KOS News The Newsletter of the Ornithological Society Number 495 Spring 2014

Sparrowhawk, Pittswood by Warren Baker

Polish Swans● Obituary –George Shannon ● Bird Sightings Winter 2013-14

News & Announcements ● Letters & Notes

1 KOS Contacts – Committee Members

Newsletter Editor: Norman McCanch, 23 New Street, Ash, Canterbury, 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: Rob Clements, 10 Weald Court ME10 1RY Tel: 01795 229418 e-mail: [email protected] 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: Anthea Skiffington 4 Station Approach, Bekesbourne, Kent CT4 5DT Tel: 01227 831101 e-mail: [email protected] Field Meetings organiser: Mike Roser 19 Foxdene Road, Seasalter, CT5 4QY Tel: 01227 272041 e-mail:[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]

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Cover

Editorial

At last we see a glimmer of spring after a winter which appears to have broken all the wrong records! As I write this in mid-March my garden has had no rain for 12 days; I have to go back to the August Bank holiday to find a similar dry spell! Wind, rain, floods and very mild conditions with little frost and no snow or ice to speak of has produced a winter which has almost defied prediction ornithologically. Winter visitors in short supply, garden birds often absent or in reduced numbers. Birding has at times been ‘slow’, for my part a knee injury in November reduced my field time substantially and left me sitting in my studio watching garden birds, an enjoyable pastime but with a marked absence of many of my favourites; few Goldfinches, reduced numbers of Chaffinch and Greenfinch, and no Siskins or Great Spotted Woodpecker. It was late February before I saw my first wintering Blackcap. Now, after this latest dry and sunny period I am seeing lots of breeding activity around the garden and at Seaton Lakes. Today there were three pairs of Long-tailed tits in residence at recently completed nests, six pairs of Great Crested grebes displaying and at least three singing corn Buntings, with several others in places where they have been notably absent all winter. Chiffchaffs have been singing around the lakes for over a week and soon we might see hirundines, wheatears and maybe something more unusual to set the pulse\racing. With a Great spotted cuckoo on my old patch in Pembrokeshire, who knows? In this newsletter we record the passing of George Shannon, one of the founder members of the KOS and a force behind the development of both of the counties bird observatories. Today there are probably few in the society who knew him, but he brought significant talents as a cinematographer to a number of significant expeditions organised by GuyMountfort in the middle of the last century. These raised the profile of places many of us know, the Coto Donana in Spain, Danube Delta in Romania and the Hungarian plains, as well as less well known places such as the desert oasis at Azraq in Jordan. Today we take foreign travel very much for granted, but Georges’ passing prompted me to read those books again and marvel at what has gone from our world.

3 The passing of George Shannon leaves us with only three founder members remaining; I am pleased to record that some are still active in the county. Long may they remain at large! Good birding Norman

News and announcements

INDOOR MEETINGS Spring 2014 24 April – AGM, and a talk from Tony Morris on “Colorado Chickens” Please make a date to attend the AGM and support the society.

BOOKS FOR SALE

BALSTON, SHEPHERD & BARTLETT. Notes on the Birds of Kent, 1907, with col.plates and a map, very good condition for age, only 300 copies were printed. £215.00 HARRISON (J.) The Birds of Kent in 2 volumes, 1953, Col.plates, photos. Signed by the author. £60.00 KENT ORN. SOC. Birds of Kent. 1981, Hardback with dust wrapper, photos. £12.50 VGC KENT ORN.SOC. Birds of Kent. 1981, Paperback edition. £8.50

VGC. All books can be viewed in Tonbridge.

Contact: Grant Demar Tel:01732 360208 or E.Mail [email protected]

JOHN CANTELO

The executive Committee would like to take the opportunity to record its’ thanks to John Cantelo for all the work he put into this newsletter during his tenure as Editor. John took over the editorship and supervised its transition through a number of incarnations, first a changer of print format, then the move to an on-line version. Having 4 recently taken over from him, I now fully appreciate the task he managed with such efficiency and good humour.

Many Thanks, John!

Articles

Polish Swans Amongst the more familiar birds we meet in Kent, the Mute Swan seems to have few enthusiastic followers amongst birders. They are fairly common and seem rather dull by comparison with their wild counterparts, Bewicks and Mute Swans. But if we take the time to look carefully at them in the breeding season we may find that all is not as it appears with this well-known species..

Mute swan family with two ‘Polish’cygnets, Grove ferry, 2013 photo by Martyn Wilson

5 In recent years I have encountered pairs of swans at Grove Ferry and who produce some offspring with white, rather than grey down.

There is a colour form of the Mute Swan in which the cygnets hatch from the egg covered in a pure white down, instead of the usual grey. These young birds have the normal succession of moults, but all their juvenile plumages are white, not brown. In addition to the white plumage, they have pale, slightly pinkish legs, by which birds of this colour variety can be recognised throughout their lives.

Polish cygnet, Grove ferry, by Martyn Wilson

Nowadays, this form is usually referred to as the 'Polish Swan'. The name seems to have been given to it by London polterers who imported birds from the Baltic. These swans are commoner in Eastern Europe than they are in the west; the name 'Polish' is, however, something of a misnomer, since the form is no commoner in Poland than in several other areas of Eastern Europe. In some parts of Eastern Europe it may make up about 20 per cent of the population, whereas in Britain it is exceedingly rare. The genetic basis of the two colour forms has been resolved and shows that the Polish gene is recessive to the grey form, which means an individual has to inherit both ‘Polish’ genes to be born with white down.

Although the first British specimens of this form were recorded from Staffordshire in 1686. It was William Yarrell who named the birds as a separate species Cygnus immutabilis (= unchanging), in recognition of the fact that their plumage remained white throughout their lives. There is a Kent connection in this story, as Yarrell presented a specimen to a meeting of the Zoological Society in London which had been shot from a flock of 30 on the 6 Medway near Snodland Church by the Reverend L.B.Larking of Ryarsh Vicarage in 1838. Although we now recognise this as a genetic aberration, there is an intriguing comment in Yarrells book ' A History of British Birds, vol 3; about the anatomy of the skull structure carried out which describes a whole series of significant structural differences when compared to normal Mute Swans. There is no indication of how many birds were examined and the bird in question may have been atypical, but it does make one think!!

Birkhead, M. & Perrins, C (1986) The Mute Swan Croom Helm Ticehurst,N.F. (1957) The Mute Swan in Cleaver Hume Yarrell, W (1843) A History of British Birds, Vol III Van Voorst

Norman McCanch

Obituary – George Shannon

George Shannon, (right) who died in November (12th) aged 93, was the first Hon Sec of the KOS when it was founded in 1951. He was also much involved in the establishment of the bird observatories at Dungeness & Sandwich, and the country’s leading bird cine photographer.

7 Born in Swansea in 1920, George was raised bilingual in rural Wales by his grandparents. His mother had died after a subsequent childbirth and his father was abroad administering the Empire. After qualifying in dentistry at Birmingham in 1942, George joined the Royal Navy serving in the Portsmouth area. On demob he joined the schools dental service in Swansea before moving to Deal in 1948, working at the school clinic in Sandwich. John Hollyer recalls George as a kindly anaesthetist at another local practice there. After a spell at a practice in Folkestone, he set up his own practice in Ashford in 1952. By this time the family home was in Hythe, with one of Kent’s last pairs of Wrynecks using a nest box in the garden. At Sandwich he had met Dennis Harle and together they visited some of the then newly-established bird observatories- Skokholm, Fair Isle, Isle of May & Gibraltar Point. These trips provided the inspiration for both Dungeness & Sandwich Bay Observatories. George served as Hon. Sec. of the fledgling KOS for three years from 1951 then as Vice-President and a committee member. He never ceased to be interested in the ornithological scene and for the KOS’s 50th Anniversary Conference produced a fascinating film with clips of building the first Heligoland trap at DBO and three Wrynecks in the hand together as well as the Hythe nest box birds. In the 1950’s his interest in photography expanded into cine work, and he made trips abroad, often with Eric Hosking. When Guy Mountfort assembled his high-profile team to explore the wildlife of the Coto Donana in southern Spain, George was a natural choice. Described in Mountfort’s book “Portrait of a Wilderness”, and the film Wild Spain, shot by George and others, the expeditions of 1956 & ’57 confirmed the wildlife value of the area resulting in the establishment of the national park. Further expeditions followed in the Pyrenees, in 1959, Bulgaria (1960) & Hungary (1961), Jordan in 1963, 65, & 66 and Pakistan in 1966 & ’67. George’s cine films were used to promote the conservation message through lectures around the country and depict habitats with abundant birdlife so much of which has now vanished.

On retiring George & Edna moved to Bromsgrove, closer to family and his native Wales but he often lamented the relative lack of birdlife there by comparison with Kent. He is survived by Edna (now in a care home) and Geoff, Mark & Philly and their families.

Chris Cox, with thanks to Geoff Shannon and others.

(A full obituary will appear in the 2013 Kent Bird Report – Ed.)

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BIRD SIGHTINGS FOR WINTER 2013 and 2014 – NOVEMBER TO FEBRUARY

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.

WEATHER______2014 was the wettest winter recorded with over double the usual rainfall

November was a rather cold and sunny month overall but was quite wet until 12th and thereafter, with the exception of 22nd, was relatively dry. Rainfall for the month at Bishopstone was 55mm. December was the stormiest since 1969 as a series of major Atlantic storms battered the country causing disruption as strong winds and rain brought down power lines, flooded homes and triggered landslides. Yalding, in particular, suffered from severe flooding as parts of Kent received 150.9mm of rain, over twice the December average. The weather in January was relentlessly disturbed with severe gales during the first and last weeks of the month. Rain fell on most days making it the wettest January since 1766. In all 237% of the normal January rainfall fell in the month exacerbating the severe flooding that had already occurred in the low lying areas of the County. February was another stormy, very unsettled and wet month. During the first half, the weather was dominated by a succession of major winter storms, continuing a sequence from late January, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and significant weather impacts including extensive flooding across the Somerset Levels and from the River Thames. Huge waves also made conditions extremely dangerous around the coastline of southern England. In the last week temperature increased and on 24th it was

WILDFOWL______Six Bewick’s Swans were present at Walland Marsh on Nov 12th with 11 there on 15th when three were also seen at . Subsequently during the winter up to 65 were seen at Walland Marsh, Dungeness, Dartford Marshes, Lydd, Grove Ferry, , Elmley, Oare Marshes, Reculver and Swalecliffe. 9 Three Whooper Swans were reported from Grove Ferry on Nov 13th and 23rd and there were two adults there on Dec 17th. In the New Year four were reported from Swale NNR on Jan 14th.

A Tundra Bean Goose was identified at Swale NNR on Jan 8th with one or two at Scotney GPs from Jan 10th-25th and two at Dungeness RSPB on Jan 14th. There were 60 Pink-footed Geese at Shellness on Nov 4th with three still there on Nov 23rd and up to three at Grove Ferry from Nov 24th-Feb 23rd, 12 at Bough Beech on Dec 4th, six at Leysdown on Dec 17th and one at Shellness on Jan 8th and at Swale NNR on Jan 19th. During the winter as many as 400 White-fronted Geese were reported from Sheppey with smaller numbers at Walland Marsh, Sandwich Bay, Reculver, Swalecliffe, Stodmarsh, Seabrook, Oare Marshes, Grove Ferry, Hoo, Scotney GPs and Cliffe Pools. Up to four Barnacle Geese were seen at Grove Ferry from November through to February and five were seen at Pegwell Bay on Jan 7th and flying W at Reculver on Jan 30th. There were also 52 at Bough Beech on Feb 12th and three or four at Swale NNR from Feb 22nd-26th. A Black Brant flying past DBO on Nov 11th was a new subspecies for the Observatory whilst what may have been the same bird was reported from Ferry on Nov 24th, from Dec 11th- Jan 13th and at LNR on Jan 14th. There was an inland record of eight Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Bough Beech on Dec 3rd with one at Stodmarsh on Jan 26th.

After the first Pale-bellied Brent Goose flew past DBO on Nov 8th single birds were recorded during the rest of the winter at Hoo, Harty, Reculver/Minnis Bay, Shellness, South Swale LNR, Elmley, Scotney GPs, Oare Marshes and Willop Basin. There were also two at Capel Fleet on Nov 30th and 20 reported from Sandwich Bay on Feb 19th. Two Egyptian Geese were found at Stodmarsh on Jan 12th and 26th and at Sandwich Bay intermittently from Jan 18th-Feb 7th with one at Seasalter on Jan 31st and two at Seaton on Feb 25th.

There were six Mandarins at Postern Park on Nov 9th with up to 20 at Bough Beech during December. In the New Year there were six at Bedgebury Forest and one at Westenhanger on Feb 2nd, up to ten at Pedlinge on Feb 7th and 8th and three at Leigh and two at Bough Beech on Feb 9th.

10 One or two Red-crested Pochards were seen at Dungeness RSPB between Nov 16th and Feb 11th with a male at New Hythe GPs on Dec 19th. A female Ferruginous Duck was reported from Dungeness RSPB on Nov 16th. Single Scaup were recorded at Cliffe Pools on Nov 25th, Dec 8th and Jan 24th with another at Dungeness RSPB on Dec 12th and with two females at Oare Marshes on Jan 26th with one still there on Feb 4th. A Long-tailed Duck was found at Scotney GPs on Nov 12th and remained there until at least Feb 19th whilst others flew W at Samphire Hoe on Nov 20th and E at Reculver on Nov 21st with two flying W at DBO on Jan 22nd and singles past there on Jan 25th and 27th with another at Dungeness RSPB on Feb 22nd. Up to four Velvet Scoters were recorded at DBO on three dates between Nov 5th and 11th and three were seen at Sandwich Bay on Nov 15th with one on 26th. Two were also seen at Swalecliffe on Nov 25th with three there on 30th. During the rest of the winter up to ten were recorded from DBO, Deal Pier, Sandwich Bay, Willop Basin, Seasalter, Folkestone, Hythe and Samphire Hoe. The first two Smew of the winter were seen on off Oare Marshes on Nov 21st and the first red-head was recorded at Dungeness RSPB on Nov 30th after which up to seven were seen there. In addition single birds were found at Lade GPs on Jan 19th and 28th. The first three Goosanders of the winter were found at Wouldham on Nov 5th and were followed, during the rest of the winter, by up to 19 at Reculver, Swalecliffe, Bough Beech, Penshurst, Postern Park, Seasalter, Wouldham, Seaton, Bedgebury, Whetsted GPs, Hayesden, Dungeness RSPB, Botolph’s Bridge, Conningbrook GPs and Furnace Pond with a higher count of 24 at Bough Beech on Dec 7th.

PARTRIDGE TO GREBES______A Black-throated Diver was reported from Shellness on Nov 4th with another on Nov 8th and single birds at Reculver on Nov 14th and Dover Harbour on Nov 23rd. During the remainder of the winter up to three were reported from Dover Harbour, Dungeness, Scotney GPs, Leysdown, Reculver, Foreness, North Foreland, Tankerton, Sandwich Bay and Bockhill.

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Black-throated Diver, Dover, by Mark Chidwick

Two Great Northern Divers flew past DBO on Nov 2nd with one there on 5th and another flew past Reculver on Nov 4th. During the rest of the winter one or two birds were then reported from Sandwich Bay, Foreness, Swalecliffe, Tankerton, Hampton, Samphire Hoe and DBO.

Single “Blue” Fulmars were seen at DBO and Foreness on Jan 1st. A Sooty Shearwater flew S at DBO on Nov 10th. A Manx Shearwater was reported flying past Reculver on Nov 4th with another reported from Sandwich Bay and Deal Pier on Jan 1st. Single Balearic Shearwaters flew past DBO on Nov 1st, 4th, 7th and Jan 4th, 7th and 18th whilst two flew past Sandwich Bay on Nov 11th. A Leach’s Petrel was seen off Samphire Hoe on Nov 5th.

During the winter up to three Shags were seen at Samphire Hoe, Swalecliffe, Reculver, Ramsgate Harbour, Chatham, Dover Harbour and Aycliff.

Throughout the winter months up to three Bitterns were reported from Dungeness RSPB, Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh, Nagden Marshes, Bough Beech, Capel Fleet and Oare Marshes. In the winter months up to seven Great White Egrets remained at Dungeness RSPB with single birds at Grove Ferry on Nov 17th, Conningbrook GPs on Nov 23rd and Dec 27th-31st, at Lade GPs on Dec 1st and Walland Marsh and Ham Street on Dec 8th with two on Romney Marsh on Dec 9th and one at Grove Ferry on Dec 14th. In the New Year singles were recorded at Appledore on Jan 27th, Walland Marsh on Feb 2nd and 19th, Eastwell Park from Feb 6th-8th, at Worth on Feb 25th and Yantlet Creek on Feb 26th. 12 The Cattle Egret first seen on Sheppey in October was still there until Nov 29th but may prove to be a Cattle x Little Egret hybrid based on a range of photos taken of the bird. Another bird found at Grove Ferry between Nov 17th and 30th was seen at the Blue Bridge, Preston on Nov 28th and Dec 8th and may have been the same individual that flew past Margate Cemetery on 19th.

Cattle Egret, Grove Ferry, by Mike Gould

A surprise find was a Pond Heron seen and photographed, aptly by a garden pond, in West Hythe on Jan 21st. It stayed in the area until the end of February. Plumage details and bare part colour suggests that it was a Chinese Pond Heron, almost certainly an escape from captivity.

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Chinese Pond Heron, Hythe, by Paul Rowe

The Glossy Ibis first seen at Dungeness RSPB on Oct 6th was still seen in the area until the end of February and visited Greatstone-on- Sea on Dec 28th. Another bird was seen at Cliffe Pools from Nov 13th-15th and what may have been one wandering individual was seen at Netherhale on Dec 28th, Sandwich Bay and Oare Marshes on 29th and Stodmarsh/Westbere from Jan 2nd-25th. Two birds were also seen at Stodmarsh on Jan 12th, at Swale NNR on Jan 14th, Foreness on Jan 15th, Sandwich Bay from Jan 16th-20th and Oare Marshes and Harty from Jan 18th-19th with one of them being seen briefly at Minster, Thanet on 11th. Two Spoonbills seen at Pegwell Bay on Nov 16th flew towards Sandwich Bay whilst one was present at Cliffe Pools on Feb 16th and Yantlet Creek on Feb 26th.

A Red-necked Grebe seen at DBO on Nov 8th was the only report of the winter. Two Slavonian Grebes drifted E on the tide at Reculver on Nov 19th, one was seen at Bough Beech on Dec 7th, another was reported from Oare Marshes on Jan 2nd and two flew W at DBO on Jan 5th. On Jan 18th one was found at Collard’s Lake and another was identified off Leysdown on Jan 19th and there was one at Stodmarsh on Jan 25th and at Lade GPs from Feb 19th-28th. Up to three Black-necked Grebes continued to be seen at Dungeness RSPB during the winter with one or two also at Cliffe Pools and Riverside CP.

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BIRDS OF PREY______A Black Kite was seen in the Dungeness area between Nov 13th and 26th and was also seen between Ham Street and Ashford on 18th with what was almost certainly the same bird at Sandwich Bay on Nov 30th, Dec 6th and 12th and at Samphire Hoe on Dec 4th, 12th and 13th. During November single Red Kites were seen at Hemsted Forest, Barham, Elmley, , Badelsmere, Greenhill and Throwley Forstal and during the rest of the winter one or two were seen at Sandwich Bay, Cliffe, St Nicholas-at-Wade, Tilmanstone, Nonington, Swalecliffe, Burham Marshes and Wouldham. Throughout the winter up to three Hen Harriers were seen at Dungeness, Sheppey, Cliffe Pools, Egypt Bay, Oare Marshes, Walland Marsh, Lydd, Pegwell Bay, Reculver, Ash Levels, Minster, Sandwich Bay, Grove Ferry, , Nor Marshes, Swanscombe Marsh and Shuart with four going to roost at Stodmarsh on Jan 8th and five there on Feb 4th. Single Rough-legged Buzzards were reported from Yalding Fen on Nov 14th and Elmley on Dec 11th. In the New Year a juvenile was found at Eastry on Jan 25th and a juvenile was reported from Elmley on Jan 31st with another report of a bird flying over Whitstable on Feb 3rd. During the winter one or two Merlins were reported from Reculver, , Bishopstone, Cliffe Marshes, Elmley, Sandwich Bay, South Swale LNR, Bough Beech and Oare Marshes with three at Shellness on Jan 8th.

RAILS TO WADERS______A wintering Whimbrel was seen at Lower Halstow between Dec 13th and Feb 7th with two seen together on Feb 13th and 21st. Up to 14 Purple Sandpipers were reported from Minnis Bay, Dover Harbour, Foreness, Botany Bay, North Foreland, Hampton, DBO, Swalecliffe, Grain, Seabrook, Ramsgate Harbour and Hythe. During November up to three Little Stints were found at Sandwich Bay, Willop Basin, Cliffe Pools and Oare Marshes. A Common Sandpiper was present at Wouldham throughout December and one was seen near Strood on Dec 25th and Rochester on Feb 25th. During the winter months up to four Spotted Redshanks were seen at Sandwich Bay, Pegwell Bay, Riverside CP, Oare Marshes, , Dartford Marshes and .

15 One or two wintering Greenshanks were seen during the winter at Oare Marshes and Milton Regis but there were seven together at Cliffe Pools on Jan 11th. A Jack Snipe was found at Oare Marshes on Nov 4th and 7th with others at DBO on Nov 6th, Dungeness RSPB on Nov 20th, Swalecliffe on Nov 27th and Dec 12th and Hythe on Dec 7th. In the New Year singles were found at Sandwich Bay on Jan 10th and 26th, at Westenhanger on Feb 2nd and 26th, Wouldham between Feb 3rd and 17th and Swalecliffe on Feb 19th.

SKUAS TO AUKS______Three Pomarine Skuas flew past DBO on Nov 2nd and Nov 4th with one there on 6th. There were ten at Swalecliffe on Nov 4th, three at Shellness on Nov 4th and 5th, one at Tankerton and on the 5th and three at Reculver on Nov 10th with one there on Nov 30th. The only report in the New Year was of one flying S at Sandwich Bay on Jan 22nd. The only Arctic Skua to be seen during the period under review was recorded at Sandwich Bay on Dec 16th. During November up to 24 Great Skuas were seen at DBO on eight dates with up to 11 during the rest of November at Swalecliffe and Reculver. In the remainder of the winter up to five were reported intermittently around the coast with a larger count of eight at DBO on Jan 12th.

A juvenile Sabines’s Gull flew past Shellness on Nov 4th and one was seen at DBO the next day with an adult flying past Sandwich Bay on Nov 7th. The sighting of a juvenile flying W past DBO on Jan 12th was more unexpected. An adult ROSS’S GULL flying W with Black-headed Gulls at DBO on Jan 13th will be the first record for Kent if accepted by the BBRC. During November and December as many as 40 Little Gulls were reported from DBO, Oare Marshes, Reculver, Swalecliffe, Sandwich Bay, Samphire Hoe and Cliffe Pools with higher counts at DBO of 176 on Nov 5th and 109 on Nov 6th. There was also an inland bird at Sevenoaks WR on Nov 27th. In the New Year there were up to 28 birds recorded at Dungeness, Dover Harbour, Folkestone, Reculver, Saltwood, Sandwich Bay, Riverside CP, Leysdown, Swalecliffe, Hythe, Fairfield, Seabrook, Ramsgate and Willop Outfall but with 172 flying W at DBO on Jan 22nd.

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Little Gull, Dover, by Mark Chidwick A Yellow-legged Gull was identified at Dungeness RSPB on Nov 11th and there were three at Dartford Marshes on Nov 21st with another at Deal on Nov 24th. During the rest of the winter up to ten were reported from Dungeness, Sandwich Bay, Deal, Dartford Marshes, Scotney GPs, Walland Marsh, Leysdown and Lade GPs. Throughout the winter up to seven Caspian Gulls were reported from Dungeness with a peak of 11 in the area on Dec 28th. In addition one or two were also seen at Dartford Marshes on Nov 30th and Dec 21st and 25th and at Scotney GPs on Dec 18th and 19th. In January and February an adult was found at Pegwell Bay on Jan 9th and there were at least two first winters and an adult at Dartford Marshes between Jan 14th and Feb 27th. In addition three birds were reported from Pegwell Bay on Jan 23rd with inland birds at Bough Beech on Jan 27th-28th and Feb 22nd-23rd. A second winter Iceland Gull was reported from Riverside CP on Nov 25th and a juvenile was seen at Gravesend from Jan 16th-18th and at Dartford on Feb 2nd with an adult reported from Dover Harbour on Feb 16th. Single juvenile Glaucous Gulls were identified at Dungeness RSPB on Dec 1st and Jan 25th, Samphire Hoe on Dec 20th, Deal and at Sandwich Bay on Jan 4th, at DBO on Jan 11th and from Jan 28th-Feb 26th, at Dover Harbour on Jan 19th and Feb 17th and at North Foreland on Feb 10th. In addition an adult was present at Dungeness on Jan 23rd.

Single Sandwich Terns flying W off DBO on Feb 2nd and 4th were unexpected.

17 A Puffin flew past DBO on Jan 25th and another was reported from Foreness on Feb 2nd.

There was a report of a Black Guillemot flying E past Dover Harbour on Jan 4th. As usual Guillemot and Razorbill numbers built up in the Channel at the end of January with 15,000 and 2,000 respectively counted at DBO on 26th and 10,500 and 5,500 the next day.

DOVES TO WOODPECKERS______A Long-eared Owl was discovered at Dungeness RSPB on Nov 5th with another seen occasionally at Grove Ferry between Nov 14th and Feb 23rd. During the period under review up to three Short-eared Owls were seen on Sheppey and at DBO, Sandwich Bay, North Foreland, Oare Marshes, Littlestone, Reculver and Grain with six reported from on Feb 4th.

A Hoopoe was reported from Snodland on Nov 24th and Jan 18th with another photographed at Birling on Dec 15th and 16th where it remained until at least Jan 5th.

GOLDEN ORIOLE TO HIRUNDINES______A Great Grey Shrike was reported from Margate Cemetery on Feb 17th.

A Hooded Crow was found in the Shellness area between Dec 19th and Jan 24th and another was seen at Boughton Lees on Jan 25th. What may have been the Shelness bird was also seen at Seasalter between Feb 20th and 23rd. During the winter months up to four Ravens were reported from 21 sites throughout the County. In addition there were six together at on Feb 25th.

During November up to seven Firecrests were reported from Dungeness, Reculver, Margate, Sandwich Bay, , Benenden, West Hythe and Clowes Wood but with a higher count of 11 at Bockhill on 2nd. During the rest of the winter up to five birds were seen at over 20 sites throughout the County.

A PENDULINE TIT was discovered at Stodmarsh on Jan 2nd and two males were seen and photographed at Dungeness RSPB on Feb 15th and remained there until the end of the month.

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Penduline Tit, Dungeness, by M. Casemore

Single Woodlarks were found at Bockhill on Nov 2nd, 3rd and 9th with one at Margate Cemetery on Nov 11th.

Two Shorelarks flew past Swalecliffe on Nov 4th with three seen there on 14th. There were also two at Reculver on Nov 8th and three at Sandwich Bay on Nov 9th. In the New Year there were two at Sandwich Bay between Feb 18th and the end of the month.

Two late Swallows were reported from Sandwich Bay on Nov 16th with another passing through there on Dec 2nd.

CETTI’S WARBLER TO FLYCATCHERS______A Pallas’s Warbler was found at Shorncliffe Barracks, Folkestone on Jan 24th and remained there until Feb 22nd. Two Yellow-browed Warblers were seen at DBO on Nov 3rd, one was seen at South Foreland on Nov 7th with another at DBO on Nov 17th. Single birds were also reported from Margate Cemetery on Nov 1st, 13th and from 21st -27th. A Yellow-browed Warbler first seen in Ramsgate Cemetery on Dec 29th was eventually identified as a HUME’S WARBLER and remained there until Feb 23rd. Another individual was found in the flooded trapping area at DBO from Jan 2nd-Feb 26th. If they are 19 accepted by the BBRC they will be the fifth and sixth records of this species for Kent.

Hume’s Warbler, Ramsgate by Gary Howard

A Siberian Chiffchaff was identified at DBO on Jan 2nd.

Four Waxwings were reported flying NW at Lydd on Nov 23rd, two flew past Oare Marshes on Nov 28th and there was one at Stonelees on Dec 10th.

During November single Ring Ouzels were found Margate on 1st and at DBO on 4th and at Samphire Hoe on seven dates with the last sighting on 25th.

Throughout the winter one or two Black Redstarts were seen around the coast at Dungeness, Reculver, Samphire Hoe, Sandwich Bay, Ramsgate, Seasalter, Bockhill, Folkestone, North Foreland and Foreness.

DUNNOCK TO BUNTINGS______A Richard’s Pipit was identified near Coldharbour on Nov 6th and was subsequently seen being unsuccessfully chased by a Merlin. Another bird was found at Egypt Bay between November 16th and 19th and finally one was reported from Chislet on Nov 21st. After the first two Water Pipits were recorded at Stodmarsh on Sept 30th up to 22 were seen there during the rest of the winter. During the winter period there were also up to three reported from Worth

20 Marshes, Pegwell Bay, Sandwich Bay, Minster, , Oare Marshes, Dartford Marshes and Wouldham.

Up to five Twite were found at Shellness from Nov 1st-24th and another was seen at Sandwich Bay on Nov 14th. During the winter up to nine Common/Mealy Redpolls were recorded at Sandwich Bay, DBO, Bockhill, Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh, West Malling, Sissinghurst, Hemsted Forest, Hayesden and Bough Beech. A Coue’s Arctic Redpoll was trapped and ringed at DBO on Nov 7th. The male TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL was still being seen intermittently at Hemsted Forest until Feb 19th. During the winter up to 40 Common Crossbills were reported from Penshurst, Hemsted Forest, Bedgebury Forest, Bockhill, Reculver, Clowes Wood, Bridge, Badelsmere, Tilmanstone and Stoke. Seven Parrot Crossbills were seen at Upper Stoke on Nov 2nd with a first year male still being seen occasionally at Hemsted Forest until Feb 2nd. On Feb 22nd six birds, two males and four females, were seen at Clowes Wood drinking from a puddle in an oak tree stump with eight counted there the next day. Four Hawfinches were reported from Bedgebury Pinetum on Jan 20th with two there on Feb 2nd and one on Feb 11th.

Single Lapland Buntings were seen at Oare Marshes on Nov 7th and 13th, Reculver on Nov 14th, Dover Harbour on Dec 7th, Swalecliffe on Dec 9th and Sandwich Bay on Dec 19th. In the New Year there were two at Oare Marshes on Jan 22nd. During the winter up to 45 Snow Buntings were reported from Foreness, Shellness, Barton Point, Elmley, Warden Point, DBO, Bockhill, Samphire Hoe, Grain, Oare Marshes, Dover Harbour, , Elmley, Reculver, Minnis Bay, Ramsgate Harbour, Foreness, Broadstairs, Pegwell Bay and Sandwich Bay. A Little Bunting was a surprise find at Oare Marshes on Nov 28th. This was the tenth Kent record for this species and follows closely the bird seen at Sandwich Bay in 2012. DBO = Dungeness Bird Observatory 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 Reserve WR = Wildlife Reserve GP = Gravel Pits CP = Country Park 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 S. Ashton, M. Baldock, R. Banks, J. Barnard, B. Benn, P. Beraet, J Bloor, Bough Beech (per C. Langton), R. Brockett, E. Brown, K. Browne, S. Broyd, D. Bundy, N. Burt, G. Burton, F. Cackett, B. Caffarey, G. Carpenter, B. Chambers, J. Chantler, P. Chantler, B. Chapman, D. Chesterman, M. Chidwick, S. Clancy, R. Clements, P. Cliffe, M. Coath, R. Collins, G. Coultrip, C. Cox, K. Cutting, I. Davidson, P. Davies, DBO (per D. Walker), K. Digby, R. Dubbins, Dungeness RSPB (per P. Beraet, J. Hawkins), T. Dunstan, D. Eade, R. Elvy, A. Faiers, D. Faulkener, D. Feast, Folkestone and Hythe Birds (per I. Roberts), P. Forrest, C. Fox, N. Frampton, M. Garwood, C. Gibbard, M. Gould, P. Graham, V. Green, J. Guiver, C. Hackwith, D. Hale, J. Hall, M. Heath, A. Hindle, C. Hindle, M. Hindle, D. Hitch, A. Holcombe, B. Holcombe, A. Holt, M. Hook, L. Hopkins, S. Huggins, B. Hunt, A. Jupp, R. Keith, M. Kennett, T. Laws, A. Lawson, O. Leyshon, A. Lipczynski, P. Lloyd, A. Luckhurst, G. Malloch, T. Manship, K. McDonnell, S. Message, A. Millar, S. Mills, T. Morris, S. Mount, D. Neal, G. Nicholls, M. Norman, P. North, M. Orchard, M. Paice, A. Pavey, A. Perry, J. Perry, R. Peters, L. Platt, K. Privett, M. Puxley, B. Ring, M. Roser, J. Russell, B. Ryan, 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), I. Shepherd, S. Short, A. Skiffington, P. Smith, R. Smith, P. Straughan, M. Sutherland, Swale NNR (per R. Smith, D. Faulkner, I. Davidson), T. Swandale, D. Taylor, D. Thompson, P. Trodd, D. Tutt, N. Upton, D. van Orsouw, C. Vint, M. Warburton, A. Wells, R. West, A. Whitehouse, M. Wilson, K. Witham, S. Wood, B. Woolhouse, P. Worsley and B. 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

Grey Squirrel predating House Sparrow nest

On 3rd June 2012, I was searching for colour-ringed House Sparrows Passer domesticus at a farm in Kent where I run a RAS (Retrapping Adults for Survival) project. The site benefits from old buildings and trees with plenty of ivy so sparrows are plentiful and Grey Squirrels Sciurus carolinensis are ubiquitous in the surrounding area. On this occasion I was watching a pair of sparrows close to the top, and on one side of, a power-line post that was densely clad with old, dead ivy and that held a number of sparrow nests. Both birds appeared and sounded agitated. When I focused my binoculars on the opposite side of the pole I saw a squirrel sitting upright and eating a naked nestling that was dangling from its claws. Although Grey Squirrels, along with corvids and other arboreal carnivores, are frequently cited as nest predators in the UK (for example Simms 1978, Davies 1992, Hewson & Fuller 2003, Fuller et al. 2005), I have yet to find examples in the literature of first-hand observations of this.

Ray Morris, East Farleigh, Kent

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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 s tart. The Newsletter of the Kent Ornithological Society

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