RXwildlife Sightings

A young male Cuckoo has recently arrived in Sedlescombe after being fitted with a satellite tag in Norfolk. To follow this bird CLICK HERE.

2011 is the year of our Water Vole habitat management trial along one of the ditches just west of New Gate, Winchelsea. After completing vegetation management in February, creating a wiggly channel of open water with scalloped “bays”, the electric fence went live on 10th March. This will protect the bank from trampling and poaching by livestock and leave the voles a wider strip of grass to feed on. Their activity will be monitored from next month.  Read the rest of this entry »

We found 17 nests of Grey Heron along the cliff this morning, more than twice the previous population. I wonder what the numbers are like at the main local heronry, at Leasam? 33 other species were seen or heard along that section of canal, including Cetti’s Warbler.
In the Brede Valley W of the town, we saw 1 Corn Bunting, 8 Skylarks, a m Marsh Harrier and, unexpectedly, a Black Swan with the Mutes W of Winchelsea Station.
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I did a circular walk along the 1066 path from the Queen’s Head to Lower Snailham then back along the Brede this morning (Jan 25th).
No sign of the hen harrier but male Marsh was over the Doleham reeds again and 2 peregrines and 3 buzzards over Snailham Wood.
6+ skylarks, 6 reed buntings by the market gardens, 50+ linnets and one yellowhammer by Snailham Halt, 6 tufted duck and 4 water pipits on/by the Brede.

David Rowlands

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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Just thought you might like see this photo of the many Goldfinches that have recently visited my feeding station in Westfield. Last year the max count was 66, highest count recently was an unbelievable 180 birds - costing a fortune! Still they may go soon (must have enough fat by now) feeding them on Niger seed and sunflower hearts. Dave Pankhurst by e-mail.

About 11 a.m. today, our Sunday morning walk along the Cadborough cycle track was enlivened by a Red Kite flying NE following the cliffline towards Rye. Two Buzzards, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel completed the raptor list.

… one was seen this afternoon, flying down the Brede Valley towards Rye .

I took a telescope down this morning to see if I could count the ducks more easily. I couldn’t, and there are fewer, but still hundreds, plus a pair of Canada Geese and a single Little Grebe.

The scope did come in useful, however, when a Water Pipit landed briefly, allowing me a rare view of its bright supercilium and rather plain back.

A m Marsh Harrier was quartering the reeds again, a flock of 16 Lesser Redpolls twittered overhead and in the sunny treetops a karaoke Starling whistled “Green Sandpiper”.

Thanks to the exceptional rainfall, much of the upper Brede Valley is flooded, but often it seems only Black-headed Gulls are attracted to the giant puddles.
At Doleham however, where management work has provided a mosaic of open water and concealing reeds, hundreds of ducks have taken up residence.
As always, it’s difficult to get an accurate count (thanks to those same usefully concealing reeds) but on Thursday I reckoned there were 300 Teal, 100 Mallard, 80 Gadwall, 50 each of Shoveler & Wigeon and 4 Tufted Ducks.
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