The Kent List
The Kent List has been affected by recent changes to the British List. At the beginning of 2018, the British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) aligned itself with the International Ornithologists’ Union’s IOC World List. Changes affecting Kent are:
- the splitting of Bean Goose into Taiga Bean Goose and Tundra Bean Goose
- the splitting of Isabelline Shrike into Daurian Shrike and Turkestan Shrike
- Subalpine Warbler has also been split into three species, Western, Moltoni’s and Eastern Subalpine Warbler.
The Bean Goose split is likely to affect most listers and so will the split for Isabelline Shrike. However, the latter poses problems with the new specific identification. The situation seems, to me at any rate, confused. As far as I know, the only decision that had been made by the BBRC concerns the phoenicuroides at Worth Marshes in 2014 but that has since been retracted. Since then, there have only been two additions to the Kent List: Rufous Turtle Dove at Otford in 2016 and Pine Bunting at Murston in 2017. However, both were long-stayers that most committed listers will have seen. In addition, the Forster’s Tern at Hythe in 2016 and the White-billed Diver at Foreness in 2018 were both required by most listers.
Following a spate of activity towards the end of May with Kent’s first twitchable Caspian Tern this century, a new for Kent Eleonora’s Falcon and the first Sardinian Warbler recorded in Kent since 2001, I have updated the Kent Listers Table (as of 31st May 2022). Although it is far from complete, many listers have taken the opportunity to refresh their lists. More updates, and indeed new lists, would be welcome!