RXwildlife Sightings

In the cold wind not many birds in the air save those which seemed to enjoy it. The sky rather empty but then a single crow flying north proved to be a Raven, elegant and powerful as it headed north. Some while later another single Raven but quite high powering slowly in the same direction.
In the gardens three wary Redwings watching from Lime branches were joined by two of the wintering Blackcaps.
At the harbour one of the RX boats rolling on the swell and coming ashore fish laden. 80 or more Great Black-backed gulls seemed well fed and rested, those on the harbour wall facing east. An uneaten spotted dogfish lying on the shingle and a general air of indifference amongst the Herring gulls suggested that lunch had been early today and there was no sudden rush to inspect the catch – perhaps they knew that the gutting had been carried out at sea.
A male Peregrine cutting over the shore and followed at lower level by his larger mate who flew not too high above the traffic. Then a pair of Ravens heading towards the cliffs as Gannets wheeled and dived over the bright horizon.

With the arrival of colder air the bird community in the Victorian gardens outside my flat window has been galvanised into activity. But what is also apparent after living here for three years is that the trees themselves take on a new significance at this time. The Limes and Horse Chestnuts are slowly growing their winter buds and at this time in the season the apparently bare branches take on a new attraction for some birds. This morning three Blackcaps appeared in the Limes and as in the previous winters they have been spending a lot of time gleaning from the buds of these trees. Read the rest of this entry »

For anybody living near Hastings, the yellow wooden hulled RX60 Alfie Elliot is a familiar sight. Click here for an insight into responsible fishing.

At 07.30, I was up at the Firehills too late again. Even as I was getting out of the car I could see dense lines of Woodpigeons, comprising several hundred birds, moving along the cliffline while another couple of hundred were sweeping over the car park on whistling wings.
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Back on the Bernard Ince memorial bench, squinting into the bright sunshine as flocks arrive straight off the sea, out of the sun above the luminous ripple of the Pas de Calais. I can’t see them till they’re right on top of me and once was first alerted by shadows flicking across my notebook page.
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47 sp in 2 hours in TQ81K ie Quarry, Warren Glen, Lovers’ Seat, Fairlight Glen, Place Farm.
Calls of small finches coming from the sky but very hard to see the birds, so numbers uncertain, at least 45 Redpolls however. Crossbill and Brambling heard only. Skylarks moving steadily west: 59 altogether. 5 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 8 Goldcrests, 2 Firecrests.
Novelty value was provided by a late HONEY BUZZARD pursued low W across the fields by a couple of crows.

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About 10 people came to Lime Kiln Cottage yesterday morning to watch Chris open up the moth trap, to start the RX Wildlife Festival. The less common species included White-point, Yellow Belle, Mullein Wave, Light Brocade and Shears, plus several spectacular Cream-spot Tigers and the Eyed Hawkmoth shown below on the girl’s sleeve. In the evening Andy Phillips ran two MV lights in the Hastings Country Park Quarry, with again about 10 people gathered to see what was about. Among the moths attracted were Cream-spot Tiger, Rivulet, Clouded Silver, Brown Silver-lines, Waved Umber and both Angle Shades and Small Angle Shades - all in little more than an hour of darkness.
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An adult female red-footed falcon flew east over Warren Glen, Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve early afternoon today. It flew in low over Warren Glen before gaining height and drifting east.

Very few insects in my roof terrace light trap in St Leonards, the only migrants being a rusty-dot pearl, a Clancy’s rustic and yet another western conifer seed bug. The most interesting local moths were a grey pine carpet and a satellite.

The current mild nights are producing some good light trap records, the best moth this morning in my roof terrace trap in St Leonards was this golden twin-spot.

Other migrants in the trap were a silver y and 2 rusty-dot pearl. The best of the local moths was a cypress carpet and a beaded chestnut (a very scarce moth in Hastings).