RXwildlife Sightings

A very lively day on the reserve, with glorious sunshine but a biting easterly wind. A common buzzard, at least two honey buzzards and two ospreys passed over. Unfortunately one of the ospreys spooked everything on the ARC pit, including the cranes, which were last seen at about 11.40 flying off strongly in a westerly direction! However, for those visitors arriving later in the day there was still plenty to see. At least sixteen black terns fed over one of the pits near the track to the viewing screen, in the company of two juvenile white-winged black terns. A little further along the track a fine male redstart was found and a spotted flycatcher and several chiffchaffs were also present. Thirty golden plovers, several snipe, two dunlins, a green sandpiper, a greenshank and a ruff were seen from the Hanson-ARC hide. Two whinchats were seen at Denge Marsh and another near Hooker’s pits.

A good selection of insects can still be found at Castle Water during sunny spells, Ruddy Darter (pictured), Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Common Blue Damselfly and Emerald Damselfly were present in the ditch north of the hide. Butterflies on the wing this morning included Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and Peacock.

Pair of Ruddy Darters in the wheel position

Yesterday while out in my garden in Rye Harbour Village I came across two Forest Bug (Pentatoma rufipes), which were a new species for my garden. The square shoulders help to distinguish this species from other sheild bugs. These bugs have never been recorded on the reserve and were last recorded in 1984 also from the village.

Highlights this morning were a couple of Ruff on Harbour Farm and Camber shore, several Little Egret and best of all a very confiding Merlin perched on a fence post on the path from the Beach Reserve to Long Pit. The Lime Kiln moth trap produced some good records this morning, including an L-album Wainscot and yet another Dewick’s Plusia.