Tuesday 30th
It's been unusually quiet for Chiffchaff and Blackcap recently, based upon counts at this time in previous years, but today there was a decent fall on the Estate. The final totals were around 180 Chiffchaffs and 110 Blackcaps, plus smaller numbers of Goldcrest. Four Firecrests joined them and a Pied Flycatcher was in the Little Elms. The most surprising sighting though concerned a SPOTTED CRAKE on the Dragonfly Pond! After 30 years without a 'twitchable' bird this is our second in a month. The bird performed very well to visitors along as people kept their distance and remained still and quiet. Meanwhile Little Stints were on Restharrow Scrape and New Downs, and the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still on RSPB Worth marshes and three GLOSSY IBISES flew around Willow Farm.
Monday 29th
It was a fine, clear, sunny day. The RED-NECKED PHALAROPE stayed overnight and showed on RSPB Worth marshes, with an elusive RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER also seen briefly. A GLOSSY IBIS also came off Willow Farm and drifted over the Chequers. A small but noticeable movement of wildfowl occurred offshore, a Black-tailed Godwit was on Restharrow Scrape, a handful of Redpolls flew over, and the male Scaup was still in Pegwell Bay.
Sunday 28th
A big thank you to everyone who came along to today's Big Kent Migration Watch. It was a great day full of activities and wildlife. The birds certainly played their part. The highlight of the day was the super immature WHITE-TAILED EAGLEwhich drifted over RSPB Worth marshes and the Estate late morning, and then presumably the same bird later after midday seen well by all at the Observatory. Lucky observers at Sandilands were rewarded with a brief RED-RUMPED SWALLOW, as well as Ring Ouzel, six Bramblings, and four Crossbills. Not to be outdone, RSPB Worth marshes hit back with a juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, two GLOSSY IBISES, as well as a male Hen Harrier, Cattle Egret, and our first Fieldfare of autumn. Finishing off a great day-list were two Coal Tits, Firecrest, and Pied Flycatcher on the Estate, and a male Scaup in Pegwell Bay.
Saturday 27th
A Hawfinch which flew out of the Oasis at first light was a good start to the day. Not long later though about 30 paragliders came over and caused havoc to the area. Four GLOSSY IBIS flew around Willow Farm, three circled Restharrow Scrape, and two went over the Observatory, with some duplication probably involved, but all disturbed by the aircrafts. Singles of Honey-buzzard and Short-eared Owl later flew high over RSPB Worth marshes.
Friday 26th
It was the first calm day in some time and the low cloud helped to document the overhead visible migration. Three Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Crossbill went south, whilst 713 Swallows, 108 Meadow Pipits, 231 Siskins, and a Lesser Redpoll went north. There was another Redwing on the Estate and at least six Firecrests. Inland on RSPB Worth marshes the sporadic PURPLE HERON put in a brief appearance (presumably the same bird seen on a handful of occasions in the last two months), singles of Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler were in the bushes, and a Little Stint on the pools.
Don't forget that this Sunday 28th September SBBOT will be taking part in the second annual Big Kent Migration Watch. This is a joint project with KOS and other conservation organisations in Kent. At SBBOT there will be a variety of walks, talks, and refreshments on offer. Please come along and hear all about the migration of birds through the area.
Thursday 25th
One GLOSSY IBIS, one White Stork, 50 Golden Plovers, seven Dunlins, six Ruffs, six Mediterranean Gulls, three Little Gulls, eight Stonechats, two Wheatears, and two Whinchats were on RSPB Worth marshes. A Redstart was in the Oasis area.
Wednesday 24th
It was another breezy day and migrants were thin on the ground in the bushes. Singles of Redstart and Grasshopper Warbler were on RSPB Worth marshes. There were singles of Arctic and Great Skua offshore and our first Redwing of the autumn flew south over the Estate.
Don't forget to get your photo entries for the 2026 calendar in! We're looking for photos of wildlife, habitats, and landscapes taken within our Recording Area in 2025 to produce a calendar for 2026. Submit up to three images in landscape format by 30 September. Email to admin@sbbot.org.uk.
Tuesday 23rd
Like yesterday there were small movements of wildfowl offshore, mostly Wigeon, Teal, and Shelduck, but also three Pintails and a single Red-breasted Merganser. Light visible migration comprised around 200 Swallows, 75 Siskins, and small numbers of Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits. Spells of heavy rain came through though and ended things abruptly.
Monday 22nd
Two CHOUGHS flew over the Estate. These were presumed to be part of the reintroduction project at Dover and follows on from a similar record in May earlier this year. Two Coal Tits were also on the Estate whilst a chilly seawatch produced four Arctic Terns, an Arctic Skua, a decent movement of wildfowl, and three surprise GLOSSY IBIS. In the evening another 12 GLOSSY IBIS came in to roost on RSPB Worth marshes.
Sunday 21st
The Glossy Ibises have been somewhat elusive on RSPB Worth marshes recently. They were briefly seen from on Willow Farm from the Drove early on before later seen going to roost on the main flood on the other side of the railway in the evening. At least 12 are still present. Nine Cattle Egrets and a Great White Egret were also present with two Arctic Skuas offshore.
Saturday 20th
A dark juvenile Honey-buzzard went south, a Tawny Owl was heard on the Green Wall, ten Ruffs and 400 Mediterranean Gulls on RSPB Worth marshes.
Friday 19th
It was the first calm day for a while. Meadow Pipits were on the move with over 500 logged moving south, along with small numbers of hirundines and wagtails. On New Downs there were five Cattle Egrets, ten Greenshanks, one Bar-tailed Godwit, five Black-tailed Godwits, three Curlew Sandpipers, three Green Sandpipers, 93 Redshanks, three Bearded Tits, six Kingfishers, a Whinchat, and three Goldcrests. Two Whinchats and 14 Wheatears were on Prince's Beach, a Spotted Flycatcher on the Estate, and two Curlew Sandpipers were back on Restharrow Scrape. Inland on RSPB Worth marshes there was Great White Egret, three Cattle Egrets, White Stork, Spoonbill, nine Ruffs, and a further three Curlew Sandpipers.
Thursday 18th
Two Arctic Skuas and one Arctic Tern were offshore and the two Curlew Sandpipers were on Restharrow Scrape again briefly. In the evening a Nightjar was seen flying around the Restharrow Scrape/Elms area.
Our weekly Thursday Night talks start up again tonight with Steve Cale presenting Wild Ethiopia. Read all about it and other talks scheduled this autumn HERE.
Wednesday 17th
The two Curlew Sandpipers were on Restharrow Scrape again this morning. The regular but mobile Coal Tit put in an appearance at the top of King's Avenue and there were around 30 Chiffchaffs scattered around the Estate. Activity offshore comprised four Arctic Skuas and three Arctic Terns (but not a sniff of the hundreds of Sooty Shearwaters seen elsewhere in Kent today).
Tuesday 16th
It was very windy again today but there wasn't quite the quality of seabirds offshore as yesterday. Three Arctic Skuas and three Arctic Terns were the highlights, as well as two Short-eared Owls which came in off the sea. There were the first signs of Meadow Pipit passage with 65 birds north along the shore, whilst the rest of the Estate recorded 14 Siskins, four Whinchats, and a Firecrest, and two Curlew Sandpipers were on Restharrow Scrape.
Monday 15th
Bright and very breezy. Excellent seawatching (for our standards) produced singles of Sooty Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, Pomarine Skua, and Little Tern, and at least 11 Arctic Skuas. Though the big highlight was obviously the lone Coot which drifted past offshore. At least six Cattle Egrets and four Glossy Ibises were still present on RSPB Worth marshes.
Don't forget to get your photo entries for the 2026 calendar in! We're looking for photos of wildlife, habitats, and landscapes taken within our Recording Area in 2025 to produce a calendar for 2026. Submit up to three images in landscape format by 30 September. Email to admin@sbbot.org.uk.
Sunday 14th
New today to the heronfest on RSPB Worth marshes was a Bittern, seen from the Drove. The flock of 12 Glossy Ibises was seen again as well as two Great White Egrets, six Cattle Egrets, a Wood Sandpiper, three Hobbies, and two Ravens.
Friday 12th
Three Curlew Sandpipers were still on Restharrow Scrape this morning. It was another good morning for Grasshopper Warbler with three seen on the Estate. Over 250 assorted Terns were offshore and a few Siskins flew overhead. There were now two Spoonbills on RSPB Worth marshes, with the White Stork and 10+ Glossy Ibises still present.
Thursday 11th
It was hard to be sure how many Glossy Ibises were still in on RSPB Worth marshes but at least nine. The White Stork, Spoonbill, and 11 Cattle Egrets were still present along with five Black-tailed Godwits, two Curlew Sandpipers, and five Ruffs. Four Curlew Sandpipers and two Little Stints were on New Downs, and five Curlew Sandpipers on Restharrow Scrape. It's been a good autumn for Curlew Sandpiper, with reports from further north in the UK of big flocks. We could see more of these coming through the wetlands in the area in the next week or so.
Wednesday 10th
The wind picked up throughout the morning and the rain came in soon after. Before then we managed 900 Swallows, a Firecrest, and a Spotted Flycatcher on the Estate. A Kingfisher north along the beach was a strange sight. The 11 Glossy Ibises were still on Willow Farm though quite elusive. Three Curlew Sandpipers, 21 Ruffs, two Little Stints, a Spotted Redshank, four Great White Egrets, ten Cattle Egrets, and a Spoonbill were also on RSPB Worth marshes.
Tuesday 9th
Today's GLOSSY IBIS action concerned a flock of 12 which dropped into Willow Farm on RSPB Worth marshes in the morning. Also present were two Great White Egrets, nine Cattle Egrets, and a Spoonbill, all viewable from the gate at the Drove (TR36575602 or W3W ///bangle.masterful.seemingly). In the immediately vicinity of the Drove were at least six Grasshopper Warblers, with another at Dickson's Corner. The seven birds recorded is our highest day count since 25th August 2009 (all ringed in the Maize crop across from the Observatory, where the asparagus currently grows). Also of note today were falls of Chiffchaff and Blackcap, with 90 and 260, respectively. Two Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Tree Pipit, a Redstart, and a Firecrest were on the Estate, our first Siskins and Redpolls of the autumn flew over, and a notable flock of 17 Curlew Sandpipers flew north along the shore.
There's still time to book onto the Poetry of Birds workshop this Sunday 14th September, and later on 18th and 19th October an immersive weekend writing workshop, both led by writer Sonia Overall. Tickets for these events (and others) can be found HERE.
Monday 8th
A GLOSSY IBIS was on New Downs. This could possibly be the same bird that was on Restharrow Scrape on Friday/Sunday but, considering the huge numbers that arrived in the UK this week, it could just as easily be new in. At around 1pm there was another report of a flock of seven GLOSSY IBIS over Restharrow Scrape heading towards RSPB Worth marshes. Then, in the evening light, a further flock of 14 GLOSSY IBIS went north over the Estate. There are multiple flocks of 30-40 birds moving around England at present and I imagine more will pass through here at some point. With large numbers of Herons and Egrets on RSPB Worth marshes at present that seems a good place to start looking. Also on New Downs today were three Ruffs, three Greenshanks, four Bearded Tits, a Curlew Sandpiper, and nine Whinchats. Elsewhere there were five Curlew Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper, a White Stork, and a Spoonbill on RSPB Worth marshes, and a Redstart on the Estate.
Sunday 7th
Hot out there! A Little Stint was nice on Restharrow Scrape whilst around the Sandilands area there were 52 Ringed Plovers, six Dunlins, and six Sanderlings on the beach, and two Wheatears and a Whinchat on the fences. A Spotted Flycatcher and a Redstart were around the Drove/Mary Bax. In the evening a GLOSSY IBIS circled Restharrow Scrape briefly.
Saturday 6th
RSPB Worth marshes produced ten Grey Herons, two Great White Egrets, 24 Cattle Egrets, a White Stork, two Water Rails, 260 Greylag Geese, 263 Mallards, 103 Teals, 166 Lapwings, five Ruffs, four Black-tailed Godwits, three Whimbrels, two Wood Sandpipers. three Green Sandpipers, a Little Stint. There were some excellent count of 21 Lesser Whitethroats, 31 Chiffchaffs, 25 Whinchats, seven Spotted Flycatchers, two Pied Flycatchers, and 37 Yellow Wagtails between the Drove and the asparagus fields. An Osprey flew over the Estate and a Coal Tit was in the Little Elms. Late news also concerned a GLOSSY IBIS photographed on Restharrow Scrape yesterday.
Friday 5th
There was the first autumn fall of Blackcaps onto the Estate. At least 160 were present. Scattered Robins and Chiffchaffs suggested they were moving too, but at a lower level. Two Spotted Flycatchers were in the Whitehouse, a Redstart at St George's Bushes, and two Tree Pipits in the Oasis. The SPOTTED CRAKE continued to show on New Downs. A reminder for those visiting, the Spotted Crake feeds on the mud on the South Pool (approx. TR339553) in the company of Water Rails. There is room for a few member's cars at the Polytunnels (TR342587, W3W ///interests.ulterior.snappy). Please display your SBBOT membership card in the dashboard and then walk along the raised bund to the first pool on the right. Please note that the gates at the entrance road to New Downs often shut in the evening, so don't stay too late. There is more parking for everyone at Sandwich Quay and you can walk along the river to the Polytunnels.
Thursday 4th
Not quite as productive offshore today but 44 Gannets, two Arctic Skuas, 270 Sandwich Terns, 30 Common Terns, two Whimbrels, and a Common Scoter were seen in the morning. In the evening 380 Mediterranean Gulls and 201 Common Terns came in to roost at the Point. The SPOTTED CRAKE was still on New Downs.
Wednesday 3rd
A strong south-westerly wind and intermittent squalls meant most of the morning was spent seawatching. Nine Arctic Skuas, three Black Terns, one Arctic Tern, three Little Terns, 120 Common Terns, 150 Sandwich Terns, one Auk sp, ten Fulmars, 30 Gannets, four Common Scoters, seven Teals, one Shoveler, and a few Mediterranean Gulls were logged. The SPOTTED CRAKE was still on New Downs.
A date for your diary. On Sunday 28th September SBBOT will be taking part in the second annual Big Kent Migration Watch. This is a joint project with KOS and other conservation organisations in Kent. At SBBOT there will be a variety of walks and talks on offer. Please come along and hear all about the migration of birds through the area.
Tuesday 2nd
The PURPLE HERON from a few days ago re-appeared on RSPB Worth marshes. It was a bit of a heronfest with three Great White Egrets, 18 Cattle Egrets, a White Stork, and a Spoonbill also present. A Little Tern flew south offshore in the morning and in the evening a second watch produced four Arctic Skuas and a Manx Shearwater. There were 30 Blackcaps and two Swifts on the Estate and the SPOTTED CRAKE was still present on New Downs.
Monday 1st
The SPOTTED CRAKE continued to draw admirers on New Downs. Fifty Sandwich Terns were feeding offshore, two Swifts flew over RSPB Worth marshes, and four Whinchats were south of Sandilands.
