KOS News The Newsletter of the Ornithological Society

Number 518 January 2019

White-billed Diver by Steve Ashton

● News: & Announcements ● ●Encounters with Bitterns ● From the Archives● ●Bird Sightings -November and December● ● 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 TN13 3JH Tel: 01732-460710 e-mail: [email protected]

Vice Chair.: Chris Roome, Rowland House, Station Rd., Staplehurst TN12 0PY Tel: 01580 891686 e-mail: [email protected]

Hon. Sec: Brendan Ryan, 18 The Crescent, Canterbury CT2 7AQ Tel: 01227 471121 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: Murray Orchard, 1, Gatesbury Way, Puckeridge, Ware, Herts SG11 1TQ Tel: Home 01920 822955 Mobile 07776 238645 e-mail: [email protected]

Editorial & Records: Barry Wright, 6 Hatton Close, , 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 Tel: 07831-362502 e-mail:[email protected] Ordinary Members:

Editor Kent Bird Report: Keith Privett 6 Tritton Close, Kennington, Ashford, Kent TN24 9HN Tel: 01233 335533 e-mail: [email protected]

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Andy Appleton 34 Pennine Walk Tunbridge Wells Kent TN2 3NW 01892 513542 e-mail: [email protected]

Editorial

A new year and a growing sense of Déjà vu! I seem to begin each January these days with a feeling of ‘funny old weather’, added to which this is the third time since my retirement five years ago when Christmas has been marked by hospital crutches and orthopaedic footwear. I am grateful that, unlike both previous occasions, it is not me but my good lady enduring the aftermath of foot surgery with quiet stoicism. However, the provision of care has once again limited my birding somewhat and continued to focus my attention on my local patch. The mild weather has certainly limited the number of birds attending my feeders and foraging in the garden. Now in mid-January there are rotten apples under the trees un-eaten and still quite a lot of haws on the bushes. Reasonable numbers of common finches have been around, especially Goldfinches and some Greenfinches once again, but chaffinch numbers have been well down. Most noticeable is the small number if Great and Blue tits compared to previous years. On the brighter side Coal tits have returned, two birds visiting regularly and at least one male singing from my yew tree. We have been excused pony-feeding duties for the duration, during which time they have moved to pastures new on the other side of the village. As a bit of a treat we paid a visit the other day and found that ‘an egret’ reported by the owner over the last couple of weeks was not the usual Little but a Cattle Egret! A real surprise and a fine addition to my village/parish list. A day or two later and the opportunity to get out for a bit took me around some of the narrow lanes through arable and fruit farms, where I spent a happy half hour counting rooks and jackdaws as they foraged on the plough and splashed in some puddles. Numbers in one field were substantially more than I expected showing that even though I have lived in the village for over twenty years (and worked here for eight years before that) a local patch can always surprise us and challenge our birding skills and local knowledge. The day was not done, however, for amongst the gulls on the field was a fine first-winter Yellow- legged Gull, a species I have been looking for in the gull flocks on the arable for several years! So, two patch ticks in as many days!! Being tied to this relatively small area is endlessly fascinating and gives real insight into the lives of birds. Good birding Norman 3

News and announcements

English Winter Bird Survey (EWBS) – still time to participate

By Norman McCanch

This survey has been running since December. The aim is to evaluate how food resources in winter affect birds in lowland farmland. The structure and methodology of the survey closely follows that of the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and is conducted in the same squares. The survey differs from the BBS in that it includes Brown Hare as well as birds and requires habitat details to be recorded on each visit. A maximum of four visits are required, one per month, from December 2018 – March 2019. However, it is possible to do just two visits which should be between January and March, so there is still plenty of time to contribute to the survey. Although the main focus of the survey is lowland farmland in , the BTO welcome volunteers to take up squares that contain all other habitats. Full details of the survey including links to survey instructions, recording forms etc. can be found on the BTO website at https://www.bto.org/volunteer- surveys/english-winter-bird-survey

4 Please note that although it is required that results are entered online, through BBS-online, the data entry system will not be available until after mid February. Participants should keep their field recording sheets safe until the online data entry becomes active. For Kent this survey will be administered directly by the BTO and further details or subsequent problems will be dealt with by the EWBS survey organisers: David Norfolk and Greg Conway - email: [email protected]

Murray Orchard

BTO Tawny Owl Point and Calling Surveys – still time to participate

By Norman McCanch

The above surveys form part of the BTO Project Owl (see https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/project-owl) and are on-line surveys, although paper recording forms can be downloaded or requested. The Point Survey It was originally intended that the survey would be repeated in February – March, however, the BTO have decided against this due to the practicality of conducting visits at the required times at this time of year. It has also been decided that there will be no repeat of the survey in autumn 2019. Preliminary results are available which indicate some decline in this, our most common owl species, although more will be reported later.

5 The Calling Survey is ongoing and the BTO are hoping to enlist 10,000 volunteers. So far over 7,500 people have taken part. The survey requires volunteers to listen for Tawny Owls from their garden (or other easily accessed location) on one occasion each week from September 30th 2018 to March 31st 2019 for 20 minutes between sunset and midnight, or as many weeks as you are able to listen. This survey can be joined at any time so there is still time to participate. Full details of the survey can be found on the BTO website at https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/project-owl/tawny-owl-calling-survey.

Murray Orchard

English Farm Woodland Bird Survey – a new BTO survey

Mistle Thrush

Since 1988, over 22,000 farm woods have been planted in England. The woods are mostly small, between 1 and 5 hectares in size, which will make survey coverage quite quick and straightforward. These farm woods were planted in a wide variety of settings, ranging from complete isolation through to alongside existing established woodland. This provides a very interesting natural experiment to assess how well birds have colonised these new woodlands on farmland.

A new survey for 2019 plans to provide data on how birds have colonised woods planted in farmland.

6 What is required? This survey will cover many of the 69 farm woodland sites previously surveyed in 1999, as well as up to 2000 other farm woods, which haven’t been surveyed at all. The sites are small, so it should be possible to cover a number of woodland plots in a morning; each plot should take around 20 to 30 minutes to survey, depending on size!

Four morning visits are required between 15th March 2019 and 15th July 2019, to record all in and around the farm wood plot. Registrations will be recorded on site maps, using Common Bird Census species and activity codes, mainly to accurately plot all individuals and help avoid double counting. A summary of the number of territories detected will then be determined from each survey visits.Some basic, but essential, habitat recording will be required for farm wood, to record the features such as tree species, boundary type and mammal activity.

How to sign-up for the survey From mid-January it will be possible to register for the survey. You will be able to view an interactive map of farm woodland locations, summarised by 1-km squares, from which you can select the sites you would like to survey.

Some squares may only have single farm woods, whereas others will have many, so we would encourage you to pick squares with multiple farm woods if possible.

Once a location has been selected, we will then need to contact the landowner to request permission to survey the site, which isn’t guaranteed, and then provide contact and visit details to the surveyor.

Further information More detailed survey information, including instructions and recording is in preparation and will be available in early 2019.

You can contact the survey organisers Daria Dadam and Greg Conway via [email protected]

7 JNCC Seabird Count 2015/19 – survey of urban gulls in Kent this year This survey was introduced in the November Newsletter. Full details of the Seabird Count can be found at http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-7413 It’s time to prepare for this years survey of our urban nesting Gulls. This will be no mean feat as Kent has huge numbers of roof nesting Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, not just on houses in our coastal towns but inland too, particularly on factory roofs in industrial estates. Although details of the methodology have still not yet been rolled out, the approach will be to undertake sample counts from which estimates of total numbers will be made. It is therefore important that we know where all our urban Gulls are located. The results of the Kent Breeding Bird Atlas will be used but it is likely that birds may have spread since. I will be contacting last year’s local organisers to help again, and to spread the word and enlist volunteers to assist, if necessary, in their areas. If anyone wishes to take part please let me know and I will suggest an area in which they can help and local organiser to contact, unless of course they have an area already in mind that they would like to count. I would also appreciate if anyone knowing of nesting Gulls on houses or factories at sites in Kent could let me know of the location so that I can direct survey effort. Please don’t assume that a site or town is a known breeding site already, it may not be, and I would like the survey to be as complete as possible. My thanks to those who have already contacted me to say that they are prepared to assist with surveying Gulls in their areas.

Please contact me at [email protected]

The regularly support more than one hundred thousand waterbirds, - ducks, geese and waders which breed in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America and join our local breeding waders and ducks in the winter. Think of the Avocets at Cliffe, the Black-tailed Godwits at Oare, the Brent Geese on the . We want your help to conserve these birds.

Each month around forty volunteer birders visit the North Kent estuaries to count these birds as part of the international Wetland Bird Survey, known as WeBS. These counts are the principle way in which the waterbirds are monitored and without them we cannot respond to threats to wildlife. The 8 objectors to the solar park at were able to use WeBS counts to emphasise the importance of the farmland for internationally important numbers of Brent Geese. Counts of wader roosts at Coombe Bay and Yantlett Creek enabled Natural England to recommend diverting the coastal footpath from stretches of shoreline which would result in regular disturbance of important wader roosts.

We would like more counters to continue this work. Each of the estuaries is divided into discrete sectors and are counted once a month from September to March. The count dates are set by the national WeBS team. The Medway and Thames are counted on a Sunday, on a Monday. WeBS counts can be interesting and fun, the counts usually take between three and four hours around high tide and give you a chance to get to know a patch and see the changes through the seasons and across the years.

If you are interested, please contact the local organiser for the estuary which is most convenient for you. We want to know the numbers of the common waders and waterfowl and trends from year to year, so it does not matter if you cannot pick out the latest American wader. We work as a team so it is ok if you cannot commit to seven or nine counts a year, few of us can. If you are uncertain contact us anyway and we will arrange for you to join a regular volunteer for a taster count.

Please contact your local organiser:

Thames Estuary: Murray Orchard [email protected]

The Medway Bob Knight.: [email protected]

The Swale Brian Watmough: [email protected]

For more information on WeBS visit https://www.bto.org/volunteer- surveys/webs . If you drill down, you will find a lot of detailed information on waterbirds on our estuaries.

For tips on counting birds visit http://www.sibleybirds.com/w/index.php?title=Estimating_numbers

Murray Orchard, Bob Knight, Alan Fossey, Brian Watmough November 2018

9 Kent Breeding Bird Atlas We still have a modest stock of this useful publication which was well received on its release a couple of years ago. If you do not yet own a copy there will shortly be an opportunity to purchase some of the remainder of the stock at a reduced price. Keep an eye on the KOS web site for further details

Editorial and Records sub-committee The KOS Editorial & Records Committee would like to hear from any individuals within the membership that would like to join the county rarity panel. Contact Barry Wright or Alan Fossey, (details above)

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] ------

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Articles

Encounters with Bitterns

Secret Bittern, Seaton by Norman McCanch

Marshes in winter blend all the tones of fawns and browns in a landscape of almost pastel softness. On drier ground the dark masses of alder and sallow thickets contrast with the subtlety of the reed beds. The whole effect is neatly accentuated by the glittering reflections of open water or a rose-pink sunset.

A fluorescent lime-green anorak introduces an unwelcome note of discord into any picture and I could see one now as a rambler trudged grimly towards me. Through my binoculars I noted his determined expression, his sensible boots and the open map clenched in one fist ¬the hallmarks of a serious country walker. As he approached a little group of bearded tits scattered from the bushes, doubtless to seek the more subdued colours of the reed bed interior, and I wondered whether he had even noticed them. I followed his progress by the flurry of birds departing from the reeds as he approached. With less than 50 yards separating us I received a jolt when a magnificent bittern erupted from the reeds only yards ahead of him, and flapped away across the marsh. I watched until it was lost to my sight, hearing the steady crunch of the rambler's boots as he passed behind me.

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This individual bird was the forerunner of an influx of several bitterns to the Stour valley in the winter, giving me the pleasure of seeing one on practically every excursion. These birds are notoriously shy and elusive: their crepuscular and solitary habits are in direct contrast to those of the familiar, frequently gregarious, grey heron. Consequently, most sightings are of distant individuals crossing the reed beds at dawn or dusk; they seldom give the opportunity to gain any insight into its life. Luck plays an important part in birdwatching and so it was purely by chance that in the middle of last month I was sitting quietly by a secluded pool away from the main marsh when a bittern emerged from the reeds and walked stealthily through the shallow water in front of me. On the wing the bird seems large and ponderous but it is a good deal smaller than a heron and proportionally shorter-necked. Distant views suggest that it is a uniform light brown but this bird, no more than 30 yards away, in bright sunlight exhibited a delightful range of tones. Flight feathers were rufous, heavily barred with dark brown, while the upper wings, back and neck were a warm yellow-buff, barred and streaked with black. A dark brown cap and moustachial streak, the latter extending down the sides of the neck, completed a plumage bearing all the colours and patterns of the reeds from which it had recently emerged.

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Whereas the heron exhibits great patience in its fishing, this bird was methodically searching the reedy water for its prey. Suddenly it stabbed with the familiar heron action and drew a small eel from the reeds. It carried it sedately to the shore, dropped it on the ground and proceeded to stab and worry at the fish, sometimes impaling it on its bill. The eel was about a foot long and took three or four minutes to subdue completely. After repeated stabbings it seemed lifeless when the bittern finally swallowed it.

The thrashing of the stricken eel had thoroughly wetted the bittern's neck and breast feathers, which seemed to be gummed up with sticky eel slime, so the bird settled down in the sunshine to preen its feathers. Bitterns and other herons are adapted to cope with such a mess, for on each side of the breast they grow a patch of friable 'powder-down' which breaks up into a dust to absorb the slime from eels and fish. This bird started its preening by mopping its head on the powder-down patches, and then rubbing it vigorously over wings, mantle and breast for a couple of minutes. There followed a bout of energetic scratching with the long toes, after which the plumage had largely returned to its normal state. The bittern also has a serrated comb on the claw of the middle toe, used to rake the slime-laden powder-down out of its

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Powder down in a dead Bittern, by Norman McCanch feathers. Preening was completed by a conventional water-proofing of the plumage with oil from the preen gland mopped over the body by means of the head. After a rousing shake of its feathers the bittern stalked away through the reeds, only to reappear briefly on the edge of the pond where it climbed up the reeds, tightly grasping the bunched stems in its long toes before flapping off to an adjacent pool. Bitterns became extinct in the British Isles in the last quarter of the 18th century largely as a result of human persecution. This was not only to satisfy the mania for collecting stuffed birds and their eggs, but because they have long been held in high esteem as a table bird. In addition, their strict habitat requirement, needing large reed beds for successful breeding, were contrary to the growing trend for drainage -and development of fens and marshes. It was not until 1911 that bitterns recolonised the ‘Broadlands of East Anglia, and that area remains their stronghold. Hard continental winters often bring bitterns to southern England, where they can live successfully in quite small reed beds which would prove unsuitable for breeding. A prolonged freeze brings them out into the open and many face starvation and death when food is unobtainable. Their diet is not restricted to fish for they take aquatic invertebrates, small mammals and birds, in one recorded instance a kingfisher. Bitterns are well known for some extraordinary behaviour. In the breeding season males are aggressive, indulging in bouts of sword-play with their sharp beaks; these can be developed into aerial combat if need be and sometimes result in the stabbing to death of a hapless opponent. Their response to predators is subtler, relying on the adoption of a 'freezing posture' with neck extended and bill pointing skywards, allowing the longitudinal markings of the 14 plumage to blend with the surrounding reeds. Should a gentle breeze stir the reed beds the bird will sway with the motion, keeping its eyes down and fixed firmly on the intruder. The far-carrying booming of the bittern, like a cross between a bellowing bull and a distant foghorn, generally starts in late February and continues through the breeding season, a song of occupation by a resident male. In recent years several areas of the county have seen active management to benefit Bitterns, with the result that breeding occurs in a number of localities annually, while wintering birds are regularly encountered at popular sites such as the RSPB reserve at Dungeness or the Stour Valley.

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Norman McCanch ------

From the Archives

Black Kite Milvus migrans Seaton Lakes, Wickhambreux, nr Wingham Kent 20 May 2006

I got to my local patch at Seaton Pits about 10:15 BST. The angling syndicate which leases the pits were having an open weekend for new members, and I was on duty in my role as conservation consultant to talk wildlife things to the prospective members.

15 The blustery conditions meant that there were loads of swifts and hirundines hawking over the lakes, which attracted the attention of a couple of hobbies. A male Marsh harrier was about all morning, but apart from G S Woodpeckers feeding young and several singing nightingales it was a morning for pottering about dodging showers.

Lunchtime saw me invited to the barbecue, and as I was half way through changing wellies for shoes in the car park I noticed a raptor drifting across the trees to my left. Instantly I saw it was a Kite, and it did not look much like the Red Kites I had seen near my parents in Wales at Easter!! Wearing only one shoe and a very soggy sock on my feet I charged after the bird as it disappeared behind a tall willow. Emerging on the other side I had the pleasure to recognise a fine Black Kite circling lazily over the trees, a Kent and British tick and number 157 for my patch list!!

A couple of interested anglers also saw the bird and watched it as I regained some footwear, then we all watched it drift towards Stodmarsh, with me wearing a shoe on one foot and a soggy sock filled welly on the other. I phoned it out to Birdline suggesting that it was heading towards Stodmarsh, in the hope that other observers would find it. I then tried to contact birding buddies to share the news: Martyn Wilson, stalwart of Grove ferry, was at home in ! Brendan Ryan, I got his voicemail and left a message, Richard Collins (by now the bird was practically over his house), his wife gently informed me, was in Russia!!!!! Incredibly, as I pondered my predicament, the bird re-appeared over the trees to the East and showed every indication of being happy to circle effortlessly over the fields just beyond the Seaton boundary. I phoned John Cantelo, knowing that he dearly wanted to add Black Kite to his Kent list, and found him just sitting down to lunch. A real birder this man, on his way even though he did not have a clue how to get to where I was calling from!! Predictably enough, the bird vanished, JC arrived and we spent a tense half hour before finally relocating it, much to our mutual delight. The only thing better than finding a good bird on a local patch is sharing it with like-minded friends!! We then kept an eye on the bird while directing several other observers to sites from which we imagined the bird to be best observed, and most, it seems, got some kind of a sighting.

Description I first saw the bird flying away from me at moderate height just above the treetops of a willow grove at about 13:15 BST. It was a largish dark raptor, initially reminiscent of a marsh harrier but ‘not quite right’. As it turned behind the willows I saw a dark, shallow forked tail and realised this was a kite, and not much like the red kites I had seen near my parents in Wales in April.

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I ran across the car park to gain a better view of the bird as it circled and gained height over Wenderton Farm. From this view it was clearly a Kite and I quickly confirmed the key features of dark, shallow forked tail an overall brownish plumage with pale greater covert bars which decided me that it was a Black Kite. In subsequent views the bird repeatedly drifted up from behind Wenderton wood and circled over the car park often at only some 50 feet high ( compared to local poplar trees) In these views I could see an number of additional features. Although a nice dark umber brown colour, the bird showed a slight gingerish tone in some views as it banked. Later this was also mentioned independently by John Cantelo. This may have been an artefact of the changing light conditions as the sun kept vanishing behind dark clouds. I did clearly see a suggestion of a dark facial mask covering the eyes and fading out on the ear coverts, and contrasting with a small yellow patch at the bill base( on the cere).

The tail seemed fairly uniformly grey brown with a shallow fork. The uppersides of the wings showed a paler fawn bar across the greater coverts of both wings, and a paler greyer patch on the inner primaries. In several views I got the distinct impression that the primaries on the left wing were slightly damaged or disarrayed. From the underside the bird appeared fairly uniform umber ( although with occasional suggestions of ginger wash), with a noticeable paler patch on the undersides of the inner primaries. Several times as the bird swooped and turned in the air currents it dropped its feet which showed prominently yellow

In total John Cantelo and I watched the bird for probably 75 minutes, before he was lured away by the faint call of a storm petrel at St Margaret’s Bay. In addition, I suppose I watched the bird for in total about 40 minutes before he arrived. I saw the bird persistently mobbed by our local male Marsh Harrier and the Kite appeared to be a shade bigger and more obvious given its darker plumage. It was not really bothered by these attentions.

In the end we received phone confirmation that it had been seen by other observers, notably Ian Harding, Mike Buckland, Martyn Wilson, Marc Heath and Brendan Ryan. I understand that the bird was present on the following day and was seen by many other observers. Mike Buckland also took a good series of photographs.

I have seen many hundreds of Black kites in West Africa in the past, saw a couple in Hungary in 2004, and saw one a week after the Seaton bird in the Loire Valley. I also saw at least thirty Red Kites in Wales in April this year and feel confident of my identification/

17 I made a series of small pencil l sketches with rough notes while watching the bird, and refined these shortly after I got home adding light watercolour washes. These are copied below.

Black Kite, Seaton May 2006

Norman McCanch

KENT BIRD SIGHTINGS FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2018 - 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 their deliberations are regularly published on the KOS Website. Species that fall into these categories and therefore need descriptions can be found in the list at the end of the Kent Bird Report.

WEATHER______November began with relatively cold and quiet weather, but from 3rd to 14th it was mild and relatively dry and fine. A large high over Scandinavia from 15th introduced cold, easterly winds from 19th with frequent rain and showers in the

18 south east. It turned very mild from 27th. Total monthly rainfall at Bishopstone was 69.25mm.

December started mild and changeable with westerly winds and this pattern continued until 9th. A Scandinavian blocking high brought a colder and quieter spell between 10th and 14th but Storm Deidre brought widespread freezing rain on 15th. The mild changeable conditions returned from 16th to 23rd and from 24th onwards it was somewhat more settled with high pressure dominant. A generally westerly flow resulted with mostly cloudy conditions. Rainfall was near average for the month.

WILDFOWL______

A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was found at Seasalter on Nov 19th, at Tankerton on Nov 29th and at Swalecliffe on Dec 11th and 13th.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Dark-bellied Brents by Mike Gould

Two Barnacle Geese flew S over on Nov 17th.

Eight Pink-footed Geese flew E at Minnis Bay, four were seen at Sandwich Bay and there were three at on Nov 17th after which during the rest of the year up to 88 were recorded from Sandwich Bay/Worth and 46 at

19 Shuart/Reculver Marshes whilst 49 flew out to sea at North Foreland on Nov 25th and 51 flew in off the sea at Lade on Dec 17th. There were also smaller numbers recorded at DBO, , Reculver, Scotney, Dungeness RSPB, Marshes, , Capel Fleet, , and Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh.

Two Tundra Bean Geese were seen at Sandwich Bay/Worth Marshes on Nov 26th with up to seven there from 27th to Dec 3rd and there were also single birds at Dungeness RSPB and Cliffsend on Nov 26th.

There were four Russian White-fronted Geese at Conyer with two at Scotney on Nov 15th after which up to 170 birds were counted on Sheppey with lesser numbers at Swalecliffe, Reculver, Dungeness RSPB, Scotney, Northward Hill, Worth, , Sandwich Bay, Oare Marshes, Cliffe, Ashford, , Lade, Collard's Lake, Stodmarsh and Waterbrook.

After the first five Bewick's Swans of the winter were seen at on Nov 17th up to 48 birds were recorded from Dungeness RSPB, Pegwell Bay, Walland Marsh, Ash Levels, Appledore, Sandwich Bay, Lower Hope Point, Cliffe Pools and Lydd.

Two Whooper Swans were seen at Scotney from Nov 14th-Dec 22nd and at Dungeness RSPB on 26th. Two others flew S over Conyer on Dec 1st with single birds at Sandwich Bay on Dec 7th and on Sheppey from Dec 16th-27th. One also flew E at Abbotscliffe on Dec 26th.

During these two months up to 40 Egyptian Geese were seen at Dungeness RSPB, Lade, Scotney, Chipstead Lake, Sevenoaks WR, Edenbridge, Conningbrook, Postern Park, Cliffe Pools, , Sandwich Bay and Oare Marshes and up to 14 Mandarins were recorded from Furnace Pond, Horsmonden, Hayesden, Sevenoaks WR and Beachborough Park.

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Ring-necked Duck by Terry Laws

A drake Ring-necked Duck was found on Abbeymead Pit, New Hythe on Dec 19th and remained there until 31st.

During November and December up to six Velvet Scoter were seen at DBO, Foreness, Reculver, Sandwich Bay, Mill Point, Deal and Swalecliffe whilst two Long-tailed Ducks were seen at and Foreness on Nov 18th and there was one at Reculver the next day with one at DBO on Dec 5th.

The first and only Smew of the winter so far was a male that flew past Sandwich Bay on Dec 14th.

During these two months up to 13 Goosanders were recorded at Dungeness RSPB, DBO, Wouldham, Reculver, Foreness, Hayesden, West Hythe, Riverside CP, New Hythe, Swalecliffe, Lade GPs, Botolph's Bridge, Samphire Hoe and Egypt Bay.

PARTRIDGE TO GREBES______During November and December single Black-throated Divers were recorded at Sandwich Bay, Reculver, Deal, Bockhill, Tankerton, Chatham, DBO and Swalecliffe and single Great Northern Divers were seen at DBO, Foreness, 21 North Foreland, Oare Marshes, Swalecliffe, Reculver, Bishopstone, Bockhill, Ramsgate Harbour, Epple Bay, Lower Hope Point, Deal, Sandwich Bay and inland at Bough Beech.

White-billed Diver by John Burden

A superb summer plumaged White-billed Diver was found in Ramsgate Harbour on Nov 2nd and then gave excellent views close inshore at Foreness and Botany Bay the next day. After this it was regularly observed between Ramsgate and Minnis Bay until Nov 9th. This is only the ninth record of this species in Kent.

Two Spoonbills were seen at Dungeness RSPB on Nov 8th and 13th whilst single Bitterns were seen at DBO, Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh, Swale NNR, Elmley and Dungeness RSPB.

During November up to eight Cattle Egrets remained at Dungeness RSPB with up to seven still at Elmley. Another bird was seen at Worth Marshes, Sandwich Bay and Hackinge from Nov 11th-18th with others at Grain on Nov 18th, at Stoke Fleet on Nov 26th and Shuart on Nov 27th. In December three birds remained at Dungeness RSPB until 29th with six at Elmley until 8th and one at Sandwich Bay on 6th, 10th and 19th.

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Up to ten Great White Egrets were counted at Dungeness RSPB with up to seven at Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh, Scotney, Botolph's Bridge, Old Cheyne Court, Bough Beech, Chamber's Wall, Swale NNR, Pegwell Bay, Appledore, Monk's Wall, Walland Marsh, Lade GPs, Warehorne, Cliffe Pools, West Hythe, Donkey Street, Romney Marsh, South Foreland and Stodmarsh.

Shag by Keith Cutting

Up to four Shags were seen at Foreness, North Foreland, Ramsgate Harbour, Reculver, Abbotscliffe, Sandgate, Bockhill, Minnis Bay, Tankerton, Deal Pier, Chatham and Mill Point.

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Red-necked Grebe by Chris Bond

Single Red-necked Grebes were found at Cliffe Pools from Nov 12th-31st with two recorded there from Nov 28th-Dec 27th and single birds were seen at Lower Hope Point on Nov 18th, DBO on Nov 19th, Lade from Dec 2nd-14th, LNR on Dec 10th, Sandwich Bay on 23rd and on 28th.

The first two Slavonian Grebes of the winter were seen at Swalecliffe on Nov 17th after which one or two were recorded from Foreness, Reculver, Cliffe Pools, Lower Halstow, Riverside CP and Swalecliffe.

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Black-necked Grebe by Barry Wright

During November and December up to five Black-necked Grebes were seen at Funton Creek, Dungeness RSPB, Cliffe Pools, Bough Beech, Collard's Lake, Grenham Bay, Epple Bay, Sevenoaks WR and Riverside CP.

BIRDS OF PREY______

A Goshawk was reported from on Dec 12th.

One or two Hen Harriers were recorded from Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry, Reculver, Shuart, Ham Road GPs, Graveney Marshes, Oare Marshes, Beachborough Park, New Hythe, Conyer, Pegwell Bay, Harty, Capel Fleet, St Mary's Marsh, Lydd, Boughton Street, Northward Hill, Swale NNR, Snodland, Halstow Marshes, Walland Marsh, Seasalter, Cooling, Muswell Manor, Sandwich Bay and DBO.

One or two Red Kites were seen at North Foreland, Shuart, Bessel's Green, Sandwich Bay, , Ashford, Godmersham, Pembury, Great Chart and Stalisfield.

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Rough-legged Buzzard by Mike Gould

In November a Rough-legged Buzzard flew out to sea at Bockhill on 2nd and others were seen in the Stangate Creek area of the Medway on 8th and 9th, at Manston on 8th and 12th and at Chislet Marshes on 12th. In addition one was reported from Bough Beech on Nov 21st with others at Grove/Stodmarsh on Dec 7th, Pegwell Bay on 9th, Cockles Bridge on 14th, Seasalter on Dec 20th and Chetney Marshes/Funton Creek area between 20th and 31st.

RAILS TO WADERS______A Dotterel was reported from Pegwell Bay on Nov 11th.

During the first part of the winter up to 19 Purple Sandpipers were recorded at Foreness, North Foreland, Botany Bay, , , Reculver, Battery Point, Hythe and Ramsgate.

Single Little Stints were seen at Oare Marshes from Nov 2nd-9th and at Cliffe Pools on Nov 11th and 12th.

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Jack Snipe by John Phillips

During these two months up to three Jack Snipes were seen at Sandwich Bay, DBO, Bough Beech, Wouldham, Worth Marshes, Bockhill and Oare Marshes.

Single Grey Phalaropes were seen at Swalecliffe and Lower Hope Point on Nov 18th with another at DBO on Dec 5th and single Spotted Redshank was identified at Riverside CP, Scotney, Oare Marshes and Sandwich Bay.

AUKS TO GULLS______An immature Iceland Gull flew S at Lade GPs on Dec 9th.

During November and December up to 17 Caspian Gulls were identified at DBO and Dungeness RSPB with as many as seven birds at Pegwell Bay and smaller numbers at Ramsgate Harbour, Dartford Marshes, Lydd, Lade, , Chatham Docks, Sevenoaks WR, Nickoll's Quarry, Scotney GPs and Deal Beach.

Up to six Yellow-legged Gulls were identified at DBO, Dungeness RSPB, Higham Bight and Pegwell Bay.

During November as many as 98 Little Gulls were counted at DBO, Shellness, Warden Point, Swalecliffe, Reculver, Hythe, Riverside CP, ,

27 Samphire Hoe, Lower Hope Point, Oare Marshes, Northfleet and Foreness. There were far fewer reported in December with just single birds at DBO.

Up to 24 Great Skuas were seen off Sandwich Bay, Foreness, Shellness, Oare Marshes, Deal Pier, Swalecliffe, Kingsdown, Bockhill, Tankerton, DBO and Reculver and during November one or two Pomarine Skuas were seen at DBO, Seasalter and Foreness whilst in December the only bird seen was at DBO on 18th and 19th.

A juvenile Long-tailed Skua was recorded from Hythe Bay on Nov 10th.

On December 5th, one Black Guillemot and seven Puffins flew past DBO. A Puffin was also seen the next day at Sandwich Bay.

DOVES TO RING-NECKED PARAKEET______Single Long-eared Owls were found at Sandwich Bay on Nov 3rd, Northward Hill on Nov 4th and 23rd and Chamber's Wall on Nov 22nd. In December one was trapped and ringed at DBO on 12th.

In the first part of the winter up to 21 Short-eared Owls roosted on Sheppey whilst as many as five were seen at Sandwich Bay, Oare Marshes, Grove Ferry, Allhallows, Hampton, Margate, Conyer, Cooling, Samphire Hoe, Lade, Lydd, Marshes, South Foreland, Cliffe, Reculver, Tankeron, Woodchurch, Seasalter, Walland Marsh, Dungeness RSPB and Foreness.

Pallid Swift by Barry Wright 28 During November a swift seen on Thanet on 3rd was identified the next day at North Foreland as a PALLID SWIFT whilst it or another bird was recorded at Foreness on 10th with two together there on 13th. Yet another PALLID SWIFT was seen at Reculver during the afternoon of Nov 12th, whilst on 15th and 16th one was seen at with damaged primaries confirming that it had been seen at Winterton, East Norfolk on 14th. Unidentified swifts, quite probably Pallid, were also seen at Folkestone on 7th, Swalecliffe on 8th and 10th, Broomfield and Leysdown-on-Sea on 11th, Pegwell Bay on 12th and Sandwich Bay on 12th and 17th.

DISTRIBUTION OF SWIFTS IN KENT DURING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER

Red circles relate to birds identified as Pallid Swift and yellow circles concern unidentified swifts. None of the Pallid Swifts have as yet been accepted by BBRC.

One potential reason for the influx may be that unusually for European swifts, Pallid Swift is double brooded with the last brood fledging in October. Additionally sustained southerly winds throughout the first part of November may have helped push them north.

The Hoopoe seen again at Margate between November 10th and 12th proved to be colour ringed. 29

During the first part of the winter one or two Merlins were identified at DBO, Dungeness RSPB, Oare Marshes, Elmley, Sandwich Bay, Swale LNR, Rodmersham, South Foreland, Deadman's Island, Nickoll's Quarry, Conyer, Chetney, Reculver, Riverside CP, Hillborough and Egypt Bay.

SHRIKES_TO_HIRUNDINES______A Great Grey Shrike was seen at Appledore between Dec 9th and 21st and a Hooded Crow was reported from Scotney on Nov 18th.

During these two months as many as four Ravens were recorded from 25 sites throughout the County.

A Waxwing was heard at Ramsgate on Nov 5th and one was seen at Worth Marshes on Dec 27th. On 30th one flew W at Kingsdown and two were seen near Reculver.

A Woodlark was identified at DBO on Nov 2nd and another was found near Lydd between Dec 17th and 28th whilst single Shore Larks were seen at South Foreland on Nov 12th and at Swalecliffe on Nov 13th with five there on 15th.

CETTI’S WARBLER TO WHEATEARS______

A wintering Willow Warbler was seen at North Foreland on Dec 24th and a Siberian Chiffchaff was recorded at Sevenoaks WR between Nov 29th and Dec 1st with another seen at DBO between Dec 22nd and 24th.

A Pallas's Warbler was found at North Foreland on Nov 1st with another reported from Foreness on Nov 20th and there were two Yellow-browed Warblers at Sandwich Bay on Nov 2nd with one still there on 5th and with another at Folkestone the next day.

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Yellow-browed Warbler by Barry Wright

A HUME'S WARBLER was identified at Lade GPs on Dec 2nd and remained there until 10th. This is the ninth record for Kent.

After two Dartford Warblers were seen at Lade on Nov 13th one or two were recorded from DBO and Lade.

During November and December as many as 19 Firecrests were seen at DBO with smaller numbers at Sandwich Bay, DBO, Samphire Hoe, Nickoll's Quarry, Worth Marshes, New Romney, Bough Beech, Palmarsh, Reculver, Swalecliffe, Margate, Denge Wood, Western Heights, Bockhill, Shuart and Mill Point.

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Ring Ouzel by Phil Smith

During November single Ring Ouzels were seen at DBO, Samphire Hoe, Seaton and DBO with the last birds recorded from Samphire Hoe and Chislet on 15th. A wintering bird was reported from Capel Fleet on Dec 28th.

Up to three Black Redstarts were seen at Dungeness, Reculver, Deal, Samphire Hoe, Ramsgate, Seasalter, Walmer Beach, Foreness, Lydd, Conyer, Bough Beech, Scotney, Horsmonden and Rochester.

A BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER was videoed at Hollingbourne on Dec 3rd.

DUNNOCK TO BUNTINGS______During November and December up to 16 Water Pipits were seen at Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh with smaller numbers recorded from Wouldham, Oare Marshes, Walmer Beach, Sandwich Bay, Swanscombe Marsh, Botolph's Bridge and Worth Marshes.

One or two Hawfinches were identified at Bedgebury, Shadoxhurst, Denge Wood and Selling however there was an exceptional count of 71 at Pett Dane on Dec 15th.

Up to four Twite were found near Lydd between Nov 2nd and 5th and there were one or two at Conyer from Nov 30th-Dec 29th.

A Common/Mealy Redpoll was identified at Bough Beech from Dec 24th-26th.

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Common Crossbills continued moving through during November with up to 30 birds seen or heard at DBO, Bockhill, Dungeness RSPB, South Foreland, Hemsted Forest, Clowes Wood, Foreness, North Foreland, Sandwich Bay, Beachborough Park, Oldbury Hill, Shuart and Ash and a higher count of 90 at Sandwich Bay on Nov 2nd. In December there were up to 30 at Hemsted Forest and two at Clowes Wood on 10th and Minnis Bay on 22nd.

One or two Lapland Buntings were seen at Sandwich Bay on Nov 11th and 24th and on Dec 9th and a single bird was seen at Grain on Dec 29th.

Snow Bunting by Steve Ashton

During November and December as many as 22 Snow Buntings were recorded from Sandwich Bay with up to six at Reculver, Coldharbour, Epple Bay, Foreness, Minster (Sheppey), North Foreland, Seasalter, DBO and Abbotscliffe.

DBO = Dungeness Bird Observatory BBRC = British Birds Rarities Committee RSPB = Royal Society for the Protection of Birds “The Patch” = the warm water outflow from Dungeness Nuclear Power Station NNR=National Nature Reserve NR=Nature Reserve LNR=Local Nature ReserveFC = Field Centre WR = Wildlife Reserve GP = Gravel Pits CP = Country Park 33

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 Hotline. Records have been contributed by J. Barnard, S. Bellinger, B. Benn, Bockhill Birders, C. Bond, M. Bournat, Bough Beech (per A. Ford), R. Brockett, E. Brown, G. Burton, F. Cackett, R. Carr, M. Casemore, J. Chantler, D. Chesterman, M. Coath, R. Collins, G. Coultrip, K. Cutting, DBO (per D. Walker), C. Doyle, D. Eade, D. Faulkener, D. Feast, Folkestone and Hythe Birds (per I. Roberts), M. Gould, V. Green, J. Guiver, B. Harper, R. Heading, J. Headley, S. Haughie, A. Hindle, C. Hindle, M. Hindle, G. Honey, M. Hook, G. Howard, M. Kennett, O. Leyshon, P. Lloyd, J. Massey, B. Matlock, S. Message, S. Mills, S. Mount, C. Nickolls. M. Norman, R. O'Reilly, M. Orchard, J. Partridge, D. Perrin, A. Perry, J. Perry, C. Philpott, P.Potts, K. Privett, M. Puxley, R. Rackliffe, K. Ross, Samphire Hoe (per L. Collins, P. Holt, D. Smith, and P. Smith), SBBO (per A. Lipczynski and S. Walton), Sevenoaks WR (per S. Clerici), I. Shepherd, N. Smith, Swale NNR (per R. Smith, D. Faulkner, I. Davidson), T. Swandale, J. Tilbrook, S. Tomlinson, P. Trodd, D. Tutt, M. Wilson, T. Wilson, S. Wood, J. Woolgar, D. Wrathall, 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

58. Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck (Wikipedia)

Birds with plumage characters suggesting this species were recorded at Leybourne on Jan. 13th-14th (DWT, AMW) and at Stodmarsh on Nov. 26th (TMR). In neither could the bill colours, particularly at the tip, be differentiated and a white 'eye was not described.

It is not possible therefore to state that these were not Pochard X Ferruginous Duck hybrids, the so called "Paget's Pochard". (See Gillham E., Harrison J. M. and Harrison J. G. Wildfowl Trust 17th Ann. Report: 49-65).

The following note regarding the bird at Leybourne was received from DWT: "The small head and bill of this bird suggests a hybrid. The 'jizz' was very different to the genuine Ferruginous Ducks seen at Neusiedl in September of the same year.".

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Paget’s Pochard’ from Birds of Norfolk , Plate III

‘Paget’s Pochard, Seaton , Kent December 2011 by Norman McCanch

36 Paget’s Pochard was recognised as something different in 1845 on the basis of three specimens, one shot in Norfolk, two others purchased in markets. However, these were considered by J. Gurney and others involved to most likely be hybrids. Even so, the bird was described as a new species in 1845 and named after a Yarmouth naturalist Mr E.J. Paget! We now recognise this as being one of the classic Pochard X Ferruginous duck A very useful paper on identification of the Ferruginous Duck and its hybrids can be found in British Birds 93: 4-21 Jan 2000

KBR 1969

Norman McCanch

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