My Kent Birding Year.......2025

                                             

Dartford Warbler Oare Marshes  (Photo by MW)

As 2025 draws to a close i thought i would take a look back at some of my stat's for birding in Kent . 

I keep site / area lists for 7 areas in Kent although i visit many more during the course of a normal year. 

Here is a run down of how my Kent Birding Year went at these seven different locations:

DUNGENESS   AREA

Zitting Cisticola

I added 3 new species to my Dungeness Bird List this year bringing my total to 255  and they were :

EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER on the 25th May.

This was also a new bird for my British list.

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler  (Photo from Shetland)

ZITTING CISTICOLA  on 18th August 

Zitting Cisticola

LONG TAILED SKUA  on the 4th September.

Sorry no photo of this bird.

OARE   MARSHES

Oare Marshes is what i consider to be my patch and one of my favourite sites to bird in Kent, the Wader spectacle here can be truly amazing if the water levels are correct.

I only added 2 new birds to my Oare Marsh Bird List bringing my total to : 215

The New Birds were :

CASPIAN TERN on the 3rd July.

Caspian Tern with Black-headed Gulls

GREY PARTRIDGE on the 18th November.

1 of 3 Grey Partridge.

THANET  AREA

I managed to see 4 new birds for my Thanet Bird List bringing my total to : 215

The New Birds were :

BOOTED EAGLE on the 11th April.

(sorry no photo)

GREATER SCAUP on the  6th October.

♂ Greater Scaup at Pegwell Bay

PINK FOOTED GOOSE on the 6th October.

Pink Footed Goose at Pegwell Bay.

DUSKY WARBLER on the 10th November.

Dusky Warbler at  Westbrook

STOUR   VALLEY

Unfortunately i never added any new birds this year, my last new bird in the Valley was the Solitary Sandpiper in 2023.

My Stour Valley Bird List stands at : 201

SANDWICH  BAY  AREA

Sandwich Bay is an area i used to visit a lot when i was still at school and i still frequently visit the area , more so Worth Marshes these days though.

I added 3 New birds to my Sandwich Bay bird list this year bringing my total to : 209

My new birds were :

SERIN on the 18th February.

♂ Serin near Restharrow Scrape.

WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER on the 8th May.

Western Bonelli's Warbler.

RED NECKED PHALAROPE on the 2nd October.

(Sorry no photo)

ISLE of  SHEPPEY

Unfortunately i never added any new birds this year, my last new bird on the Isle of Sheppey was a Black Stork in 2023.

My Isle of Sheppey Bird list stands at : 187

RECULVER    AREA

I added 3 new birds to my Reculver Bird List this Year bringing my total to : 170

The 3 new birds were :

PALLID HARRIER on the 7th October.

LITTLE GULL on the 23rd October.

LONG TAILED SKUA on the 23rd October.

Unfortunately i failed with the camera on all 3 occasions.

FINAL  KENT  YEAR  LIST  TOTALS

YEAR LIST : 219

KENT TICKS : 3

EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER

WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER

BOOTED EAGLE

Here are a selection of bird photos from  throughout the Year from various sites .

Bonaparte's Gull

Desert Wheatear 

Great Grey Shrike

Hawfinch

Icterine Warbler (Great find by RG)

Osprey (Photo by AE)

Spotted Crake.

Wryneck

Wishing you all a Happy New Year & great birding for 2026