RXwildlife Sightings

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Twenty one people turned out this morning for a ramble around Castle Water to look at the rich dragonfly and damselfly fauna of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. The rather unusual title refers to two of the colloquial names for these fascinating insects. Dragonflies were known as Horse Stingers, possibly because of their long abdomen, while Devil’s Darning Needles relates to an old folktale that tells of people sleeping by rivers during summer having their eyelids sown shut by the needle-like damselflies! In spite of rather cool weather, Chris showed us where to look, relating ditch vegetation to the insects’ life cycle. Almost as soon as we began to see Common Blue Damselflies, he found several snared in webs, with the spiders at work on them.
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Right on the edge of rx-land, Robin Harris and I spent several hours exploring the woods on the west and south sides of Darwell Reservoir. Thirteen species of butterflies included 3 Silver-washed Fritillaries; a male Beautiful Demoiselle was among six species of dragonflies. Birds generally elusive, but a family of Marsh Tits and a Kingfisher.

Woodland birds are very quiet at this time of year - just the occasional outburst of Wren song - and the reservoir is difficult to see because of overhanging willows. From a few points you can catch sight of Mallard, Tufted Ducks and Mandarins, but species such as Little Grebe, Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail are in evidence only through their calls.
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Quite a variety of birds around Carter’s Flood this morning. 6 Little Egrets were stalking through the scummy shallows, whispy crests fluttering in the breeze. Dark-backed waders skulking in the juncus shadows turned out to be a Redshank, a Greenshank and 3 Green Sandpipers.

Green Woodpeckers were cackling from the stag-headed Oaks on the old cliff-line while House & Sand Martins skimmed over the flood and a Whimbrel trebled over the marsh.

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Highlights this morning, 2 Arctic Skua, 35 Gannet and 80+ Common Scoter were offshore. At Ternery Pool, 3 Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank. On the pools behind Ternery Pool, 3 Whimbrel, 8 Dunlin (pictured), Green Sandpiper and 200+ Sandwich Tern.

A Wood Sandpiper was present on the new pits behind Ternery Pool at around 7.45 this morning. An attempt to re-find the bird mid-morning was unsuccessful.
Roy Gardner

A rather ’substantial’ night in the Lime Kiln moth trap, with several beefy species (checking the trap last night I felt as though I needed a hard hat!). These included Elephant and Poplar Hawk, Oak Eggar and six or seven Drinker. Rarities included the micros Oncocera semirubella, Evergestis extimalis and Dolicharthria punctalis and the macros Crescent Striped and Reed Dagger.

Drinker (above) and Evergestis extimalis

Highlights today included, 6 Bearded Tit , 2 Cettis Warbler, Water Rail, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Hobby at the viewpoint. From the hide, 4 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Turtle Dove and Kingfisher. Dragonflies on show infont of the hide, Emperor, Brown and Migrant Hawker, Ruddy Darter and Common Blue Damsefly.
Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper (lower)

The first few migrants are now trickling through the site with both Garden and Grasshopper Warblers present. There has also been an increase in Sedge Warbler and today the first juvenile Willow Warbler was spotted.

The family parties of Bearded Tit are much more obvious and there has been a female Pintail on the scrape. A few Green Sandpiper can also be found.