RXwildlife Sightings

Waders were quite good today…
Castle Water – Whimbrel several, Snipe 1.
Flat Beach – Golden Plover 380 roosting all day (when and where do they feed?), Ringed Plover 100+, Dunlin 30+, Grey Plover several.
Shore at dusk – Greenshank 3, Spotted Redshank 1, Black-tailed Godwit 1, Bar-tailed Godwit 6, Curlew Sandpiper 1, Knot 6, Curlew 100+, Sanderling and Redshank.
Ternery Pool – Common Sandpiper 8, Green Sandpiper 1, Turnstone.

A few less migrants in the reedbed and bushes this morning. A first year male Redstart was the highlight. Blackcaps are building up in numbers and feeding on the heavy elderberry crop. Mid morning a Honey Buzzard flew over the valley heading westwards.

The small creamy spikes of Autumn Lady’s Tresses are now showing in the shorter grass along the northern margin of Castle Water. In the photo see how the flowers spiral up the spike (Spiranthes spiralis is its name).

The Western pool at Pett Level is becoming a spectacular Starling roost as dusk approaches. There must be a couple of thousand birds packing into one small patch of reedbed beside the road.
On Monday evening the birds were receiving attention from a seriously unhappy Sparrow Hawk who repeatedly spooked the flock and tried (unsuccessfully) to grab one on the go, before landing back to the bank side to review his tactics …
Chris Drew (from Rye Bay Wildlife e-group)

After the early fog it soon became too hot to wander far, so I looked on the Long Pit – 4 Black Tern, a Green Sandpiper and many Migrant Hawker dragonflies.

A Balearic Shearwater lingered offshore and at least 65 Arctic Skuas flew west during the day and small numbers of Arctic and Black Terns continue to be seen.
It remains very poor for common migrants with just 20 Yellow Wagtails, a Whinchat, five Lesser Whitethroats, 15 Willow Warblers and the first Goldcrest of the autumn of interest. A Kingfisher and two Cetti’s Warbler were also seen at the Long Pits.
David Walker (from DBO website)

Too hot today to expect good birds, but…
First day with the 3 related Stonechat, Whinchat and Wheatear seen.
On the shore at low water 8 Bar-tailed Godwit and 12 Knot.

Spotted crake still present at Christmas Dell – seen 10.20 am.
From Hanson ARC hide: spotted redshank, 5 garganey.
From Denge Marsh hide: common sandpiper, green sandpiper, dunlin, little ringed plover, male scaup.
Lots of yellow wagtails on the move. 15 whinchats near to access track.
Pied flycatcher in bushes just beyond Firth hide from 5 pm.

Main highlights have been:
148 Ringed Plover, 8 Knot and 4 Bar Tailed Godwit on Camber shore
3 Black Tern at Ternery Pool
163 Golden Plover on Flat Beach
54 Shoveler and 4 Green Sandpiper at Castle Water plus a 70mm long larva of Eyed Hawkmoth, feeding on young Grey Willow.

The Black Tern that appeared yesterday can still be seen feeding over the open water. Migrants this morning including a Redstart and at least five Tree Pipits.