RXwildlife Sightings

A Roseate Tern was again present offshore during the early afternoon. It was fishing immediately opposite the Tern Watch caravan close in until about 1pm when it flew off in the direction of Ternery Pool and was lost from view. (2 also reported at Ternery Pool at midday). On the shore ridges the Little Tern colony stands at 20 pairs this year, with the first chicks (not more than a couple of days old) sighted this afternoon.

Last night’s catch in our moth trap included an Orache Moth, a new species for the Valley. This moth became extinct in the UK way back in 1915, but still turns up as a rare (less than annual) immigrant from the Continent.

The previous entry on the 5th of june showed a female, the picture below is a male. It shows the turned up tail from which this species gets it name.

I had just stopped at Pett pools at 0800 this morning when a Bittern flew in from the Rye direction and landed in reeds by the roadside.

Bitterns occur here in winter but I don’t expect to see them in June.

I received a call from Norman Hall last night who was moth trapping at Horseshoe Car Park, Hastings Country Park on the night of 11th/12th. He had a superb total of 81 species including a dusky hook-tip and 3 red-necked footman.

This morning in my roof-top balcony trap in St Leonards the only migrants were 6 diamond-back moths and a silver y.

A total of 42 species of moth were recorded from the Lime Kiln Cottage trap this morning, easily the best total yet this year. The majority of individuals beloged to Small Elephant Hawk moth, Heart & Dart or Light Brocade. Interesting species included Diamond-back Moth (pictured below) and White-point, both notable migrants, Ethmia bipunctella, White Colon and the wonderfully named Cream-bordered Green Pea.

This male Large Marsh Horsefly has a damaged left wing, so will struggle to fly. The females are the ones that bite, needing the blood so the eggs can mature. The larvae live in damp muddy margins preying on small insects. The Bittern Excavation at Castle Water is perfect for this species, and is where this one was found.