This morning 11 pomarine skuas, 7 red-breasted merganser, a whimbrel and a female long-tailed duck were reported flying east, also 3 pomarine skuas were reported flying west close inshore. Later at mid-day/early afternoon small numbers of bar-tailed godwit, common gull and sandwich tern were seen flying east.
There are reminders of the coming weekend of wildlife events and activities, keep a look out for the posters on the back of the local buses. For more information see link in left column.
The dawn count of Whimbrel leaving the roost from Flat Beach Quarry was 182, the first 23 birds leaving at 4.40 and the last 3 at 5.45. An increase of 101 on yesterdays. Other highlights this morning have been, 70 swift and a Hobby at Castle Water, Nightingale still singing along Narrow Pits, and 2 Avocet on Wader Pool. 300+ roosting Common Terns were split between Ternery Pool and Flat Beach Quarry.     Â
The grasslands around Rye are now echoing to the sound of Whimbrel as the spring passage is now coming to it’s peak. All (?) of the birds roost at night, close to Ternery Pool and are best watched from the bench at the entrance to the Parkes Hide - last year’s maximum count was 373. There is a guided walk tomorrow, starting at 4.30am, see events on the left. However, some individulas have only just started leaving their west African wintering grounds heading for Iceland, perhaps they will stop off with us - see the satellite tracking of one by clicking here.
