new address for 18 months so was very pleased to add this wonderful bird to my Garden list, i also added over the weekend  3 Cormorants, 2 Great Black Backed Gulls & a single Greenfinch.

Here are a few pics i took of some of them :

Red Kite

I also saw 2 Common Buzzards but not sure if they were local birds or birds caught up in the Red Kite movement.

Common Buzzard

Kent Birding Highlights for May 2026

                                                                  1st

                                          STODMARSH

                                             

Hobby

My first birding trip of May was at Stodmarsh where i managed distant but good scope views of the ♀ Red Footed Falcon that had been found recently by Martyn Wilson. Sadly to distant for a photo , however  i enjoyed watching it hawk over the reedbed between the Lampen wall & Marsh Hide.

I also saw 12+ Hobbies which came alot closer and were often overhead.

2nd

GRAVENEY MARSHES

Grasshopper Warbler. Photo by Chiddy.

On the 2nd i teamed up with Chiddy & Mike .G. at Graveney Marshes in the evening to try and hear the Grasshopper Warbler.

It didn't take to long to hear this wonderful bird 'Reeling' in the nearby reeds and as luck would have it the Grasshopper Warbler landed on the fence and started to 'Reel' right in front of us.

There was also a bonus of a Little Owl hunting nearby which was a real treat to see.

8th

WORTH MARSHES

Red Footed Falcon (Photo from 2024)

A visit to Worth Marshes on the 8th produced another ♀ Red Footed Falcon, this bird remained distant the whole time but once again the views through the scope were good.

I also saw my first Common Swift & Turtle Dove of the year.

18th

STODMARSH

An early morning visit to Stodmarsh on the 18th was very successful with at least 3 'Booming' Bitterns heard plus a very close 'Reeling' Savi's Warbler.

Unfortunately the Savi's Warbler remained unseen despite being so close , i did manage a sound recording , you can just about hear the constant 'Reeling' .

Savi's Warbler 'Reeling'

21st

DUNGENESS  MOAT

Red Breasted Flycatcher Photo by Ross Newham.

An afternoon visit to Dungeness Moat to try and see the recently found Red Breasted Flycatcher was eventually successful.

I teamed up with Martyn .W. & Ross .N. and we had some brief views of the RBF then we heard it singing on at least 3 occasions.

It eventually showed well for me (MW & RN had already seen it well before i got there), i saw the distinctive tail pattern really well.

I also had brief views of a Black Redstart.

24th

DUNGENESS  TRAPPING   AREA 

Greenish Warbler

News of a Greenish Warbler singing at Dungeness on the 24th caught my attention big time , this would be a new bird for my Kent List, i have dipped 2 Greenish Warblers in Kent before !!

However i had mixed feelings about going for it, last years experience with the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler (an eight hour epic wait to see it 😟) did put me off a bit tbh, thinking in this heat i wouldn't last the pace !!!

Then a second report came out that the Greenish Warbler was playing ball and showing well !!!

Off i went and duly arrived on scene, i could hear it singing straight away and it wasn't long before it gave it's self up to me with some cracking views.

Greenish Warbler

Whilst watching the Greenish Warbler a superb Honey Buzzard flew through giving great views.

Honey Buzzard

Great to bump into a few Kent birders today making the whole experience even better.

Many thanks to both Chiddy & Ross Newham for the use of their photos.

Kent Birding Highlights for April 2026

                                                           10th

                                    NR : DARGATE

                                                  

♂ Ring Ouzel

News of a local ♂ Ring Ouzel filtered through to me on the 10th April so i tried my luck and thankfully had some great (but distant) views of this cracking bird.

♂ Ring Ouzel

There was also a superb Yellowhammer & Firecrest nearby.

12th

SEASALTER LEVELS

Common Crane

Viewing from Pilgrims Lane on the 12th April was rewarded with very distant views of the recently found Common Crane.

There were also 2 Nightingales in full voice but both remained out of view.

Digi scoped Common Crane.

There was also 11 Cattle Egret feeding amongst the cows.

25th

DUNGENESS SEAWATCH

&

RSPB RESERVE & ARC 

3 Pomarine Skuas

You can read the full details of the Dungeness sea watch on my previous blog post.

Pomarine Skua

After my epic sea watch i visited the Dungeness Rspb reserve and added 2+ Hobby over the back of Cooks Pool.

I bumped into MC who informed me there were 2 Spotted Redshanks on ARC, so i headed straight there and thankfully had great scope views of these cracking waders.

2 Spotted Redshanks.

Superb full summer plumaged bird.

There was also a Great crested Newt in the pond just to the right of the hide.

I then received a message from NB informing me there is a good selection of waders by the Makepeace Hide including a Curlew Sandpiper !!

Curlew Sandpiper with Ringed Plover.

Many thanks MC & NB for the info, very much appreciated.

27th

OARE MARSHES

Imm Spoonbill

An afternoon visit to Oare Marshes was greeted with 2 imm Spoonbills on the East flood.

There was also 5 Wood Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper & a Greenshank all close in near the road.

Wood Sandpiper

Greenshank & Wood Sandpiper

3 of the 5 Wood Sandpipers

A walk up to Uplees didn't add the hoped for Ring Ouzel but a distant Wheatear was good to see plus a Lesser Whitethroat was heard but remained unseen.

However Common Whitethroat & Sedge Warblers were far more showy.

Sedge Warbler

Common Whitethroat

Dungeness Seawatch

                                   DUNGENESS SEAWATCH

                            25th April  05.45 - 10.15

                                   Wind  :  ENE3

POMARINE SKUA  :  5  (4LP & 1DP)

GREAT SKUA          :  1

ARCTIC SKUA        :  3

MANX SHEARWATER  :  3

FULMAR  :  3

GANNET  :  50+

BLACK TERN  :  41

LITTLE TERN  :  25+

COMMON TERN  :  300+

SANDWICH TERN  :  100+

BLACK THROATED DIVER  :  2

RED THROATED DIVER  :  15

LITTLE GULL  :  200+

KITTIWAKE  :  2

GUILLEMOT  :  10+

COMMON SCOTER  :  150+

TEAL  :  2

SHELDUCK  :  2

BRENT GOOSE  :  13

OYSTERCATCHER  :  25

WHIMBREL  :  50+

GREY PLOVER  :  2

BAR TAILED GODWIT  : 2

DUNLIN  :  1

Of note the Dungeness regulars had a record count of  1467 LITTLE GULLS today.

                                                           

Pomarine Skua.

Whimbrel

 

Kent Birding Highlights for March 2026

                                                                       7th

                                      WORTH MARSHES

                                               

Iceland Gull

News of a 2nd winter Iceland Gull on Minnis Flood at Worth Marshes peaked my interest on the 7th , this would be a new bird for my Sandwich Bay bird list and i absolutely love wing winged gulls !!

I waited until the 2nd report came out before i left home as Gulls can be very hit & miss on their length of stay , i parked up near ND house and was just getting my birding gear sorted out when all of a sudden Neil came rushing out of his side gate and shouted ' Are you looking for the Iceland Gull ??? '

And before i could answer he went onto say ' It's above your head !!! '

Circling around above my car.

I couldn't have timed it any better as the Iceland Gull circled above me a couple of times before heading off inland and out of view, so a big thanks to ND who was also very pleased to add it to his garden bird list.

Iceland Gull.

I did have a walk down to Minnis Flood but failed to find the Caspian Gull but a smart Water Pipit was nice to see.

10th

OARE MARSHES

Merlin

The undoubted highlight of a walk around Oare Marshes on the 10th  was a superb Merlin, it was quite distant on a bush on the West flood for awhile before it flew closer and alighted on a much closer fence post.

Much closer view.

Rear head pattern similar to Little Owl

Digi scoped photo.

Merlin

There was also 2 Spoonbills present on the saltmarsh and a Water Pipit on the East Flood.

23rd

TANKERTON SLOPES

A look from Tankerton slopes on the 23rd was rewarded with a decent scope view of a superb Red necked Grebe which had been present for a few days plus a distant Great northern Diver and several Brent Geese were good to see.

WORTH  MARSHES

Raven

Another visit to Worth Marshes also on the 23rd produced a vocal Raven and at least 5 Red Kites , not a to dissimilar sight these days.

A really smart looking Water Pipit on Minnis Flood had a hint of a pinkish flush on it's breast & 2 bold supercilium's, nicely picked out by MW.

Little ringed Plover.

It was really great to connect with a Little Ringed Plover which was my first migrant of 2026.

There was quite a gathering of local birders here now in the hope that the Iceland Gull would make another appearance which unfortunately it didn't , however Yellow legged Gull, Med Gull , Pintail & 3 Ruff were picked out which were all good to see.

30th

OARE MARSHES

Wheatear

A walk to Dans Dock at Oare Marshes on the 30th was very cold & windy but i did see a superb Wheatear in the sheep fields.

Wheatear.

There wasn't alot on the West flood although Med Gulls have increased in numbers since my last visit.

Mediterranean Gull

There was also a few Bearded Tits 'Pinging' away in the reed bed.

Bearded Tit.