RXwildlife Sightings

Six bitterns were seen today, four at New Excavations and two on the ARC pit. Fifty-eight Bewick’s swans and one whooper swan were on the ARC pit morning and evening and spent the day in a field between the reserve and Lydd. Also present were two female red-crested pochards, smew, kingfisher, fieldfare, chiffchaff and goldcrest. Bearded tits and Cetti’s warblers showed well from the Hooker’s pits viewpoint.

Yesterday’s sightings: At least four bitterns were present, including one showing well at the demo pond. Two female red-crested pochards and a black-necked grebe were seen from Christmas Dell hide, a Slavonian grebe was on New Excavations, a Siberian chiffchaff and firecrest were near the Hanson-ARC hide and a dozen goosanders were on New Diggings.

The cold weather has brought more Bittern to our shores, but they are having a tough time with most of the freshwater frozen. Some are sitting it out, hoping for a quick thaw. Following a report, on the SOS website on 6th, of 2 Bittern in trees, I found this one today sunbathing 10m up a Birch tree. Check the wooded islands of the Narrow Pits from the public footpath.

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Highlights on another freezing morning included at least  850 Oystercatcher and 440 Curlew roosting on Shore Ridges (below), 180 Great Crested Grebe and 27 Red-throated Diver were close inshore out from Crittall Hide and 125 Golden Plover were roosting in the field nearest Lime Kiln Cottage. The Wader Pool attracted an additional 34 Curlew.

An old estate road, now lined with Scots Pine and Red Oak. The milestone on the left is inscribed: “55 miles from London; 2 miles from Ashburnham Place”
Thursday 8th January 2009
The Winter Atlas requires two visits: an Early one in Nov-Dec and a Late in Jan-Feb. This was the first of my Late Visits for this winter, to Ashes Wood and Beech Farm, west of Battle.

With a slight rise in temperature and sunlight hitting the treetops, the first thing I noticed was that birds were making much more noise, which made them more conspicuous and therefore easier to count. Great Tits were in song in the woods, along with one rather feeble Chaffinch, but it was in the gardens of Netherfield Hill that there was most action, with Dunnocks on rooftop song-posts, Starlings whistling from trees and wires, House Sparrows chirruping from eaves and Collared Doves displaying from conifer to conifer.

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