Black-necked and Slavonian grebes, bittern, smew, goosander and firecrest continue to be seen daily. Two female red-crested pochards were seen on New Excavations over the weekend, a merlin was seen on 23rd and a Caspian gull on 24th.
The effects of this winter are obvious in our garden. Last year on the 10th of January there were numerous male common frogs sat around the margin of our pond. So far this year my maximum count has been 1 animal. Newts are starting to show signs of increased immigration to the water. I had my highest count of smooth newts this evening, although this was a mere 5 animals - up on the previous best of just 2.
Another interesting impact of the climate appears to be on the survival of the rare stinking hawksbeard. Numbers of plants are down again this winter, the results of two wet summers, in which seedling germination on our porous gravel has been very low. Survival this winter, however, so far is 100% with no sign of grazing by slugs. Normally evidence of grazing damage appears in November/December with plants dying from then onwards until April/early May. It appears that this southern European plant may benefit from harsh winters - due to reduced mollusc activity during it’s vulnerable winter period.
The photo below shows a vigorous rosette growing on the tarmac on our drive!
[caption id=”attachment_8238″ align=”alignnone” width=”400″ caption=”A healthy looking stinking hawksbeard rosette”]
[/caption]
Highlighs this morning included, 185 Curlew and 200 Golden Plover on Flat Beach Level, 230 Knot, 65 Sanderling, 150 Dunlin and 33 Grey Plover were roosting on Shore Ridges. At Lime Kiln Cottage the Dartford Warbler was again present in the garden and nearset bramble bushes.
Knot and Sanderling on Shore Ridges
As the dismal weather continues highlights have been few and far between, but today 3 Long-eared Owl were at the roost at Castle Water with an additional one at Narrow Pit. Two Green Sandpiper were present on Harbour Farm.
Out in the garden tonight there were a few specimens of the yellow slug Limax flavus, taking advantage of the wet conditions. These are large slugs with a keel towards the rear of the body, and are yellow with grey or brown mottling, and pale blue tentacles. These kept getting hit by the rain and were withdrawn.
This species is synanthropic, usually living close to man in gardens, outhouses, damp cellars and kitchens. I remember reading that this species was particularly associated with Victorian houses, but they turn up frequently in our 11 year-old kitchen. It is quite a cold tolerant species and is reported to have survived being frozen in a block of ice. A good thing given our recent weather!
There were 80 Bewick’s swan grazing an arable field near Coldharbour Lane on Walland Marsh today. This suggests that numbers of this bird continue to fall in the area. In the 1960’s it was a rarity with fewer than 20 wintering birds reported, however numbers started to increase in the 1970’s so that by the early 1990’s there were between 300-350 wintering swans - numbers of international significance. These increases have been linked to changing agricultural practices, namely increased growing of oil-seed rape on which the birds now graze. Read the rest of this entry »
Highlights today have included at least 350 Knot feeding along shore at low water and a Spotted Redshank in flight above the hide at Castle Water. Highlights Yesterday at Castle Water 2 Bittern, 2 Long-eared Owl, 178 Shoveler, 170 Teal, calling Bearded Tit and Water Rail.
The Slavonian and black-necked grebes, several smew and a single goosander were still present over the weekend. Two bitterns were seen at Christmas Dell each day and a brent goose was at the ARC site on Saturday. There were sightings of peregrine, merlin and long-eared owl on 17th and two firecrests were seen near the willow trail on 18th. The star bird of the weekend, however, was an Iceland gull, which apeared on Burrowes pit mid-afternoon on Sunday.
Sussex’s first ever King Eider, an adult drake, was found by Cliff Dean last Sunday (11th) on the sea off Pett Level. Many people saw it later that day and a report and photo were published on this website. There was just one reported sighting during the week, off Rye Harbour on Tuesday, despite a great deal of searching. Then yesterday to everyone’s surprise the bird was spotted again back at Cliff End at midday, very close in and drifting slowly east with the current. Pursued by a growing band of admirers, it had reached Winchelsea Beach by 3 pm but was heading further out to sea. Today the same bird was off Camber at 2 pm and Jury’s Gap by 4 pm, drifting towards a place in Kent’s 2009 records as well as Sussex’s. Whether it will reach Dungeness or double back to Pett is anyone’s guess! There are at least two other King Eiders in the UK at present - a long-stayer at Kincraig (Fife) and another bird at Polkerris in Cornwall.
Highlights this morning included a Black-tailed Godwit and 32 Curlew on Wader Pool, 122 Knot, 120 Sanderling, 340 Dunlin, 21 Grey plover feeding along the shore, a Mediterranean Gull in flight over Shore Ridges, Green Sandpiper on Harbour Farm and 14 Red-throated Diver offshore. Over the past few days the high water wader roost (pictured below) along Shore Ridges have contained similar numbers as mentioned above depending on the amount of disturbance.
Sanderling and Dunlin roosting along Shore Ridges at high water