RXwildlife Sightings

Our new Denge Marsh hide came up trumps again with water pipit, rock pipit, yellow wagtail (5), avocet (2), plenty of snipe and dunlin, golden plover and merlin being of particular note. At about 2 pm we recieved a report of an Ortolan bunting but unfortunately despite the best efforts of a good many birders the bird was not seen again.

Other sightings around the reserve included little ringed plover (2) and peregrine at the ARC pit, black-necked grebe (3) and Slavonian grebe (2) on Burrowes pit and two red-headed smew. A common buzzard flew over early in the afternoon and the day was rounded off nicely with two swallows heading north at about 6pm.

A half hour sea watch this afternoon produced a male velvet scoter flying E, a Sandwich tern resting on a bouy, a Cormorant fishing and 6 LBB gulls loafing.

A Tree pipit flew E over Fairlight place farm this morning, there was very little else on the move but 16 Meadow pipits, 2 Mallards and a White wagtail were noted. 2 greylag geese made an impressive sight as they flew S low over the fields.
There were 2 snipe in the fields and a couple of Skylarks were singing.
An early Willow warbler was calling amongst 3 recently arrived Chiffchaffs, the Goldfinch flock has increased slightly, from 6 to 9.
Most interesting though was the discovery of 2 Tree sparrows roosting in one of the hedgerows.