RXwildlife Sightings

At last some signs of Hairy Dragonfly emergence at Castle Water, in recent years the first few exuviae and adults have been found from the 24th April onwards. This morning I found a male and female that had successfully reached stage four of emergence and hopefully if the temperature rises a little today should manage to take a maiden flight. The highlight though was watching the first few steps of a larva as it left the water and crawled up its chosen emergence support. This part of the process always fascinates me as the aquatic life is left behind and an aerial life beckons, if only for a brief time. 

For the third day running hundreds of swifts, swallows and martins could be seen over all the reserve’s main pits. Sadly there was no sign of a red-rumped swallow that was seen briefly over New Diggings yesterday evening. Common sandpipers, little ringed and grey plovers were on Burrowes pit and black and bar-tailed godwits, whimbrel and greenshank could be found around the site. A drake garganey was on Burrowes pit this morning and two more males and a female were on Denge Marsh. There were at least five hobbies around the site.

Perhaps not as many birds on the new saltmarsh today but the quality has not decreased. The kentish plover was still present, as was the Temminck’s stint, one or two little stint , at least one curlew sandpiper and a little ringed plover. Elsewhere on the reserve a peregrine was seen early on, at least 10 little tern and six wheatear were on Flat Beach mid-morning, and a turtle dove was sitting on the telephone wires just south of the Narrow Pits around noon.

Kentish plover
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Its been an incredible few days for waders around the reserve, 22 species so far. This morning 34 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ruff and 2 Curlew Sandpipers were feeding around the flooded fields at the northern  end of Castle Water. A Peregrine and 200+ Swallow were also of note. On the Beach Reserve the Kentish Plover showed well again very close to Lime Kiln Cottage, a good selection of waders are still feeding on the new saltmarsh area a Temminck’s Stint,  2 Little Ringed Plover and a Curlew Sandpiper provided additional interest this morning. More details on waders seen here by clicking here.

Kentish Plover this morning near Lime Kiln.

With this declining summer visitor so much in the news recently - click here I havent heard anyone question their food supply here in Britain. They specialise on eating hairy caterpillars and it is generally accepted that populations of moths have declined. Here at Rye Harbour the population of cuckoos is steady AND there are many hairy caterpillars available. Even in this cold wet weather it is easy to find two species of large hairy caterpillar on the shingle habitat - the irritating brown-tail moth and the nationally rare pale grass eggar - and it is easy to watch the cuckoos eating them… Read the rest of this entry »

First things first, the Kentish Plover is still showing (as I write 10.20am) on the new saltmarsh adjacent to Lime Kiln Cottage. A good variety of waders (including Curlew Sandpiper) can also be seen on flat beach and the new saltmarsh area, see yesterdays post.

Additional highlights today have included 19 Sanderling feeding along the shore. At Castle Water 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank, Hobby, 2 Whinchat, 25 Swift, 70 Swallow and smaller numbers of House and Sand Martin.

Common Sandpiper

The influx of waders this morning included a kentish plover which was present on the new saltmarsh adjacent to Lime Kiln Cottage late morning (last seen around 11.15), the first record of this species at Rye Harbour in over 10 years.

The bird has been distant and the weather conditions haven’t been favourable for pictures, the above pic is best so far. The bird was still out from Lime Kiln and amongst 78 Ringed Plover at 1.15pm. Seen again 3.35pm.

Plenty around at day break, 145 Bar-tailed Godwit, 39 Knot, 19 Grey Plover and 55 Dunlin were all feeding along the shore, Flat Beach attracted 14 Turnstone and 2 Greenshank, Harbour Farm added to the mix with 14 Whimbrel, 6 Curlew, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 40+ Avocet. Sandwich and Common Terns were around in good numbers along the shore and provided some mobbing opportunities for two passing Arctic Skua. At least 12 Little Tern were high flying above shore Ridges. It is worth mentioning that many of the waders that were feeding along the shore were pushed onto Flat Beach and Harbour Farm pools as high water approached. Update at 9am, the new saltmarsh area and flat beach attracted 230 Bar-tailed Godwit,168 Knot, 73 Grey Plover, 78 Ringed Plover and a Little Stint.

Bar-tailed Godiwts

I participate in nestbox challenge, a BTO initiative that encourages people to record the use of nestboxes, and the survival of eggs and chicks.  During this last month we had four house sparrow nests supporting  chicks for more than a week in late April. All of the nests contained young birds for at least 7 days and survival during this wet period was just 55%.

At first this figure did not seem particularly high and I blamed

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Today there were several broods of tiny lapwing on view at Rye Harbour Farm, especially in the central and western fields that have many ponds and scrapes in. I can’t make my mind up if the recent cold, wet and windy weather has been good or bad for lapwings. The weather deteriorated on the very day the first chicks hatched, but being small they can easily find warmth and shelter under their parents. BUT they must find food, and cold weather probably means there hasn’t been so many insects about and the chicks have to be brooded for longer. BUT, the wet weather has created more ideal feeding areas for chicks - wet muddy margins - that should now last long enough to see the birds fledge… lets hope todays mild weather continues.