RXwildlife Sightings

Highlights from yesterday included a velvet scoter on the sea off of the end of denge Marsh road, along with 28 common scoters, two fly past red breasted mergansers and a guillemot passing close inshore. At least 80 gannets were also present with small numbers of kittiwakes also seen. Activity from the viewing ramp late evening included two merlins, darting amongst the roosting starlings, a hunting barn owl and four bewick’s swans flying from the fields opposite Lydd towards the ARC pit. The bittern was seen again flying towards the viewing ramp from the footpath to Lydd late afternoon. The only new birds of note today were two red brested mergansers on the ARC pit from the viewing screen.      

Highlights from Castle Water today, 30 Little Egret left the roost at dawn, 38 Mute Swan also roosted overnight on the main pit. From the hide 185 wigeon and 300 Common Gull (pictured) were present around the islands, which also attracted a Grey Wagtail and Green Sandpiper. Highlights from the Beach Reserve included, 60 Golden Plover, Peregrine, 2 Kingfisher and a Merlin.

Our winter bird counts started yesterday the highlights being a woodcock in one of the arable fields and a blackcap along Barley Lane. Numbers were provided by 41 yellowhammer, 47 meadow pipit, 35 goldfinch, 18 siskin, 12 redwing but only 92 woodpigeon. The huge flock of woodpigeon that have been feeding in the arable fields over the last couple of weeks typically didn’t appear as it was a survey day. Also of interest were 3 skylark, a fieldfare and 9 stonechat. In the last couple of years stonechat are becoming more numerous on the farm fields than amongst the cliff-top scrub in winter.