RXwildlife Sightings

The Sprawler is an uncommon late autumn moth of broadleaved woodland – this was my first, trapped in Rye on 12th, and a different one turned up this morning. Also by the trap today was a Pine Weevil (Hylobius abietis). This afternoon at Playden Church, a Red Admiral and a male Common Darter were still on the wing despite the blustery conditions.

Bird atlassers have been waiting ever since the end of July to get out there with their bins and OS maps and continue the good work. With the third winter of the BTO Atlas starting yesterday (and who went out then?), today I had a wander around TQ81P, a “blank” tetrad between Broad Oak and Udimore. With no records so far, everything counts!  The 30 species included great views of Coal and Marsh Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, a Goldcrest and both woodpeckers, with Buzzards heard in two places, and in addition single Red Admiral, Migrant Hawker and Common Darter. November is late for the dragonflies but there are still plenty about in sheltered spots, and it will be interesting to see how long they survive in such a mild autumn.

Highlights at Castle Water today included 3 Marsh Harrier, 15 Snipe, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Migrant Hawker from the viewpoint, a Firecrest and Clouded Yellow showed well at the hide were 6oo Lapwing and 250 Wigeon were also present. Along Narrow Pit around 80 House Sparrows were enjoying the puddles along the track, a Brambling was also present amongst the flock. Highlights from the Beach Reserve/Harbour Farm during the week have included 28 Corn Bunting, 2 Greenshank, 270 Golden Plover, 2 Brambling, 48 Siskin, 3 Crossbill and Clouded Yellow.

About a dozen Common Darters were catching flies and sunbathing this afternoon at the reedbed viewpoint at Castle Water. They were very approachable, especially along the handrails. But not much longer before they disappear. Also, nearby were flowering Hedgerow Cranesbill, Bristly Ox-tongue and Viper’s Bugloss.

Read the rest of this entry »

A circuit via Harbour Barns, the beach road and Ternery Pool in this morning’s brilliant sunshine produced a Bittern seen well in flight at Narrow Pits, plus Stonechat, Small Copper and Migrant Hawker by the barns, 2 Ruddy Ducks on Long Pit, and 2 Clouded Yellows – a white-winged female “helice” by the Parkes Hide track and a “normal” yellow individual by the caravan site track. It was also good to see the new Steve Denny hide in position (but not yet open), which will give great views over the Quarry and Flat Beach, now the best areas for waders on the reserve.

I tried looking for Sam’s Red-Veined Darter adults today at Castle Water, but could find only Common Darters. There were several pairs egg-laying in the late summer sunshine. The male holding the female behind her head with his claspers. Whilst in tandem she flicks eggs into the water amongst vegetation.

Earlier this week several Red-veined Darter larvae were found in a small pool at Castle Water, the pool has obviously been checked daily and today the first emergent was found still clinging to the exuvia. Two additional exuviae have also been found but these were not at the current water level so are probably four or five days old so predate the larvae discovery.

By far the most common dragonfly in our garden at this time of the year is the migrant hawker Aeshna mixta. The nymphs of this species develop over one year, which is probably why it is the most regular hawker dragonfly that we have had breeding in our garden pond – it frequently dries out in late summer. This one very obligingly sat on the fence waiting to be photographed.

During the spring and early summer several small pools at Castle Water featured on many posts showing what species of dragonfly were emerging. Only one pool has any water at the moment so it was sampled for dragonfly larvae today, many Emperor larvae were found at various stages of development but three final instar Red-veined Darter larvae was a great find. This is a migrant species and regular breeding in Britain has only started recently, it has bred on the reserve before with exuviae being collected from one of the pools on Harbour Farm. It is likely that these larvae are the progeny of migrants that arrived in the UK during early summer when an influx of Red-viened Darter were recorded from various locations in the country. The selection of pictures below show some id features which help seperate Red-veined from Common and Ruddy Darter which could also be present in the pool.

Group of three larvae Read the rest of this entry »

Relatively sheltered hollows on the landward side of Camber dunes this afternoon revealed a Clouded Yellow, 3 Small Heaths, a Red Admiral, a Speckled Wood and a migrant Rush Veneer moth, while near the harbour master’s were single Whinchat and Wheatear. A male Ruddy Darter was settled by the small pool at the western end of Northpoint, and a male Migrant Hawker was cruising round my garden in North Salts as I came back in.