Recent Sightings
July 2010
Taking stock of our breeding sea-birds it is evident it has been a very good year at Rye Harbour. After worries about the effects of high water levels at the start of the season, the main colonies on Ternery Pool and the Quarry produced around 3000 fledged Black-headed Gull, 1000 fledged Sandwich Tern, 300 fledged Common Tern and 250 Mediterranean Gull, our best haul ever. In addition, a pair of Common Gull hatched a chick here, the first time this has happened at Rye Harbour and the first time in Sussex for about 45 years! One success story which has given the wardens a great deal of satisfaction is the return of our Little Terns. After two years of no breeding at all, at least three pairs nested on Flat Beach Ridges, tempted in with a combination of resin decoys and sound recordings. These produced eight chicks, with at least five of these fledging during July (below).
Plenty of evidence of passage movement among the waders during July, with good numbers of migrants moving through during the month. Highlight was a Stone Curlew seen briefly at Castle Water on the 20th, with three Wood Sandpiper at Castle Water on the 23rd, Spotted Redshank at Ternery Pool on the 12th (two) and the shore on the 23rd, and a Little Stint on the Quarry on the 25th also worthy of note. More typical visitors included regular Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Curlew, occasional Greenshank (with 14 on Ternery Pool on the 12th), up to 12 Ruff and the occasional Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit. Interesting waterfowl during July included three Garganey at Castle Water on the 9th and 28 Little Egret leaving the roost at Castle Water on the same date. Notable passerines at Castle Water during July included two Raven on the 9th and regular Bearded Tit, while hirundines here on the 15th included 100 Sand Martin and 30 House Martin, along with around 50 Swift. Raptors during July included regular Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard on the 23rd at Castle Water and a Hobby here on the 9th, while a Barn Owl was present at Castle Water on the 9th.
The Lime Kiln moth trap turned up a range of common migrant species this month including Silver Y, Rush Veneer, Diamond-back Moth and Dark Sword-grass, as well as a few less common visitors. Highlights were the first reserve records of Sussex Emerald, which breeds in Britain only at Dungeness, and Splendid Brocade, a central and southern European species which has been trapped at several sites along the south-coast this year. Other notable migrants included The Gem on the 20th, a Tree-lichen Beauty on the 29th and one or two Humming-bird Hawk Moth. Migrants were also much in evidence for other groups as well, with a White Admiral (above) seen on Harbour Farm on the 20th, and an influx of migrant hoverflies including Scaeva pyrastri, Episyrphus balteatus and Volucella zonaria (below). Plants in flower this month included Wild Carrot, Rottingdean Sea-lavender and Fleabane.
