Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve News
13th September 2008, SaturdayThere was some raptor movement visible over Warren Glen late morning with two marsh harrier and a hobby flying west. Seven sparrowhawk were counted either coasting along the cliff-top or soaring over the farm fields. Two peregrine also flew west low over Rock-a-nore Beach in the afternoon, probably local birds flying into town to hunt.
A few hundred hirundines, mainly house martin, were feeding over the farm fields and a flock of 30 yellow wagtail and 50 meadow pipit gathered feeding around the Highland cattle in the Coastguard fields. Hirundines were also on the move flying west as well as a few siskin, yellow wagtail, meadow pipit and goldfinch. A few chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap and garden warbler were present around Warren Glen late morning/early afternoon but a lot more migrants were present early morning as the ringers had a record morning in the quarry with good numbers of chiffchaff and willow warbler ringed and an unusually large number of house martin caught and ringed in the arable margin nets.
The ivy is in flower along Barley Lane and was attracting large numbers of the ivy bee, Colletes hederae. This recent colonist nests in huge colonies at Castle Rocks and on the HCPNR cliffs. The species is moving further east each year so it’s worth looking for the species at Cliff End. It’s an impressive bee, females being honey bee sized, with it’s rich brown thorax and pale brown ‘painted’ stripes on the abdomen. It specialises on collecting ivy pollen and times it’s nesting activity during September and October while ivy is in flower.