RXwildlife Sightings

Pleased to see that Chris trapped a Streamer at Lime Kiln last night – it’s a beautiful moth. However, it’s not rare locally, at least not inland. Here in my garden in Rye I trapped 3 in 2007, 1 in 2008, 4 in April 2009 and one the night before last. Robin Harris, who has just started trapping in his garden at Mountfield, had one about a week ago. It’s a species of open woodland, hedgerows, gardens, etc., and the larval foodplants are various roses, hawthorn and blackthorn.

Numbers are picking up slowly in the Lime Kiln trap, with relatively few individuals trapped over the last week. Most of these have been either Hebrew Character or Common Quaker, with the odd Small Quaker, Clouded Drab and Early Grey thrown in for good measure. However, two additional species from a meagre catch this morning included Muslin Moth, a species I expected, and Streamer (below), one I did not! The latter is common nationally but is not regular in this area, with only eight records for Rye Harbour/Winchelsea Beach held on our database. Furthermore, this seems to be the first record for Lime Kiln and the reserve proper. Also in the trap this morning was a Great Silver Water Beetle, my third of the spring so far.

Streamer

The warmer weather yesterday made a few hours in the garden more interesting Eristalinus aeneus and Syrphus torvus were the pick from six species of hoverfly, Holly Blue, Orange-tip, Small and Large White completed the highlights.

Eristalinus aeneus

Twenty intrepid souls turned out at 4.30 this morning for Rye Harbour’s annual ‘Whimbrel Watch’ and were not disappointed, with at least 82 leaving the traditional Quarry roost. Also present were at least four Bar-tailed Godwit, two Grey Plover (superb in their breeding plumage), around 300 Sandwich Tern and 20+ Common Tern. Along the shore road, at least five Little Tern were circling over the ridges and two male Wheatear were singing near the river mouth, while at least 15 Avocet, a Yellow Wagtail and a Little Ringed Plover were present on Harbour Farm.

Wheatear

Tempers and tensions are running high amongst the breeding sea birds at Ternery Pool, with an increasing amount of the larger gull species using the area birds are fighting for the best locations. Yesterday an extraordinary contest broke out between a Herring and Lesser Blacked Backed Gull on the far shore at Critall Hide, when the fight ended up in the water it seemed sure one of the birds would drown. They both emerged some time later and I think the Herring Gull won, as the last picture in the sequence below shows.

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An interesting visit to the wood near the southern end of Castle Water a good selection of insects were found highlights included Large Red Damsefly, 2/3 Orange-tip, Speckled Wood, Small White, Dotted and Common Bee-fly, Bombus lucorum and pascuorum, hoverflies included Helophilus pendulus, Platycheirus albimanus and Eupeodes luniger.

Large Red Damselfly this morning.

We have a Turtle Dove at our feeding station (1700 hrs 22 April) in the Rother Valley. One of the earliest we have recorded. Also two Tree Sparrows most days.
Ron Nash by e-mail

I was out and about in Peasmarsh last week looking at bee-flies and mining bees on a nice south facing slope and came across this spider -tentatively identfied as Xysticus bifasciatus a scarce species. I am awaiting confirmation or correction.

Highlights over the past few days have included 3 Little Tern and 26 Common Tern offshore or roosting along Shore Ridges, 78 Whimbrel on the Quarry upto 40 have also been feeding in the nearby fields at Castle Water, from the viewpoint 3 Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 2 Garganey, Bittern in flight and Hobby. Chicks seen today included Lapwing, Coot, Mallard, Greylag Geese and Cormorant.

First of all, many apologies for the lack of postings recently - I’m afraid we’ve been having chronic computer problems! Anyway, normal service has been resumed at least temporarily so here are the highlights over the past week:
Pintail – two on New Excavations on 19th. Garganey – three around the site from 18th to 20th. Goldeneye – one on the ARC pit on 17th. Slavonian grebe – five on New Excavations, Denge Marsh and the ARC pit on 20th. Bittern – one booming at Hooker’s pits from 17th, a second bird at Denge Marsh on 21st and another at the ARC site on 19th. Great white egret – one on Denge Marsh on 17th. Spoonbill – one flew over on 21st. Common buzzard – one flew over the ARC site on 17th and two on 18th. Osprey – one flew over on 15th. Hobby – first of the year on 12th – two sightings since then. Grey plover—six on New Excavations on 19th. Black-tailed godwit – seven on Denge Marsh on 21st. Whimbrel – 25 on 21st. Spotted redshank – one on Denge Marsh flood on 14th. Greenshank – one or two daily. Mediterranean gull - eight on 21st. Cuckoo – first of the year at the ARC site on 18th, at least three around the site since then. Sand martin – up to 15 daily. House martin – up to four daily. White wagtail – two around the trail on 19th. Ring ouzel – one on the return trail on 19th, one at Denge Marsh on 21st. Reed warbler – first of the year at Hooker’s pits on 9th, several since then. Whitethroat – 30 across the site on 21st. Lesser whitethroat – first of the year at the ARC site on 16th, several around the trail since then. Willow warbler – two on 21st. Raven – one flying over on 18th.