RXwildlife Sightings

This tetrad is a challenge.

You can see just about the whole thing in the photo. It comprises:

• a tiny corner of scrubby slithery, landslip, accessed by hanging on to a thoughtfully provided rope (Magpie)
• two rocky shelves (Oystercatcher, Curlew, Herring Gull) with sand in between (Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Carrion Crow)
• some more land being persuaded not to slip by a bunch of diggers and lashings of public money
• a big lump of sea (Great Crested Grebe).

Read the rest of this entry »

The varied landscape contained within this 2×2km square can be appreciated from the photo: from Hastings Country Park descending Warren Road to Knowle Wood and then through the bungalows of Fairlight Cove to the sandstone cliffs and rocky beach.

It is this variety that warrants a 2-hour visit, not normally required for a tetrad which is half sea.

The open grassland and dense gorse of the wild clifftop appears rather empty of birds at this time of year: a few Wrens, Dunnocks and Robins skulking within the dark and prickly masses and no buzz of Dartford Warbler to liven things up, although a pair of Stonechats was more typical.

Plenty of Carrion Crows and Magpies patrolled the area, but the hundreds of Herring Gulls gliding up and down the coast were cruising-not-using so couldn’t be counted. And there was just nothing on the sea.

Read the rest of this entry »

The highlight this morning was 3 Snow Bunting along Shore Ridges, the birds were last seen in flight heading westwards along the shore. At Castle Water lots of disturbance due to hunting Marsh Harrier (below) and Peregrine, 1500 Lapwing, 200 Wigeon and 150 Teal, 70 Shoveler and 65 Gadwall made an impressive sight as they all took to the air. Highlights during the past week have included, a Woodcock flushed from bramble scrub on Harbour Farm, 1000+ Golden Plover roosting on the new pools by Lime Kiln Cotttage, Merlin and Peregrine on the Beach Reseve and a Short-eared Owl reported from the viewpoint at Castle Water.