RXwildlife Sightings

A late Swallow flew over Harbour Road this afternoon as I was cycling into a cold wind to Rye.

The Events programme for 2011 at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is now available. Downloadable from HERE or as a leaflet available from Lime Kiln Cottage. The leafet also has a revised map (below) with all the new wetland features of Rye Harbour Farm, or VIEW HERE. Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve will get the events leaflet next week with their Newsletter. Why not JOIN HERE NOW…

Sunday 21st November 7.15 am to 11.30 am. The morning started with me nearly running over a Tawny Owl near the small pool on the Pett Village Road, so quite a good start to mornings bird watching. Arrived at the pools, and the first bird of note was a male Marsh Harrier hunting over the pools, and through the course of the morning there was another two Marsh Harriers both of which were cream heads and at one time both were in the air together briefly. It took a while for me to find the Grey Phalarope, because of the light conditions, and I never knew it was still about, so that was a nice surprize! Other birds of prey seen 2 Buzzards,1 Merlin,1 Sparrow Hawk. The morning was very good for wildfow with 2/300 Wigeon (on the sea and the marsh) along  with Shoveler, Gadwall , Teal, Tufted Duck, Pochard and on the sea the best flock of Velvet Scoters with 16 flying together, and landed on the sea in line with the pools, and stayed put, and were still in view when I left late morning. Around 10.30 I was watching two Swans which came in from the west over from  the Carters Farm direction and came over the third pool, 1 Whooper Swan no doubt about that one, but the inside one may have been a Bewick Swan it looked a bit smaller, but not much,but both were not Mute, and both birds flew off towards Castle Water. Good bird watching Pete.

The confiding snow bunting was still at Cliff End today, feeding along the edge of the sea wall and on the grassy shingle within the caravan park. Also the grey phalarope was still on the roadside pool, its incessant spinning evidently stirring up plenty of morcels to eat. Both were gleaming in the mid-day sunshine. From Ralph Hobbs by e-mail. Read the rest of this entry »

Taking a walk down the strand line today I came across quite a few deceased urchins.  The pile below was gathered from just a metre or two on the beach so there must have been thousands in total.  I believe they are the Green sea Urchin, Psammechinus miliaris, apparantly common to all of Britain’s coasts but probably not frequently seen to this extent on dry(ish) land.

Pintail – several on the ARC pit and Burrowes pit all week. Goldeneye – up to five on the ARC pit, daily. Black-necked grebe – one on Denge Marsh on 19th. Bittern – one or two seen at Denge Marsh on most days, two at the ARC site on 14th. Great white egret – one at Denge Marsh or Burrowes pit for most of the week. Merlin – one over Hooker’s pits on 15th. Avocet – one on 19th near Makepeace hide. Green sandpiper – two at the ARC site on 14th. Yellow-legged gull – one at the ARC site on 15th. Little gull – one at the ARC site on 14th. Kingfisher – one at the ARC site on 15th. Water pipit – one near Firth hide on 14th. Black redstart – one on 17th and 18th. Firecrest – one in Christmas Dell on 14th. Goldcrest – one at the ARC site on 14th. Chiffchaff – several around the site on 14th. Brambling – a male was at the car park feeding station on 20th. Siskin – several small flocks flying over all week. Redpoll – ten at the ARC site on 14th.

60 species seen today in a walk around Snailham included a very late WHINCHAT, flyover Red Kite and Goosander, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Barn Owl and Water Pipit.
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In a hedgerow near Doleham Station today I noticed some bright pink shapes and closer inspection found them splitting open to reveal bright orange berries - they are fruits of the Spindle and are poisonous. For all you need to know about Spindle CLICK HERE

Janet Richardson has found and photographed another good bird on a Friday. “How lucky am I again, on the way home today we stopped at Pett Level and found a Snow Bunting on the sea wall behind the Smugglers Inn. It was not at all bothered by people or dogs walking by. We have never seen one before so very pleased.” Janet found and photographed the Grey Phalarope last month.

Highlights over the past few days have included at least 380 Curlew roosting over night on Harbour Farm, a Green Sandpiper has been regular on Ternery Pool were two Slavonian Grebes were present yesterday afternoon. From the Denny Hide overlooking the Quarry upto 700 Lapwing have roosted and 17 Redshank have frequented the margins. At the Wader Pool 3 Rock Pipit are seen daily and a Common Sandpiper was present on the intertidal mud opposite the hide. At Castle Water a flock of around 200 Stock Dove have been roosting along a line of elder trees opposite the hide and 60+ Redwing and 14 Fieldfare were amongst the willows at the southern end of the main pit, from the viewpoint two Marsh Harrier are seen daily and yesterday afternoon a Bittern gave brief flight views.