Oare Marshes, Kent Bonaparte's Gull, Spoonbill, Yellow Wagtails and Whinchat

Sunday 27^th July 2025

Oare Marshes NNR

Ashdown Bird Group + East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

(13 members present)

Today’s visit took us back to the idyllic Kent Wildlife Trust reserve at Oare Marshes on the north Kent coast.  It was the obvious choice of venue, with numerous waders and other interesting birds reported there recently.  Things turned out better than expected as we saw at least 65 bird species, including some absolute stunners.  

The weather was very favourable with dry, warm conditions and a gentle breeze.  This was a joint meeting, with the majority of today's attendees being members of both groups. 

We started at the slipway and followed the clockwise route around the East Flood.  After lunch, we headed west along the sea wall to Dan’s Dock before returning by the same path to the car park 

Many birds made the headlines today, and I have attempted to place them in some sort of order below:-

 

 

Bonaparte's Gull

 

Top of the list was the Bonaparte's gull. This American vagrant has become quite a local celebrity. It 

returned here on 2nd July for the 13th consecutive summer and has been present every day since.  

 

We spotted it right at the start of our visit on the mudflats east of the slipway. Luckily, it was not too far away, and our photographers quickly set about capturing images. As you can see from Phil's photos, the gull is transitioning from its summer plumage and is just beginning to lose its black head colouration.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

What a brilliant start - our star species performing brilliantly!

 

Spoonbill

We expected to see a spoonbill, and we were not disappointed as the bird could be seen on the East Flood from almost every vantage point along the perimeter path.  Chris's photograph shows the bird in the water with many other waders, while Patrick's image is of the bird in flight.

Courtesy of Chris Harries

Courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

Turtle Dove

We were less confident of seeing a turtle dove as they are notoriously difficult to track.  Thankfully, our luck was in today.  After a tip off from another visiting bird group, we got good views near the Harty Ferry Cottages, where one was sitting on the wires just below the main overhead cables.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

For many in the group, this was the first sighting of a turtle dove in 2025; others had seen one in our earlier trip to the Knepp Estate in May. 

Yellow Wagtails

Another bird we hoped to see was the yellow wagtail.  Mark T saw one associating with the cattle in the fields by the Harty Ferry Cottages right at the start of our visit. However, our best sightings were obtained in the afternoon when we visited Dan's Dock, where we saw at least ten in what was a very lively and entertaining display, firstly on the disused, concrete buildings in the fields close to Dan's Dock and then at Dan’s Dock itself by the kissing gate.

Courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

Whinchat

Dan's Dock has also proved to be a good place for whinchats in the last couple of years.  And so it proved again today when eagle-eyed Phil spotted one on the fence close to the metal gate, right at the end of our trip.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

Whinchat and Yellow Wagtail - courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Other Birds of Interest

There was so much going on today that words seem inappropriate.  Take a moment to enjoy this photographic summary of the other species we encountered today.

Grey heron, black-tailed godwits, black-headed gulls, and common gull, courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

Green sandpiper, courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

Cattle egrets, courtesy of Chris Harries

Common gull, courtesy of Ian Hodgson

Corn bunting, courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Golden Plover,  courtesy of Phil Aylen

Whimbrels in flight, courtesy of Phil Aylen

Meadow Pipit, courtesy of Phil Aylen

Linnet, courtesy of Phil Aylen

Wasp Spider

This wasp spider caused some excitement along the sea wall walk to Dan's Dock.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

Wasp spider, Courtesy of Phil Aylen

Species List

Name:	Count		Name	Count
Avocet	1		Linnet	34
Bar-tailed Godwit	2		Little Egret	35
Bearded Tit	3		Magpie	36
Black-headed Gull	4		Mallard	37
Black-tailed Godwit	5		Marsh Harrier	38
Blackbird	6		Meadow Pipit	39
Blue Tit	7		Mediterranean Gull	40
Bonaparte's Gull	8		Moorhen	41
Carrion Crow	9		Mute Swan	42
Cattle Egret	10		Pheasant	43
Collared Dove	11		Pied Wagtail	44
Common Gull	12		Redshank	45
Common Tern	13		Reed Bunting	46
Coot	14		Reed Warbler	47
Cormorant	15		Robin	48
Corn Bunting	16		Sandwich Tern	49
Curlew	17		Shelduck	50
Dunlin	18		Skylark	51
Dunnock	19		Spoonbill	52
Golden Plover	20		Starling	53
Goldfinch	21		Stock Dove	54
Great Black-backed Gull	22		Stonechat	55
Great Crested Grebe	23		Swallow	56
Green Sandpiper	24		Turnstone	57
Green Woodpecker	25		Turtle Dove	58
Greenshank	26		Water Rail	59
Grey Heron	27		Whimbrel	60
Herring Gull	28		Whinchat	61
House Sparrow	29		Whitethroat	62
Jackdaw	30		Woodpigeon	63
Kestrel	31		Wren	64
Knot	32		Yellow Wagtail	65
Lapwing	33

Species count = 65

2025 species count = 188

New Species:

185  Bonaparte's Gull

186  Spoonbill

187  Yellow Wagtail

188  Whinchat