RXwildlife Sightings

Doleham

Cliff Dean — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:01:48 +0000

When the reserve was set up about 5 years ago, we put together a list of those species already using the site plus those we thought would be enticed in as the habitat developed. One by one, these have arrived, the latest to be Bearded Tit.
Up till now they have rather ungratefully ignored the very nice reeds, but yesterday a pair appeared from the reedy ditch alongside the railway track, just as we were chatting to some workmen clearing scrub, and spent a couple of minutes checking out the corner of the reserve. Bearded Tits ramble widely during the autumn, fluttering feebly up high and often coming down in alien habitats, but in this case the value of the railway line as a wildlife corridor was once more underlined.
Apart from that, wildfowl numbers were unexceptional, with 60 Teal, 30 Mallard and just 1 Shoveler flushed into the sky by an ad male Marsh Harrier. A flock of about 30 Meadow Pipits was on the fields downstream of Doleham Halt, with a few more on the flooded fields, where there were also at least 2 Water Pipits and a Grey Wagtail.

Rye Harbour

Sam Smith — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:13:57 +0000

Highlights from checking the Little Egret roost at dusk and dawn, 33 Little Egret, Bittern, 5 Ruff, 3 Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher and a Chiffchaff. Highlight from the past few days on the Beach Reserve have included 4 Jack Snipe flushed from behind the Wader Pool. Flat Beach attracted 2800 Golden Plover, 700 Lapwing, 56 Brent Geese, 31 Shelduck, 3 Ruff and 16 Corn Bunting. Harbour Farm pools attracted 370 Curlew and a Woodcock was flushed on Shore Ridges.

Sunset from the viewpoint yesterday

Rye Harbour Sightings

Chris Bentley — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:49:17 +0000

The two Great Northern Diver are still on Long Pit, along with two Goldeneye and good numbers of Pochard, Tufted Duck and Wigeon. On Flat Beach, 1500+ Golden Plover, 500+ Lapwing and 14 Brent Goose were the highlights, while a Dartford Warbler was present in the bramble scrub to the north of Parkes Hide.

Beach Reserve

Sam Smith — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:06:44 +0000

All the action on Flat Beach this morning, 2000 Golden Plover, 2 Ruff, 400 Lapwing, 23 Shelduck and 48 Brent Geese. The two Great Northern Divers were still present on Long Pit at 12pm.

Also, the Pochard x Ferruginous Duck that frequented Long Pit last winter was again in amongst the Pochard flock yesterday.

Golden Plover arriving at Flat Beach

The Next Winter Lecture

Barry Yates — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:49:17 +0000

… organised by the Friends of the Nature Reserve on Saturday 22nd November at the “Winchelsea Beach Community Hall was to be Kent’s Wild, Wet Wilderness by Irene and John Palmer.
HOWEVER, due to illness this has been changed to Seals of the World by Ian Rumley-Dawson.
REMEMBER it starts at 2.30pm and not 7.30pm as advertised in the Friends Newsletter.

RSPB Dungeness recent sightings

Christine Hawkins — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:36:34 +0000

Monday 17
Two common cranes were seen flying over at about 9.30 this morning. They appeared to land between the reserve and Lydd. Watch this space for more news…

Sunday 16
A male red-breasted merganser was on Burrowes pit and a Dartford warbler was seen at Denge Marsh. A common buzzard and a single swallow were seen flying over, as were three siskins.

Friday 14
Two Bewick’s swans , which arrived on New Diggings yesterday, were seen today on the ARC pit. A single Slavonian grebe and an avocet were on Burrowes pit.

Wednesday 12
A bittern was seen on the pit near Boulderwall Farm, before flying towards Hooker’s pits. Goldeneye numbers are building with fifteen seen today. A bar-tailed godwit was on the ARC site.

Tuesday 11
A Slavonian grebe was seen on the ARC pit and four swallows flew over.

Monday 10
A Lapland bunting was seen briefly near Makepeace hide and the first smew of the season (a female) was on the ARC pit.

Scotney Pit duck

Barry Yates — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:33:16 +0000

A first-winter male Ring-necked Duck was found in the Sussex section of Scotney Pit in the late afternoon yesterday.

Castle Water

Sam Smith — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:25:43 +0000

A good selection of birds at Castle Water yesterday highlights included, 900 Common Gull, 3 Ruff, 2 Long-eared Owl, 4 Tree Sparrow, 50 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare, 3 Bullfinch and a Marsh Harrier. Wildfowl were also present in good numbers, 234 Teal, 115 Shoveler, 79 Gadwall, 88 Tufted Duck, 54 Wigeon and 160 Mallard.

Common Gulls at Castle Water yesterday

Rye Harbour Sightings

Chris Bentley — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:26:49 +0000

Highlights this morning were a Bittern from the viewpoint early morning, and TWO Great Northern Diver on Long pit, along with two Goldeneye, 82 Tufted Duck and 76 Pochard. Still good numbers of Golden Plover on Flat Beach, with around 1500 this morning, along with 500+ Lapwing, while a Merlin was hunting over Harbour Farm and 80 Sanderling, 37 Grey Plover and 13 Knot were on the shore.

Unbelievable!

Barry Yates — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:30:31 +0000

Following the RSPCA released Great Northern Diver at Rye Harbour reported earlier this week, I had a phone call yesterday from Brenda Holcombe to say she was watching TWO at the Long Pit. This morning they were briefly together… and we had wondered why the bird we had been watching earlier in the week did not look the same as the RSPCA bird! Compare photo 1 with photo 2.