Crazy scenes this evening where I caught up with the BOOTED EAGLE touring Thanet, on its second attempt to roost it was flushed by corvids, flying west from Ramsgate Viaduct a mere 400m from home 🤯 Many thanks to everyone for the regular updates!

Subsequent survey visits to the Blean for Lesser Spots is quickly becoming more challenging with birds paired up now. So it was nice to get four birds over the weekend including an active pair LesserSpot Network

Victory Wood for Dartford Warbler BTO Heathlands Survey, unsurprisingly none found. No less than 14 Nightingales belting it out made up for it, amongst loads of other scrub warblers ebird.org/checklist/S225…

Thoroughly enjoyed monitoring my survey areas, hoping to continue some coverage into late spring. Can’t wait to see the results, thanks Heather for organising! LesserSpot Network

I don’t see Grasshopper Warblers regularly in Kent so it was nice to see this one reeling at Victory Wood on a recent survey visit

Steady passage of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps has kept me entertained and left me looking for more at King George Park recently. Med Gulls and Swallows have also been moving through ebird.org/checklist/S225… | ebird.org/checklist/S227…

Back to the Blean for recce visits to BTO Nightjar squares for upcoming surveys, a few Nightingales were nice to listen to whilst exploring ebird.org/checklist/S227…

Nice variety this morning at King George Park with my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year. Singles of Garden Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Whitethroat, Whimbrel kept things interesting alongside the regular migrants ebird.org/checklist/S231…

Enjoyable high tide at Pegwell Bay: Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Turnstone, Dunlin in summer plumages with Whimbrel and Sandwich Tern. Of note were three Tufted Duck, local rarities in this part of SBBOT recording area ebird.org/checklist/S233…

First Honey Buzzard kicked off the season nicely, with this displaying male over a potential new site for Kent UK RBBP

Heavy rain this morning dropped some nice birds into Pegwell Bay, flocks of Ringed Plovers were arriving before flying inland. 76 Ringed Plover, 34 Sanderling, 9 Dunlin, 3 Grey Plover, 3 Barwit, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Little Tern and 4 Sandwich Tern ebird.org/checklist/S241…

Change in weather and overnight rain at King George Park failed to produce the goods. Up to six Chiffchaffs, a few Swallows and a flock of 108 Common Scoter offshore were the best on offer this morning ebird.org/checklist/S242…

Successful visit to Kent to 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nests, our endoscope revealed 4 chicks ready to fledge, 11 m high in a dead Ash & 3 chicks snug in a dead Oak. Thanks to our volunteers PC & JSD for finding the nests & showing them to us - all very positive for success

SBBOT is looking for a motivated person to join our team as a Volunteer Intern! Gain experience with surveys of a wide range of taxa, on-the-ground conservation work, educational and outreach with the local community, and much more. Details can be found at sbbot.org.uk/job-vacancies/

After months of monitoring Lesser Spots in the Blean complex this spring, the ultimate highlight was finding an active nest late this season!!! Since then, three chicks have successfully fledged LesserSpot Network

It was a privilege to invite LesserSpot Network to the Blean and help with their work on nest productivity for these three healthy chicks! Altogether, my woodland survey site within the Blean for the KOS LSW Survey held no less than six territories!

The SBBOT speciality continues to spread! Sifting through Damselflies on Worth Marshes last week produced this Dainty Damselfly, first site record! They’re going from strength to strength in Kent Marc Heath

Having failed to see Turtle Doves regularly this spring, it was nice to finally encounter this purring bird in the Stour Valley recently ebird.org/checklist/S254… Operation Turtle Dove UK RBBP

Autumn is kicking off nicely at King George Park with the first Willow Warblers moving through. The likes of Green and Common Sandpiper, Caspian and Yellow-legged Gull were welcome sights under the cliff ebird.org/checklist/S262… ebird.org/checklist/S263…

Singles of Tree Pipit and Greenshank were new birds over King George Park this week ebird.org/checklist/S266…