RXwildlife Sightings

Highlights over the past few days have included, 1500 Golden Plover and 700 Lapwing roosting on Flat Beach and the new saltmarsh area, a Merlin has been regular along Shore Ridges along with a flock of around 25 Greenfinch, less expected were 6 Brambling which passed overhead near the Red Roofed Hut, up to 18 Little Grebes are split between Ternery Pool (they can give very close views infront of Crittall Hide), Quarry and Harbour Farm Pools. At Castle Water highlights have been Barn Owl, Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, 3 Ruff, 135 Teal, 200 Wigeon and 11 Fieldfare. Several Migrant Hawker have still be active during warm sunny periods along with a few Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell.
UPDATE - a late Swallow flew eastward along the shore today and a late Wheatear near River Mouth on 16th.

Little Grebe from Crittall Hide at Ternery Pool 

In my Rye Harbour garden last evening there was a Pipistrelle Bat flying around the tree tops, then as I watched it a Sparrowhawk appeared and chased it in a loop, but the bat escaped. Then this morning a Black Redstart was in front of the kitchen window. Still flowering in the garden is some Wall Germander (a captive population from Camber Castle!).

First thing this morning a bittern was seen from ARC Hanson hide along with a one of the two great white egrets, the other being over Denge Marsh. Also pintail and goldeneye were seen across the reserve. Waders included five snipe, twenty dunlin and small numbers of golden plover.

I thought geese roosted at night, but here is a flock of Canada Geese feeding on grasses around midnight. Was the night of 11/12th November a moonlit night, I can’t remember!

Sunday 13th November 2011, 7am to 12.15pm. Not half so busy as last week but not too bad. There was nothing much at all on the sea, the marsh and pools came more into there own with five differerent Marsh Harriers hunting over the marsh and the pools, two adult males in view at the same time and three cream heads through the course of the morning. Two of the harriers spooked a Bittern out of its hiding place before it dived back into the reeds in the north eastern side of the third pool. Other birds of note included a male Snow Bunting on the sea wall, six W.F.Geese feeding on the marsh two fields back from the first two western pools and four Bearded Tit in the reed bed to the west side of the west pool. There are still an easterly movement of Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Linnet, with the Goldfinch making up 90 percent of the numbers. To end this report there were four Ruff mixed in with the Lapwing, Curlew, Turnstone and Golden Plover in the fields just before you get to the pools, from the smugglers end. Good bird watching Pete,

Approx. 3,000 Golden Plover and 1,000 Lapwing have been trying to roost again on Flat Beach, but were constantly disturbed by invisible raptors… Spectacular aerobatics and whooshing of wings but I found it impossible to capture on video - the best was these birds trying to settle on the Wader Pool. Also drake Scaup at Ternery Pool.

Highlight of the day by far was a rough-legged buzzard over Denge Marsh which was last seen flying over Dungeness Road. Other sightings over Denge Marsh included a bittern and one of the two great white egrets, the other being on ARC along with two other bitterns. The long-tailed duck was still at the ARC site and a short-eared owl was seen near the Water Tower as well as a single bullfinch. The two black redstarts were still around the visitor centre and the car park. Also 150 golden plover were on Denge Marsh, six long-tailed tits and three redpolls were at ARC and five snipe outside Firth hide.

Large flocks of Swallows (approx 30), Goldfinches (50-100), Pied Wagtail (about 50) and Starlings (50-100) gathered on Galley Hill Common over w/e of 5th/6th November. About 40 Brent Geese flew in an easterly direction just off-shore.

The long-tailed duck and several goldeneye were still in front of ARC Hanson hide as well as two bitterns, a smew and a black-necked grebe. The two great white egrets and two whooper swans were seen at Denge Marsh. Two bullfinches were seen out the back of Christmas Dell and three swallows flew over. Two black redstarts were still around the car park, a short-eared owl was seen from the entrance track and eight little gulls were seen on New Diggings.

Despite the work in progress on the Quarry Lapwing and Golden Plover numbers have increased daily this week. This morning 2000+ Golden Plover and 1200 lapwing were roosting around Flat Beach and on some of the new islands created yesterday. Merlin and Peregrine have also been present this morning the later creating havoc as hundreds of roosting birds take too the sky. Additional highlights this week from Flat Beach have included 62 Brent Geese, 32 Shelduck and 14 Snipe.  Update at 2pm, a Snow Bunting landed briefly amongst Skylarks near Parkes Hide before heading west, 76 Ringed Plover and 380 Oystercatcher joined the increasing numbers of Golden Plover which has peaked at around 3000 this afternoon.