RXwildlife Sightings

On Sunday, Pete Rouse saw: 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 20 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover, 10 Avocet, 2 Redshanks and a Sanderling.

Bird highlights today included, Black Tern at the River Mouth, Hobby and Marsh Harrier on Harbour farm. Avocet with chicks, Little Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and Dunlin  on the new pools behind Ternery Pool. 300+ Swift were at long Pit and Castle Water.

This plant became extinct in Britain in the 1980’s and has been reintroduced to Dungeness and Rye Harbour. The news from Rye Harbour site is very encouraging. 69 plants were found in bud, and it is likely that more rosettes, not yet in bud, were missed. The large rosette found on fairly coarse gravel has given rise to a massive flowering plant with 49 buds and one open flower. At Dungeness all the rosettes present at the end of April were still present and starting to form flower stems. Several showed signs of rabbit grazing, and none were particularly long.
Brian Banks

The buds droop in a distinctive way before the flowers open.
See earlier report of this plant by clicking here.

The magnificent Emperor Dragonfly is now emerging at Castle Water, these dragonflies will be the largest hawker on the wing during the summer at Castle Water. The larva are also huge and ferocious preditors, as shown in the collection of larval skins in the picture below. Working from left to right Emperor, Hairy Hawker, Four-spotted chaser and Broad-bodied Chaser.

For a close up of the head.. Read the rest of this entry »