RXwildlife Sightings

Spent a pleasant hour by the lake at Moneypenny (East Guldeford) yesterday morning searching for possible Willow Emerald damselflies (Lestes viridis). This is a very recent marginal colonist from the Continent, now present at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB in Norfolk and at several sites in Suffolk. There’s a small colony in north Kent but I don’t know of any yet in Sussex. It’s a very late damselfly, quite robust, with a long green abdomen. A bit of a long shot!  But a dozen or more Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta) were swarming round the reeds and willows, and here’s a photo of one. There were similar numbers of Common Darters and a glimpse of a very late blue damsel of some sort. Meanwhile a couple of Common Buzzards were circling low over the trees - I’ve seen several over the levels recently in such unexpected surroundings.

Highlights this morning included 114 Ringed Plover, 280 Dunlin and 11 Knot on Camber Shore, 3 Arctic Terns were lingering at the River Mouth, a party of 11 Brent Geese were on Flat Beach Flood, several small flocks of Siskin passed overhead along Shore Ridges a few Wheatear were present on Harbour Farm. At Castle Water a Bittern gave flight views from the viewpoint and a total of 52 Little Egret departed the two roost sites.