RXwildlife Sightings

Wasp Spiders are increasingly in evidence at the moment, and this morning I actually turned up a male in the moth trap! Males are much smaller than females in this species, though this because of gigantism in the female rather than the small size of the male. A piece of behaviour I have seen for the first time this year involves adult males hanging aroung on the webs of immature females, waiting for them to moult into an adult. Male Wasp Spiders are often eaten during courtship, and mating with a recently moulted female reduces the risk, as while the cuticle is soft, the jaws don’t work very well!

Adult Male Wasp Spider
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Earlier in the week I reported the scarcity of the garden bumblebee Bombus hortorum on Dungeness, and apparently from elsewhere on the Marsh. Well today I found it to be the most abundant bumblebee on Larry Cooke’s farm on Walland Marsh! 18 of the 29 bees recorded on a one hour walk were this species, and I also found the scarce moss carder bee Bombus muscorum. 26 of the 29 bees spotted were of species that have longer tongues, and are more dependent on red clover and vetches for pollen/nectar. So Larry’s abundance of red clover is producing the desired outcome.

Which makes the scarcity of hortorum on Dungeness even more mysterious!

Managing the Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense ) beds at Castle Water can be a nightmare, if left unchecked this thistle takes over huge areas of grassland very quickly so some management is required. This plant is also an important provider of nectar and pollen for insects, areas that have been left this year to flower were this morning covered in feeding insects. An astonishing 800+ Painted Lady and 67 Peacock made an impressive sight as they fluttered between the thistles, other participants of the feast included 3 Clouded Yellow, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Large White, Essex and Small Skipper, Comma, four bumblebee species and the migrant Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri. Five of the above are pictured below.

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Further good news on the Ringed Plover family that hatched a week ago at the Crittall Hide at Ternery Pool. Despite the wet and windy weather the adults still have at least 3 chicks and they are busily feeding close to the hide.

Wader highights today included 12 Green Sandpiper, 15 Common Sandpiper, 8 Little Ringed Plover, 270 Lapwing, 10 Dunlin a Ruff. Two Garganey were again present out from the hide were a Hobby and Peregrine also gave flight views. Bearded Tit were around in good numbers with a total of 14 birds seen in flight from the viewpoint and the reedy margins at the northern end of the main pit.

Ruff and Dunlin from the hide at Castle Water.

It is getting slightly repetitive saying this, but this week we had yet another record bumblebee count for July on our timed walks on the Dungeness RSPB reserve. This time Pete Akers and I counted 187 bumblebees. The previous best July count was 133 in 2005, and the indications are that the 2009 counts will smash all previous records (hope I am not sticking my neck out too far there!).

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Over the last couple of weeks have heard an unfamiliar call several times in the village of Fairlight, in the Fyrsway and Gorsethorn Way area, by the edge of The Firehills part of Hastings Country Park Local Nature Reserve. I finally tracked down the bird yesterday and it is an Orange-winged Amazon Parrot. Thought I would place the sighting on here in the hope that its’ owner may check the local bird sites looking for it. Thought it may help any birders in the area, who like me couldn’t place the rather loud calls!

Posted on SOS website by Terry Blackman

Avian highlights this morning have included 64 Little Egret leaving the roost and 5 Hobby from the viewpoint, back on the Beach Reserve 126 Curlew and 11 Dunlin were feeding along the shore and 4 Common Sandpiper (pictured) were at Ternery Pool. Yesterday  at Castle Water 10 Green Sandpiper, 9 Common Sandpiper, 6 Little Ringed Plover and a Ruff were the pick of the bunch.

These raptors seem to be doing well in the RX area at the moment, with a new record of 32 birds going in to roost at the various Romney Marsh/Rye Bay reedbeds on one night last winter.  Does this total comprise just our local birds, or ones from further afield? I have have just heard that some marsh harriers on the Isle of Sheppey are being marked with white wing tags, each one with a unique number. Should such a bird be seen on the Marsh, even if the number cannot be read, the record should be sent to harriers@swalewaders.co.uk

Sunday 19th July 09. I decided not to stay at Pett, and headed off to the A.R.C pit at Dung, and I’m glad I did ! with a good selection of waders to be seen, the best of which was, good views of a Pectoral Sand, which was the first I’ve personally seen for many years. Other waders of note Curlew Sand, Green Sand, Dunlin.L.R.Plover, Ring Plover. Back at Pett Pools l was hoping to see a change in the bird life ?, but to no avail. There are still a dozen or so Avocets and 90/100 Curlew actually on the pool its self. The only other bird of note was a good but quick fleeting view of a Peregrine Falcon, flying low over the pools. Here’s hoping for more movement to come soon, good bird watching Pete.