Recent Sightings
May 2010
May is usually the time when the breeding season really gets going at Rye Harbour and despite the slow start to the season this year, things are moving along quite nicely. On Ternery Pool the islands thronged with masses of Black-headed Gull chicks (below), with Mediterranean Gull, and the odd Sandwich Tern also, while young waders on the Beach Reserve included Lapwing, Ringed Plover and Redshank. On Harbour Farm the first of this years Avocet chicks were already well on their way to fledging.
Waterfowl during May at Castle Water included regular Bittern, a maximum of 14 Little Egret, up to three Garganey, and a Spoonbill from mid-month. Notable passage waders included a Ruff on Flat Beach on the 7th, regular Knot, up to 23 Whimbrel and occasional Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Greenshank. Best of the bunch however were a Curlew Sandpiper on Flat Beach on the 14th and a flock of 70+ Black-tailed Godwit (below) over Harbour Farm on the 21st, the highest count ever here. Raptors included regular Marsh Harrier, up to three Hobby and a Peregrine on the shore ridges on the 27th, while both Red Kite and Buzzard were seen at Castle Water on the 30th. Very little movement
offshore this month, though an Arctic Skua was present on the 30th and a Little Gull was on the Quarry on the 18th. Passerines during May included a Nightingale at Narrow Pit up to mid-month, a Grasshopper Warbler on Harbour Farm throughout the month, a Redstart at Castle Water on the 3rd, and the highlights, a Serin heard and seen briefly over Flat Beach on the 4th, and at least three Red-rumped Swallow at Castle Water and the Long Pit on the same date. In addition, the first Turtle Dove was recorded at Castle Water on the 11th, and there were regular sightings of both Bearded Tit and Yellow Wagtail.
A return to colder weather at the start of May meant that moth catches in the Lime Kiln trap were very poor early on, though things did pick up later. Highlights were a couple of Ethmia bipunctella, a White-point, a Pine Beauty and a Yellow-barred Brindle, the last two not rarities but relatively rarely seen on the reserve. A good show of butterflies included Orange-tip, Brimstone, Holly Blue and best of the bunch, a Dingy Skipper in the Barn Field on the 24th, the first record for the reserve. Odonata highlight were several more records of Downy Emerald from the northern end of Castle Water, and numerous Hairy Hawker and Variable Damselfly. Also of note was the hoverfly Xanthogramma citrofasciatum at Lime Kiln on the 24th , only the third reserve record of this striking wasp mimic, and a queen Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus humilis) on the Beach Reserve on the 31st. Plants in flower included Sea Kale, Sea Pea (above), Salsify and Hawthorn.