KOS News The Newsletter of the Ornithological Society

Number 506 November 2016

Common Scoter by Mark Chidwick

● News & Announcements ● ●Stodmarsh Fifty years on ● Subspecies- a problem or a challenging insight? ● Bird Sightings August – October 2016 ● Fifty Years Ago●

1 KOS Contacts – Committee Members

Newsletter Editor: Norman McCanch, 23 New Street, Ash, , Kent CT3 2BH Tel: 01304-813208 e-mail: [email protected] Membership Sec: Chris Roome, Rowland House, Station Rd., Staplehurst TN12 0PY Tel: 01580 891686 e-mail:[email protected] Chairman: Martin Coath, 14A Mount Harry Rd Sevenoaks TN13 3JH Tel: 01732-460710 e-mail: [email protected] Vice Chair.: Brendan Ryan, 18 The Crescent, Canterbury CT2 7AQ Tel: 01227 471121 e-mail: [email protected] Hon. Sec: Stephen Wood, 4 Jubilee Cottages, Forstal, ME13 0PJ. Tel: 01795 890485. e-mail: [email protected] Hon. Treasurer: Mike Henty, 12 Chichester Close, Witley, Godalming, Surrey GU8 5PA Tel: 01428-683778 e-mail: [email protected] Conservation & Surveys: Norman McCanch, as above Editorial & Records: Barry Wright, 6 Hatton Close, Northfleet, DA11 8SD Tel: 01474 320918 e-mail: [email protected] Archivist: Robin Mace, 4 Dexter Close, Kennington, Ashford, TN25 4QG Tel: 01233-631509 e-mail: [email protected] Website liaison: vacant

Indoor Meetings organiser: TBA Outdoor Meetings organiser: Ray O’Reily 44 New Road, Cliffe, Rochester, Kent ME3 7SL 07879 636198 [email protected]

Ordinary Members: Ken Lodge 14 Gallwey Avenue, Birchington, Kent CT7 9PA Tel : 01843 843105 e-mail: [email protected] Keith Privett 6 Tritton Close, Kennington, Ashford, Kent TN24 9HN Tel: 01233 335533 e-mail: [email protected] Jack Chantler 34 Gladstone Road, Walmer, Kent CT14 7ET Tel: 01304 366214 e-mail: [email protected] Andy Appleton 34 Pennine Walk Tunbridge Wells Kent TN2 3NW 01892 513542 e-mail: [email protected] Tony Morris, The Hidden House, 28 Kingstown Road, St Margaret’s at Cliffe, Kent CT7 6AZ 01304 851943 e-mail: [email protected]

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Editorial

There can be little doubt that, along with many small special-interest groups, our esteemed membership is skewed towards what might be termed ‘senior citizens’. I am by no means the oldest of our active members, but recently I passed a personal birding milestone in the county and that set me thinking about changes in our landscape and its natural communities through time.

In spite of the trend of losses and erosion of biodiversity there have also been gains, often of species barely even dreamt of by our predecessors a century ago which have adapted to our changing climate and landscape.

By nature, I tend to be a bit of a ‘thistle-eating pessimist’, but even Eeyore would recognise that change is part of the natural scheme of things. My local patch is a river valley which only 12,000 years ago was the outwash from a fast retreating ice-sheet in a tundra landscape, home to Mammoths and Woolly Rhinos. 6,000 years later and the Kent coast as we know it barely existed, instead a fertile lowland Plain extended across the Dogger Bank to join Kent to the Low countries. 2,000 years ago, the Romans came and brought a catalogue of plants and animals which today are seen as quintessentially British, while 1,000 years later the Normans did much the same, but also introduced systems of land management which are with us still.

Our role is to observe and record all this and to make our work available to those who share our sense of responsibility for the natural world and our sense of wonder. And to enjoy it!! Good birding,

Norman

News and announcements

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., Staplehurst TN12 0PY Tel: 01580 891686 e-mail:[email protected]

3 WANTED---Good home for BB`s; circa 30 yrs prior to 2000 . Restructuring bookshelves ! If interested contact: Mike Roser on 01227 272041

Articles

Stodmarsh Fifty years on

22nd October 2016 marked the fiftieth anniversary of my first visit to Stodmarsh. I was a mad keen schoolboy birdwatcher and naturalist, a refugee from South Wales washed up in the alien environment of a North Surrey Grammar school. The school had a Natural History Society (remember those?) and excursions by ramshackle coach or minibus were the highlight of the year. We had made a trip to Cliffe and High Halstow in my first autumn (1965) but I had never heard of Stodmarsh when we set out on the appointed day, 22nd October 1966.

We left Purley in the twilight of an early morning and in the pre-M25 era it was a longish journey across Surrey and Kent, such that we arrived at Stodmarsh by mid-morning. In the manner of schoolboys at the time we had eaten all our sandwiches as soon as we got on the bus, so it was straight down to birdwatching after we had split into three groups. Much of my memory of that day is episodic – I remember the bright sunshine, cool breeze and trees largely devoid of leaves. We walked the familiar path following the Lampen Wall alongside the Alder wood and out towards the River Stour. There were a good number of ducks on the water, but I was already a confirmed ‘duckoholic’ and I found nothing new amongst them, but soon we encountered a group of Bearded Tits showing quite well along the path. In many ways, these were the highlight of my day and a new species! We saw Heron and Great Crested Grebe, a couple of Kingfishers and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Flocks of Lapwings flew over accompanied by a couple of Redshanks.

We wandered back to the coach and followed the road past the church and out to the stubble fields south of the village. Here there were large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfares, along with several Mistle Thrushes. The stubble held a big mixed flock of finches and buntings, perhaps 400 bird in all, containing lots of Chaffinches, Linnets and Greenfinches, but also gems like a fine 4 Brambling, dozens of Tree Sparrows, several Yellowhammers and a confiding group of Corn Buntings which gave excellent views and even flew with dangling legs, just as the ‘Peterson ‘guide said they did!

To the west of the village the road dropped down to a boggy stream in the bottom of a flooded valley fringed with Alder trees. In this magical, wet secluded place we found Water Rails feeding out in the open while the trees held a gang of tame and approachable Redpolls and Siskins feeding avidly. We wandered back to the village and our coach. One of the other groups had met another birdwatcher who had pointed out a Rough-legged Buzzard overhead. Needless to say, it was an early lesson in the frustration and disappointment which can be part of birding and which gives our hobby its ‘edge’.

Our departure was delayed slightly as we stopped alongside a patch of woodland on Stodmarsh road and found more Bramblings and a pair of Willow tits. My day total of 56 species was very satisfying, especially as six of those were new to my list.

Bearded Tit by Terry Laws

This year I made the pilgrimage to a site which has become part of my wider ‘local patch’. Weather conditions were pretty similar to fifty years ago, but a long dry autumn meant that the trees were still clothed in leaves and the ground was dry underfoot. I arrived at 07:15 and spent three hours pootling around the same areas visited all those years ago. It would be tedious to list all the birds seen in a total of 62, but perhaps it is worth considering the “losses & gains” revealed by this crude comparison.

5 Species seen in 1966 but not this year included Redshank, Golden Plover and Grey Wagtail, all of which were probably in the vicinity somewhere. More significantly, no Brambling, Redpoll and Siskin were recorded, possibly due to the prolonged mild weather over the near continent. The remaining species are Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting and Tree Sparrow, now all rather rare and localized birds in Kent and the Willow tit, gone from our woodlands, probably for ever.

Willow Tit by Norman McCanch

On the plus side, a number of species which are fairly typical of an autumn visit today would hardly imagine back in 1966. Both Cormorant and Grey Lag Goose were very scarce birds in those days and Gadwall was also much less common. Raptors were equally unlikely; we had only a Kestrel in 1966, but this year I added multiple Marsh Harriers, a couple of Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk. Another bird notably absent was Collared dove (imagine!!(; it was only about ten years since the first record of the species in Britain and it was still rather localised and uncommon. A Stonechat on the reed tops is not unusual today, perhaps overlooked along with the Goldcrest, Treecreeper and Bullfinch, by noisy schoolboy birdwatchers. A Firecrest this year was a bonus, but not totally unexpected these days. Surely they are much more numerous nowadays in our autumn and winter countryside.

And finally – Cetti’s Warbler! Not there in 1966, a species first recorded in Kent in 1968 at Dungeness. It first bred at Stodmarsh in about 1972-73, then died out in the hard winters of 1987-88, subsequently recolonising to become a typical bird of lowland Kent.

Two final thoughts. One of the teachers who organised that trip and guided my youthful interest is still around and contributing to this issue of KOS News

6 My gratitude to Tony Holcombe for his patience and encouragement all those years ago knows no limits.

Also… retrospectively that Rough-legged Buzzard! The KBR for 1966 does not record one present for the day of our visit, but in subsequent weeks one was present from 14th November to 31st December, so perhaps my friends really did see it! I had to wait another few years to finally see one, on an NHS trip to Sheppey!.

Norman McCanch

Subspecies- a problem or a challenging insight?

When we go out birding we generally find that we can identify many of the birds we meet by a simple process of recognising “key features” which make that species distinctive. Birds are individuals, just like people and they show some degree of variability within the standard plumage types. Amongst the House Sparrows at my feeders some may be a bit browner, some a bit greyer, some more boldly marked, others less so. These differences can be age related or linked to the timings of seasonal moults, but they all add up to ‘Passer domesticus’!

However, if these differences are consistent throughout a population and re- appear in subsequent generations then we should give some thought to what they mean in the wider picture. Consistent differences in a discrete population lead over time to the emergence of a new species, a process known as “speciation”. Biologists recognise two main types of speciation, sympatric and allopatric. Sympatric involves the emergence of a new species from within an existing population as a result of the exchange of genes and the persistence of random mutations. For a number of reasons it primarily affects plants and is the process which gave rise to the development of Common Cord Grass, Spartina anglica during the late nineteenth century, from the hybridization of Small Cord Grass S.maritima and Smooth Cord Grass S.alternifolia, an alien invader from North America.

Allopatric speciation is the principal (but not the only) process affecting animals and especially vertebrates. It involves the isolation of part of a 7 population from the main range, for instance an island, mountain range, river or desert. Europe is a particularly interesting place to see the allopatry and its consequences. Successive Ice ages left many species isolated with southerly distributions, while post-glacial warming resulted in some of these populations effectively stranded in high mountain refuges. This accounts for the presence of Ptarmigan in Scandinavia, Scotland, but also in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. Until 5000 years ago Britain was part of the continent of Europe, joined by the vast lowland known today as ‘Doggerland’. Similar coastal plains filled much of the Irish Sea and coasts of western Scotland. Effectively the vertebrate populations of Britain and Northern Europe were one and the same, with nothing preventing a Red Squirrel from the Alps making an epic tree-top trek all the way to Caithness, with nothing to prevent it except for Pine Martens, Goshawks and Eagle Owls!

But all that changed; a process known as isostatic rebound, coupled with post- glacial climatic amelioration, effectively isolated the British Isles from the rest of Europe and provided ideal conditions for allopatric speciation. Of course, this does not affect all species equally. Highly mobile and adaptable species are able to travel across distances and maintain contact with isolated groups of their congeners. Many smaller species are essential sedentary. Once a pair establishes a breeding territory they seldom move very far from home. To minimise competition for territories many species adopt a strategy of post- juvenile dispersal, where their offspring set off into the wide blue yonder to seek their fortune elsewhere. Sadly, for most, this results in an early death through starvation or predation. Dispersal is essentially randomly orientated and is usually driven by a temporal stimulus, so that birds keep travelling in their chosen direction until ‘they run out of steam’. By contrast, migration involves regular seasonal movements between generally fixed destinations, repeated in subsequent seasons.

The consequences for us are simple and yet at the same time complex. Where populations are isolated through many generations’ small genetic inconsistencies and acquired mutations can add up to individuals which are recognisably different to an acute observer. A good example is the Coal Tit Periparus ater, a species I know well from prolonged contact in the Pine woods of Breckland and mid-Wales.

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British Coal Tit by Henrik Gronvold

They are also regular visitors in autumn and winter to my bird feeders in East Kent. Coal tits are essentially conifer specialists, they have a longer bill than other similar sized titmice and are adept at winkling Adelgids, Aphids and beetle larvae from the needle clusters. Conifers provide lots of food like this in summer, but in winter time it can be harder to find and many Coal tits opt to raid bird feeders for sunflower seeds and peanuts. They are not truly a migrant, but are a good example of a species where post-juvenile dispersal is a feature of their biology. Species where the volume of dispersal is correlated with food supply are usually termed ‘irruptive’ as we see in Crossbills and Jays and also in Coal tits.

Five millennia of isolation have left ‘British’ Coal tits subtly different from ‘Continental’ ones. They tend to be more olive on the mantle compared to their blue-grey continental cousins

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Continental Coal Tit, a first year bird ringed at Dunes du Fort Vert, Marck, Pas-de- Calais on 1/10/15 and controlled at Shuart on 7/10/15. by Chris Hindle

This gives rise to the trinomial names, Periparus ater ater for the Continental race, Periparus ater britannicus for the British race. Continental birds dispersing form the woodlands of northern Europe frequently find their way into southern Britain and one such is currently making lightning raids on my sunflower feeders.

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Some Coal Tit subspecies

The situation in Britain is a little more complicated. At the Calf of Man Bird Observatory in the northern Irish Sea dispersing Coal tits are a feature of autumn. Given that the island is pretty well equidistant between Ireland, Scotland and it is no surprise that dispersing Coal tits appear in the mist nets, but among them are occasional Irish Coal Tits P.a.hibernicus with their distinctly different plumage of browns and yellow. Strange to say, but in the mountain forests of Tunisia there is a rather similar looking race P.a. ledouci, where isolation in a damp montane environment appears to have favoured a similar set of genes. Most striking of all is the race which occurs farther west in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, P.a. atlas. This relatively small population was apparently isolated a long time ago and is strikingly different 11 from the other races, with a paler greeny-grey mantle and very extensive black on the breast extending along the flanks. I heard a couple of birds call and to my ears they seem similar to familiar birds back home, but the race appears to have adapted to Holm Oak forest which may well account for its distinctive appearance.

In the past the outward appearance of birds was the way species and sub- species were judged. I have a great little book published in 1923; “Birds of Europe and North Africa” by Col.R.G. Wardlaw Ramsey. This has no pictures, but it is full of descriptions and measurements of all the races of species known at the time. Some were a bit conjectural, a few even fanciful, but many are worth closer scrutiny today. These days we are lucky to be able to consider many other isolating mechanisms, such as analysis of songs and calls, behavioural and display strategies and even timing of breeding. Modern digital cameras allow critical scrutiny of fine details of birds in the field and we can to some extent confirm out observations by analysis of DNA. Subspecies have rightly been described as “steps on the pathway to the evolution of a new species”. In an uncertain world that pathway can change or end abruptly for any number of reasons. Being able to recognise some of them in the field can only enhance our enjoyment and understanding of these marvellous creatures. For those interested in finding out more about speciation affecting birds in Britain and Europe I can recommend “ An Atlas of Birds of the Western Palearctic” by Colin Harrison, published by Collins in 1982, but sadly now out of print.

Norman McCanch

______BIRD SIGHTINGS FOR AUTUMN 2016 – AUGUST TO OCTOBER - 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.

12 WEATHER______At the start of August the weather was unsettled and changeable with low pressure in charge. It was more settled in the second half of the month although on 20th a vigorous depression brought strong winds. After this frequent southerly winds brought a spell of high temperatures peaking at Faversham on 23rd when 34.1⁰ C was recorded.

The start of September was changeable with high pressure to the south and a south westerly airflow. During the second week, however, a more southerly flow brought hot and humid weather and on 13th the hottest September day in the UK since 1911 when 34.4⁰ C was measured at Gravesend. This hot weather then broke down and there were widespread thunderstorms. The second half of the month was changeable.

At the beginning of October a shallow depression tracked east across the UK bringing some rain but after that high pressure centred over Scandinavia took charge and brought winds mainly from the east. It was a dry month with above average sunshine.

WILDFOWL______

The first three Bewick's Swans of the autumn flew S at Sandwich Bay on Oct 11th and a Whooper Swan was seen at Cliffe Pools on Oct 20th.

A Tundra Bean Goose was found at Dungeness RSPB on Oct 6th, two were seen at Dungeness on 15th and 16th and there was one in the Stour Valley from Oct 18th-19th whilst three unidentified Bean Geese flew over Dungeness RSPB on Oct 26th and 14 flew over Worth on 28th. Six Taiga Bean Geese identified at Sandwich Bay on Oct 22nd were seen until the end of the month. During October, 38 Pink-footed Geese were seen at Swale NNR on 1st, three flew over on 6th, 70 flew past on 7th and four flew S at Bridge on 9th.

The first White-fronted Geese of the autumn were 25 seen at Dungeness on Oct 6th after which up to 84 were seen at Sandwich Bay, Swalecliffe, Grove Ferry, Cliftonville, Collards Lake, , Capel Fleet, Swale NNR and Dungeness.

Five Barnacle Geese flew N past Sandwich Bay on Oct 7th.A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was seen at and South Swale LNR on Aug 5th, but the first main arrival of birds coincided with fresh NW wind on Sept 17th. A Black Brant was identified at South Swale LNR on Oct 8th.

13 During the autumn up to 55 Egyptian Geese were seen at Bough Beech with smaller numbers at Eastwell Park, , Cliffe Pools, Swale NNR, Seaton GPs, Dungeness RSPB and Ashford.

In August up to eight Ruddy Shelduck were seen at various sites in north and east Kent.Up to 24 Mandarins were recorded from Bough Beech with smaller numbers at Canterbury Environment Centre, Tonbridge, Eastwell Park and Grove Ferry.During the autumn up to four Garganey were recorded at Oare Marshes, Pegwell Bay, Sandwich Bay, Cliffe Pools and Dungeness RSPB with the last bird of the year at Grove Ferry on Oct 14th.

A summer plumaged male Long-tailed Duck flew N past the fishing boats at DBO on Sept 29th whilst a Velvet Scoter flew past Folkestone and DBO on Oct 6th and two were seen at Reculver and Ramsgate on Oct 15th with one at Hythe Ranges on 31st.The first Goldeneye of the autumn was found at Dungeness RSPB on Sept 14th whilst the first two Goosanders were found at the same site on Oct 26th.

PARTRIDGE TO GREBES______The first Black-throated Divers of the autumn were seen at DBO on Oct 18th and 29th and the first Great Northern Diver was recorded there also on Oct 29th.

A "blue" Fulmar flew past DBO on Aug 21st. Two Sooty Shearwaters flew past DBO with singles at Shellness on Aug 27th, Cliffe Pools on Sept 7th and Swalecliffe on Sept 16th and 17th. In October two birds were seen at DBO on 1st with one or two at DBO, Reculver, Swalecliffe and Shellness on 2nd, one at DBO on 3rd and 14th with two there on 16th, another at North Foreland on 5th and one reported to be flying up river at Cliffe Pools on 13th with another at DBO on 29th.

Single Manx Shearwaters flew E at DBO on Aug 1st, 16th and 18th and there were 27 on 2nd, five on 3rd, two on 4th and three on 21st. One was also seen at Bockhill on Aug 3rd. During September one flew past Cliffe Pools on 7th with others at Swalecliffe on 8th, Reculver on 17th and 18th and DBO on 24th. There was also the bizarre sight of one being harried by a Marsh Harrier on the ARC Pits at Dungeness on Sept 30th. During October one or two birds were recorded at Reculver, , Swalecliffe and Shellness.

During August two Balearic Shearwaters were seen off DBO on 19th with 27 the next day, 31 on 21st, 17 on 22nd, 14 on 24th and one on 29th. One was also seen off Shellness on 27th. Two flew past DBO on Sept 9th with eight the next day, three on 11th, singles on 12th, 20th, 27th and 29th and two on 16th. In October one was seen at DBO on 10th.

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An inland report of a juvenile Gannet concerned one flying over New Hythe on Sept 19th and a Shag was reported from Foreness on Oct 15th with another at Reculver on 19th.

During the autumn only single Bitterns were observed at Dungeness RSPB and Walland Marsh. Single Cattle Egrets were seen at Dungeness RSPB on Aug 6th and from Sept 2nd to Oct 9th, at Sandwich Bay on Aug 19th from Preston on Oct 29th- 31st. The numbers of Great White Egrets recorded at Dungeness RSPB built up to 16 by the end of October with single birds on Sheppey and at Sandwich Bay, Stodmarsh, Brooksend, Coldharbour, Foreness, Bough Beech, Romney Marsh and Oare Marshes with two at Grain on Oct 9th and Capel Fleet on Oct 16th.

Purple Heron by Ian Hufton A juvenile Purple Heron was found beside the River Wantsum on Reculver Marshes on Aug 15th and another was seen at between Aug 29th and Sept 29th. A juvenile was also found dead at Allhallows on Sept 24th and subsequently passed to the BMNH at Tring.

15 Single Glossy Ibises were reported from Oare Marshes and Cliffe Pools on Aug 7th, Grove Ferry on Aug 13th and Dungeness RSPB from Aug 28th-29th and Sept 26th-Oct 9th with two from Oct 1st-7th.

During the autumn up to four Spoonbills were seen at Sandwich Bay, Oare Marshes, Conyer Creek, Cliffe Pools, Grove Ferry, Elmley, Riverside CP, Swalecliffe, Scotney and Pegwell Bay with seven at Cliffe Pools on Sept 4th and nine flying S over Staplehurst on Sept 14th. There was also an arrival of birds on Sept 30th when 11 were seen at Dungeness, two at Bough Beech and 18 at Oare Marshes that were there the next day but had decreased to nine on Oct 2nd.

Spoonbill by Mark Chidwick

One or two Black-necked Grebes were seen intermittently at Dungeness and Scotney from Aug 27th with singles at Sevenoaks WR on Oct 5th and Cliffe Pools on Oct 9th and 13th.

BIRDS OF PREY______

During August and September one or two Honey Buzzards were observed at Shellness, Grove Ferry, Teynham, Shadoxhurst, , Dungeness, Ashford and Lydd with three reported from Dungeness RSPB on Sept 7th. One was also seen at Sandwich Bay on Oct 9th. 16

Single Red Kites were seen at Reculver, Swalecliffe, Faversham, Whitstable, Great Chart, New Hythe and Oare Marshes. Female Hen Harriers were seen at Swale NNR on Aug 11th and Sept 26th and on Oct 2nd whilst a ring-tail was seen at Dungeness RSPB on Oct 6th and a male at Swale NNR on Oct 7th. After this birds were reported from Dungeness, Worth Marshes, Sandwich Bay, Cliffe Pools, Conyer, Swalecliffe, Higham, Pegwell Bay, Grove Ferry, South Swale LNR, Swale NNR, Leysdown and Reculver Marshes.

A first winter PALLID HARRIER was seen at Dungeness on Sept 17th and another was reported from Foreness, Elmley and Margate Cemetery on Sept 25th and again in the Elmley/Harty Marshes area until Oct 2nd when it flew south across the Swale, circled high over Oare Marshes and drifted south.

Pallid Harrier by Martyn Wilson

A female Montagu's Harrier with a satellite transmitter was seen at Ashford on Aug 15th and a juvenile was seen at Dungeness RSPB between Sept 3rd and 17th.

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Pallid Harrier by Terry Laws

A Rough-legged Buzzard was reported from Langdon Cliffs on Oct 12th.After an Osprey flew NE at on Aug 17th during the rest of the autumn single birds were seen at over 20 widespread locations with two in the Dungeness area on Sept 22nd.

Osprey Sheppey, by Terry Laws

18 The first Merlins of the autumn were seen at Sandwich Bay on Aug 28th and Elmley on 29th after which birds were seen at Dungeness, Elmley, Seaton, Seasalter, Grove Ferry, Cliffe Pools, Sandwich Bay, Reculver and Lower Hope Point.

RAILS TO WADERS______

A juvenile Spotted Crake was reported from Cliffe Pools on Aug 14th and 21st and a Common Crane found at Swale NNR between Oct 2nd and 31st was also seen at South Swale LNR and Leysdown-on-Sea.

Crane by Russell Blackman

A Stone-curlew spent the day at Dungeness RSPB on Aug 18th and a Kentish Plover was recorded at Pegwell Bay on Aug 10th.

Three Dotterel flew over South Foreland on Sept 19th, one flew W at Shuart on Sept 26th and another was recorded at Sandwich Bay on Oct 8th.

During autumn up to 20 Curlew Sandpipers were seen at Oare Marshes, Dungeness RSPB, Sandwich Bay, Pegwell Bay, Whitstable, Cliffe Pools, Coldharbour, Swalecliffe, Foreness, Conyer Creek and Elmley but there were higher counts of up to 33 at Cliffe Pools on Aug 19th and 20th and up to 32 at Oare Marshes from Aug 22nd. There were also birds inland at Bough Beech on Aug 24th and 25th and Sept 14th and 22nd. 19

During the autumn up to 12 Little Stints were seen at Dungeness RSPB, Cliffe Pools, Sandwich Bay, Pegwell Bay, Bough Beech and Coldharbour with up to 30 at Oare Marshes whilst a Temminck's Stint was found at SBBO from Aug 24th-29th.

Baird’s Sandpiper by Matt Hindle

An adult BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was identified in Coldharbour lagoon, Reculver on Aug 26th and remained there until 28th. This in only the eighth record of this species for Kent.

An unexpected Purple Sandpiper was seen and photographed at Oare Marshes on Sept 6th and another was found at Coldharbour on a breakwater on Oct 3rd with three at Dumpton Gap on Oct 27th and one at Margate on 30th.

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Purple Sandpiper, Oare marshes, by Jonathan Leigh Boyce

A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was found at Dungeness RSPB on Sept 9th and 10th and an adult Pectoral Sandpiper was found at Cliffe Pools on Sept 2nd with a juvenile was seen at Bough Beech on Sept 13th.

A Red-necked Phalarope was seen at Dungeness RSPB from Sept 2nd-4th and a Grey Phalarope was seen at Sandwich Bay on Oct 5th with another reported from Grenham Bay on Oct 20th.

During autumn up to four Spotted Redshanks were seen at Dungeness RSPB, Cliffe Pools, Scotney, Sandwich Bay, Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh, New Romney, Bough Beech and Oare Marshes and up to three Wood Sandpipers were reported from Elmley, Northward Hill, Grove Ferry, Cliffe Pools, Dungeness RSPB and Sandwich Bay. A LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was found at Oare Marshes on Oct 9th and remained there until the end of the month.

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Long-billed Dowitcher, Oare by Keith Cutting

The first three Jack Snipe of the autumn were found at Abbotscliffe on Oct 3rd after which up to six were seen at Sandwich Bay with smaller numbers at Reculver, Bockhill, Swalecliffe, Wouldham, Dungeness RSPB, Sevenoaks WR and Elmley.

Jack snipe, by Chris Bond 22

SKUAS TO GULLS______

Single Pomarine Skuas were reported from DBO on Sept 12th, 16th and 29th and during October up to five birds were seen at Swalecliffe, Shellness, Sandwich Bay, Harty, DBO, and Reculver. During the autumn up to 85 Arctic Skuas were reported from DBO, Shellness Reculver, Grenham Bay, Bockhill, Cliffe, Swalecliffe, Seasalter, Lower Hope Point and Sandwich Bay. Single juvenile Long-tailed Skuas were seen at Reculver, Swalecliffe and Grenham Bay on Sept 17th and at Swalecliffe the next day. On Oct 2nd four birds were seen at Shellness, two at Oare Marshes and one at Swalecliffe and singles were also seen at DBO on 4th and 5th and at Deal on 12th. During the autumn up to 55 Great Skuas flew past DBO, Sandwich Bay, Pegwell Bay, Cliffe, Oare Marshes, North Foreland, Swalecliffe, Seasalter and Shellness.

Bonxie by Norman McCanch

An unseasonable Little Auk was seen off DBO on Aug 14th.

A CASPIAN TERN flew E at Bockhill on Oct 16th. During August and September up to 46 Black Terns were seen at DBO with smaller numbers at Bockhill, Dungeness RSPB, Lade, Cliffe Pools, Greatstone-on-Sea, Seasalter, Lower Hope Point, Warden Point, Swalecliffe, Oare Marshes, Sandwich Bay and Pegwell Bay. Larger counts were made at Shellness when 153 flew in from the NE on Aug 6th, 118 were seen on Aug 16th with 155 on Aug 27th whilst 159 flew past DBO on Aug 19th and 200 were seen at Oare Marshes on Aug 28th. The final bird of the year was seen at Cliffe Pools on Oct 10th.

23 A White-winged Black Tern found at Cliffe Pools on Sept 5th was still present the next day whilst an adult flew downriver at Lower Hope Point on Sep 15th. A Roseate Tern flew W past DBO on Aug 22nd and one was seen at Greatstone-on-Sea on Aug 31st.

Black Tern by Ray O’Reilly

Two juvenile Sabine's Gulls flew past Shellness with Sandwich Terns on Sept 17th and another juvenile was seen at Reculver on Oct 5th. The adult BONAPARTE'S GULL first seen this year on July 8th at Oare Marshes was still present until Sept 6th. After the first Little Gull of the autumn was seen at DBO on Aug 22nd up to 72 birds were reported from DBO, Oare Marshes, Swalecliffe, Grenham Bay, Samphire Hoe, Reculver, Walmer, Hampton, Shellness and Pegwell Bay.

A first winter FRANKLIN'S GULL was seen at Grove Ferry on Oct 17th flying towards Stodmarsh in a group of Black-headed Gulls. If accepted by BBRC this will be a new species for Kent. There was an impressive count of 892 Mediterranaean Gulls off DBO on Oct 28th. A first winter Ring-billed Gull was seen in the gull roost at Seaton GPs on Oct 18th.

Up to 12 Yellow-legged Gulls were identified at DBO, Cliffe Pools, Sandwich Bay, Reculver and Faversham Creek whilst one or two Caspian Gulls were

24 seen regularly at DBO from Aug 8th and into October with a second winter bird reported from Sandwich Bay on Aug 21st and another at Lade on Oct 28th.

DOVES TO WOODPECKERS______

A Long-eared Owl was seen at Sandwich Bay on Aug 8th and 9th and Oct 9th.The first Short-eared Owl of the autumn was seen at Reculver Marshes on Sept 20th and was followed by a bird at Bockhill on Oct 3rd. After this up to three birds were recorded from 18 coastal sites with an influx on Oct 17th when 12 birds were seen at Bockhill with three at Reculver and one at DBO.

A Nightjar was seen in the early hours at DBO on Aug 12th and 13th and a Hoopoe was reported from on Sept 25th.

A Wryneck was found at Samphire Hoe between Aug 23rd and Sept 1st and others were seen during September at Oare Marshes on 1st, DBO on 11th, Pegwell Bay on 13th, Minnis Bay on 19th and Dungeness RSPB on 21st.

Wryneck, Plumpudding Island, by Mark Chidwick

GOLDEN ORIOLE TO HIRUNDINES______A Red-backed Shrike was found at Walmer on Aug 19th with others on Worth Marshes on Aug 26th and at Sandwich Bay on Sept 16th. In October one was 25 reported from Cliftonville on 4th. During October a Great Grey Shrike was seen at Cliffe Pools on 7th and was followed by birds at Reculver Marshes from 8th-11th, Abbotscliffe from 8th-9th, Barton Point on 8th, South Foreland on 9th and 20th and at DBO on 21st.

During the three months under review as many as five Ravens were recorded from Seasalter, Bockhill, Samphire Hoe, , Canterbury, Swalecliffe, Oare Marshes, Elmley, Swale NNR, Conningbrook, Wouldham, Langdon Hole, Reculver, Sandwich Bay and Abbotscliffe.

During September and October up to six Firecrests were found at Bockhill, Ramsgate, Reculver, Samphire Hoe, Sandwich Bay, Langdon Cliffs, Walmer, Nethergong, Abbotscliffe, Woods, Kingsdown, Beachborough Lakes, Shuart and DBO.

A PENDULINE TIT was reported from Worth Marshes on Oct 10th.

Shore Lark, Reculver by Chris Hindle

In October single Woodlarks were seen at DBO on 2nd, St Margarets-at-Cliffe on 4th, Grove Ferry on 13th with two at DBO on 11th and one at Swanscombe Marsh on 28th. There was an influx of Shore Larks during October with one at 26 Sandwich Bay from 5th-21st, two at Reculver from 12th-22nd, two at South Foreland between 14th and 30th and Seasalter on 15th with single birds at Tankerton and Swalecliffe on 19th, Joss Bay on 20th and 21st, Coldharbour on 29th and St Margaret's-at-Cliffe on 31st.

CETTI’S WARBLER TO WHEATEARS______

A Greenish Warbler was seen at Dungeness RSPB on Sept 20th with another at Walmer on September 23rd. During October Pallas's Warblers were identified at Kingsdown on 9th and 10th, Dover on 16th, Bockhill on 20th, Kingsdown on 25th and DBO on 27th whilst the first Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn was seen at Shuart on Sept 16th and was followed throughout October by up to 10 birds at over 20 coastal sites with singles inland at Seaton and Bridge. A Dusky Warbler was found at Kingsdown from Oct 25th-29th. After one was seen at Sandwich Bay on July 25th another Wood Warbler was found there on Aug 1st. Single birds were also recorded at North Foreland on 6th and Oare Marshes on Aug 24th. A Siberian Chiffchaff was identified at Kingsdown on Oct 25th and a Barred Warbler was found at Sandwich Bay on Sept 22nd.

It was a good October for Dartford Warblers with birds at Worth Marshes on 14th and at Sandwich Bay where there was one from 22nd-28th, two on the 28th, three on 30th and five on 31st. A singles bird was also seen at Abbotscliffe from 26th-28th with one at DBO on 27th and two there on 31st. During August and September up to three Grasshopper Warblers were found at Bockhill, Sandwich Bay, DBO, Abbotscliffe, Shuart and Reculver Marshes with the last bird at Grove Ferry on Oct 8th.

An Icterine Warbler was seen on Worth Marshes on Aug 17th and another was trapped and ringed at Sandwich Bay on Aug 25th whilst a Melodious Warbler was found in a garden at Dungeness on Aug 6th and there was another at Sandwich Bay on Aug 25th with an unidentified Hippolais warbler found on Worth Marshes on Aug 22nd.

A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling was seen at DBO on Sept 19th and 20th.

The first Ring Ouzel of the autumn was seen at Bockhill on Sept 16th after which up to 13 birds were recorded at over 25 mainly coastal sites with peaks of 25 at Abbotscliffe on Oct 7th, 29 on 8th when 30 were seen at DBO with 25 at Langdon Cliffs and 60 at Sandwich Bay. There were also 40 at DBO on Oct 14th. An early Fieldfare was seen at Sandwich Bay on Aug 26th.

27 After the first Pied Flycatcher of the autumn was seen at Warden Point on Aug 15th one or two birds were reported from 20 coastal locations.

Black Redstart by Mike Hook

In the autumn up to six Black Redstarts were seen at Dungeness with smaller numbers at Dover, Samphire Hoe, Langdon Cliffs, Ramsgate, Folkestone, Canterbury, Reculver, Minnis Bay, St Margarets-at-Cliffe, Eastry, Hoo St Werburgh, Walmer, Scotney, North Foreland and Sandwich Bay.

DUNNOCK TO BUNTINGS______A Richard's Pipit was seen at Pegwell Bay on Oct 9th with others at Sandwich Bay on Oct 12th and Cliffe Pools on Oct 31st and a TAWNY PIPIT was found on the shingle at Dungeness on Sept 11th. The first Water Pipit of the autumn was found at Grove Ferry on Oct 14th and was followed by single birds at Swanscombe Marsh on Oct 21st and Sandwich Bay on 24th and 30th.

A Serin was seen at Kingsdown on Oct 25th. During October four Twite were reported from Oare Marshes on 2nd, whilst a colour ringed bird at Bockhill on 15th was photographed and 2 colour ringed birds from Yorkshire were seen at Shellness on 19th, there were two at Walmer Beach on 21st, 10 at Shellness on 23rd and one at Bockhill on 28th. Please note that Twite has now been reinstated as a KOS description species. Two Crossbills were seen at Bockhill on Aug 9th and Oct 14th with two at South Foreland on Aug 11th, single birds at DBO on Aug 23rd and Oct 10th, five at Clowes Wood and three near Shotteneden on Oct 19th, four at Worth 28 Marshes on Oct 20th, one at St Margarets-at-Cliffe on Oct 22nd and six at DBO on Oct 25th.

Lapland Bunting, Reculver by Chris Hindle

The first Snow Bunting of the winter arrived at Hope Point on Oct 8th and was followed by single birds at Reculver on Oct 21st and Sandwich Bay on Oct 27th. Single Lapland Buntings were found at Bockhill on Sept 18th and Oct 2nd and Lower Hope Point on Oct 6th after which one or two were recorded at Reculver, Lower Hope Point, Egypt Bay, Swale NNR, Margate and Grain with six at Sandwich Bay on Oct 23rd.

DBO = Dungeness Bird Observatory RSPB = Royal Society for the Protection of Birds “The Patch” = the warm water outfall from Dungeness Nuclear Power Station NNR=National Nature Reserve NR=Nature Reserve LNR=Local Nature Reserve WR = Wildlife Reserve GP = Gravel Pits BBRC = British Birds Rarities Committee

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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 Pager Hotline.

Records have been contributed by A. Appleton, R. Baker, B. Benn, Bockhill Birders, Bough Beech (per C. Langton), J. Bloor, R. Brockett, E. Brown, K. Browne, S. Broyd, N. Burt, G. Burton, F. Cackett, M. Casemore, J. Chantler, P. Chantler, M. Chidwick, P. Cliffe, G. Coultrip, K. Cutting, DBO (per D. Walker), R. Dean, K. Derrett, D. Dowell, A. Dunstan, B. East, R. Elvy, D. Faulkner, D. Feast, P. Flint, Folkestone and Hythe Birds (per I. Roberts), A. Ford, N. Frampton, M. Gould, P. Graham, V. Green, J. Guiver, J, Hall, B. Harding, S. Haughie, M. Heath, A. Hindle, C. Hindle, M. Hindle, A. Holcombe, B. Holcombe, M. Hollingsworth, M. Hook, N. Jarman, M. Kennett, T. Laws, A. Lawson, O. Leyshon, A. Lipczynski, A. Malone, B. Matlock, T. Maynard, N. McCanch, M. McVail, T. Menning, S. Message, S. Mount, M. Norman, P. North, M. Orchard, T. Osborne, F. Partridge, D. Perrin, A. Perry, J. Perry, K. Privett, M. Puxley, N. Randon, M. Roser, J. Russell, T. Ryan, Samphire Hoe (per L. Collins, P. Holt, D. Smith and P. Smith), SBBO (per I. Hodgson), G. Segelbacher, Sevenoaks WR (per S. Clerici), P. Sharp, I. Shepherd, J. Shilling, D. Smith, D.W. Smith, V. Sutherland, Swale NNR (per R. Smith) D. Sydall, S. Tilley, P. Trodd, D. Tutt, N. Upton, S. Walton, M. Warren, A. Willis, B. Woolhouse, B. Wright and M. Wright.

Please send records for this review to: Chris Hindle, 42, Glenbervie Drive, Herne Bay, Kent. CT6 6QL Email: [email protected]

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.

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Letters and Notes

Fifty Years Ago

Medway Oil Pollution incident

On the night of September 18th at least 1700 tons of crude oil were pumped into the Medway and, backed by a NE wind spread over some 8,000 acres of saltmarsh, mostly on the south side. Up to 5,000 casualties were estimated with a high proportion of gulls, but at least 540 wading birds were found.

Pectoral Sandpiper One at Chetney from Sept.26th to Oct. 1st was subsequently found oiled at Milfordhope on Oct 8th. (JGH, JMH)

KBR 1966

Norman McCanch

31 Important Notice We are proposing to increase the number of newsletters from four times a year to six, starting from 2017. There are plenty of opportunities to get into print, if you have an idea for an article which might be of general interest to our members please contact me directly. I am always happy to receive contributions or suggestions for articles or photographs.

The Newsletter is available as a PDF file on the KOS Website and members receive an e-mail with a link advising when it is published. It is a simple task to download and print off the PDF version at a range of page sizes for ease of reading.

INDOOR MEETINGS Meetings are held on the second THURSDAY of the month

(Oct. to April) Venue - Grove Green Community Hall, Grovewood Drive, Maidstone - just south of Junction 7 of the M20 and adjacent to Tesco’s Supermarket. The hall will be open from 7.15pm for a 7.45pm start.

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