Birds reported from Glyne Gap this morning
Over 530 common scoter, 405 turnstone, 116 great crested grebe, 67 red-throated diver, 42 eider, 15 mediterranean gull, 10 yellow-legged gull, 9 black-throated diver, 8 scaup, 6 slavonian grebes, 6 purple sandpiper, 2 red-necked grebes, a red-breasted merganser and a sandwich tern.
Also over 400 brent geese reported flying east past Glyne Gap and Hastings this morning.
While working at Filsham Reedbed yesterday, 2 water rails and 2 cetti’s were heard. Late afternoon saw a juvenile marsh harrier drift over the reedbed, only to be mobbed by the local crows.
Posted on wildhastings by Alice Parfitt
Below is an excellent picture of a purple sandpiper at Glyne Gap sent to me by Liz Pearson. There has only been small numbers at Glyne Gap this winter, but they are relatively easy to find feeding amongst the intertidal rocks or roosting with the turnstones on the breakwaters.
Purple sandpiper. Photo - Liz Pearson
A Leach’s petrel flew west, 150ft offshore, past Galley Hill, Bexhill at 11.28am this morning.
Reported by Ian Standivan on the wildhastings egroup.
Tuesday 24th
A marsh harrier was seen hunting over Filsham Reedbed, a black redstart and ring ouzels were also seen in the valley and at Glyne Gap. A buzzard was seen soaring over Monkham Wood.
Monday 23rd
A dartford warbler, a ring ouzel, water pipits and 30 stonechats were present in the area. The highlights of visible migration were a brambling and a tree sparrow.
Records reported by Joe Dickens on wildhastings.
Below is a list of the insect highlights reported from Combe Haven Valley earlier in the year.
Dragonfly highlights this year included a male lesser emperor in July while small red eyed damselflies continue to prosper at one site.
Reed dagger is now a common and well established species. Former migrants like the White point and L album Wainscots are now common throughout the area and Clancy’s rustic, recorded for the first time last year, may well have become established with many records this year.
Highlights in an outstanding year for migrant moths were Striped and Convolvulus hawkmoths, Hoary footman, Four spotted footman and a superb pristine passenger moth.
An adult long-tailed skua was on the sea about 100ft offshore from Galley Hill, also reported were 11 storm petrels.
An osprey was reported flying over Galley Hill, Glyne Gap at 8.30am this morning.
Also a great northern diver and 2 arctic skua flew east.
A hummingbird hawkmoth was reported from a garden in Reedswood Road, St Leonards, adjacent to Filsham Reedbed.
A laughing gull was reported flying over Filsham Reedbed at 9.30am. It was later seen over Pebsham Tip.