http://rxwildlife.org.uk Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:44:52 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Its been an excellent year for seeing the migrant hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri, yesterday I found it everywhere, even on one of the island at Ternery Pool. While checking through some Creeping Thistle at Castle Water I came across a female of the species lacking the distinctive comma shaped markings on the abdomen, checking through British Hoverflies ... http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/30/castle-water-110/ Avian highlights over the past few days have included 7 Greenshank, 6 Green Sandpiper, 9 Common Sandpiper, 15+ Bearded Tit, Hobby, Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier at Castle Water. On the Beach Reserve 120 Dunlin , 54 Curlew and 14 Little Tern along the shore, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Avocet and at ... http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/29/rye-harbour-166/ Bombus ruderatus is one of several bumblebee species that used to occur on Romney Marsh but which now appear to be extinct here.  When entomologists started to search for it about 10 years ago there was a great deal of confusion because, as it was so rare, few of the ... http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/27/something-to-watch-out-for/ Sunday 25th July 2010. Arrived at Pett about 6.15 am, I started at Carter's Flood, the reeds have been lowered, or eaten by the cattle that have been  there, the water level looks good at the moment. There was 5 Green Sands,1Common Sand,2 Greenshanks 2Avocet, 4 Bl.T.Godwit, 3 L.R.Plover on the wader front, ... http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/26/at-last-something-to-report-from-pett/ I had a good afternoon yesterday recording butterflies in Beckley Woods and to my surprise I found a group of blues amongst which were at least two Chalkhill Blues. Silvery underwing shows dark veins crossing the white fringe, the milky blue upperwing shows broad black margin. http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/25/chalkhill-blue/ I'd seen several Convolvulus Hawkmoths in other people's traps but never caught one myself, so this 2-inch long monster, dwarfing everything else, was a very welcome sight in my trap in Rye this morning. It's an immigrant mainly to southern and eastern coastal counties and more often in autumn, the numbers varying a ... http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/25/convolvulus-hawkmoth-at-last/ Highlights this morning included a Little Stint among 97 Dunlin on the Quarry, two Raven over the Beach Reserve heading east early morning and four Common Sandpiper on Ternery Pool. Still a few Avocet with young fledglings on Harbour Farm, while up to 10 Little Tern were present over Flat ... http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/25/rye-harbour-sightings-229/ A search through some Creeping Thistle this morning provided a few highlights, the rather large Nowickia ferox just took the top spot, this fly is very similair in appearence to Tachina fera but can be seperated by the colour of the legs and antennae. Hoverfly highlights included at least 6 Helophilus trivittatus, a rather ... http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/24/castle-water-109/ A surprise in my moth trap in Rye this morning was this Waved Black, a new species for me. Despite appearances it's actually a noctuid, in the same subfamily as the common Straw Dot but classed nationally scarce. Waring's field guide says "The earliest records were from slime moulds on rotting ... http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/23/waved-black/ At some point over the coming week (24th July - 1st August) please consider taking part in our BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT, a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It's really simple and I'm certain you'll find it enjoyable and rewarding. www.bigbutterflycount.org http://rxwildlife.org.uk/2010/07/23/big-butterfly-count/