RXwildlife Sightings

Highlight this morning was a cracking Dartford  Warbler (pictured) that showed well in the scrub near Lime Kiln Cottage and at least 2500 Golden Plover were in flight over Flat Beach. Elsewhere, 38 Little Egret were counted leaving the roost. Yesterday’s highlights included 3 Bearded Tit and 2 Marsh Harrier from the viewpoint, 8 White-fronted Geese, 5 Brent Geese, 600 Golden Plover, 28 Grey Plover, 440 Lapwing and a Merlin on the Beach Reserve. The Great Northern Diver (second picture) that was released at Castle Water on the 12th was still present on Long Pit yesterday afternoon.

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… is the title of a new illustrated report describing 93 species. It is available to download from the Wildlife Reports section of the Publications page of the wildRye website - click here to go there or CLICK HERE FOR THE REPORT.

This bird came from the Ashford ring road! The finder who brought it in to us at RSPCA Mallydams thought it was a black rubbish bag and ran over it with the centre of the car. After he had run it over, he looked back and saw it pop its head up. He then stopped and picked it up. He rang several organisations without any joy, but then rang the RSPB at Dungeness, who were very helpful and put him in touch with us. He said when he picked it up it was dazed and he said he even stroked its head. When I picked it up from the boot of his car it was wild and stabbing at everything. It must have used the head down predator response when the car approached, otherwise it would have been killed. We then put it onto one of our pools for 4 hours to test its waterproofing, ringed it and released it yesterday at 4pm on Castle Water. Today it was seen on the Long Pit.

Richard Thompson, RSPCA Mallydams

There is a book fair this Saturday at Rye College (formerly Thomas Peacocke School - TN31 7NQ) from 10am-4pm. 32 dealers in books on all subjects including ornithology and Natural History. One dealer is selling around seventy New Naturalist titles at 50% discount. Admission £1 all ticket proceeds to the school library. Cafe on site. Bookbinders will advise you on repair to those old treasured books. Ample parking.

On Flat Beach Level this morning there were 250+ Golden Plover, 500+ Lapwing and small numbers of Dunlin, Shelduck and Brent Goose. Passerines included a Grey Wagtail over Lime Kiln mid-morning, two Rock Pipit and a Kingfisher on the saltmarsh next to Lime Kiln (with a pair of Stonechat in the garden itself), and Linnet, Goldfinch, Skylark and Meadow Pipit on Harbour Farm. In addition, a Merlin was present behind Ternery Pool.

There have been considerable improvements in the sea defences at Pett Level and this has enabled a rapid increase in development behind the sea wall - even with the predictions of sea level rise. The black and white photo is thought to date from 1940s and shows the caravan site and the small railway on top of the box groyne that was used to bring shingle back from Rye Harbour, an activity that continues today with the shingle lorries during the winter.

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Ternery Pool is not at its best this time of year so it was good to see 79 Teal, 81 Gadwall, 45 Mallard, 14 Shoveler and 15 snipe from Crittall Hide this morning. Elsewhere, 26 Turnstone (pictured) were feeding at the River Mouth and a Merlin was present around Flat Beach.

Not a lot to report from a rather grim weekend - a few goldeneyes, avocet, 30 curlews, three marsh harriers and a Slavonian grebe being the only sightings of note.

An exhibition and sale of paintings and prints by Stephen Message.
Sunday 23 November to Saturday 20 December
10 am to 4 pm. Admisson free.

The near continent in a camper van
Thursday 20, 7.30 pm (doors open 7 pm)
The diverse wildlife of France will be the subject of this illustrated talk by Dungeness Site Manager, Bob Gomes. From the Alps to the Pyrenees, birds, plants and butterflies will all feature. Members: £1.50,non-members £3.