RXwildlife Sightings

Sightings on the reserve today include twenty black tern, white winged black tern, little gull, wheatear, wood sandpiper, spotted redshank, kingfisher and our two resident common cranes.

Highlights on the Beach Reserve and Harbour Farm today included two Whinchat and a Whimbrel by the new pits adjacent to Lime Kiln Cottage, 20+ Yellow Wagtail and around 10 Wheatear. Several Little Egret included at least three on Ternery Pool, with a Snipe and two Common Sandpiper also here. At Castle Water, a Ruff was present in front of the hide, with another Whinchat at the northern end of the pit mid-afternoon.

Sea Kale has produced lots of seed (each the size of a large pea) this year and now is the season when it uses the wind and the sea to move from place to place, seeking new shingle habitat to colonise. In strong winds the brittle branches break away from the plant and “tumble” across the shingle. If the wind takes it towards the sea the branch will float and drift out to sea, perhaps heading for the shingle in the Baie de Somme across the channel.

Read the rest of this entry »