RXwildlife Sightings

During the last couple of sunny days there has been a steady stream of Red Admirals flying westward into the gentle breeze. I didn’t count, but it seemed that individuals were flying past me about every ten minutes.

Very few insects in my roof terrace light trap in St Leonards, the only migrants being a rusty-dot pearl, a Clancy’s rustic and yet another western conifer seed bug. The most interesting local moths were a grey pine carpet and a satellite.

A fine dawn at Castle Water and avian highlights included a Bittern, 2 Barn Owl, Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher and 41 Little Egret. On the Beach Reserve Golden Plover numbers are going up daily with at least 900 birds roosting this morning across Flat Beach, also of interest 7 Rock Pipit were present around the saltmarsh by the Wader Pool hide.

If you follow the public footpath along the south bank downstream from the bridge, flushing Green Sandpipers from the muddy edges, you come fairly soon to this ragged hedgerow on the opposite bank. Lichen-tufted Elders alternate with crimson hawthorns above an old ditch and often accumulate a range of small birds hoping to remain inconspicuous while crossing the valley.
On Thursday morning, the bright sunshine showed up a surprising variety which included Song Thrush, Blackbird, Treecreeper, Blue & Great Tits, Wren, Robin, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting!
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