Sunday 12^th March 2023

Rye Harbour NNR

East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

(13 members present)

Trip Report

 

We spent most of this trip in the Castle Water/ Camber Castle area, visiting the Reedbed viewpoint and the Halpin Hide on the way and returning to the reserve car park via Castle Farm, the Long Pit and the Narrow Pit – a long walk made all the more difficult by some very muddy paths.

As we walked down Harbour Road towards the industrial site we saw several birds of interest:-

• A lovely mistle thrush greeted us from the canopy of the roadside tree.  Singing beautifully, it could be heard from a distance around.

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson 

• A marauding red kite caused mayhem among the local gull population causing them all to take flight.
• A kestrel was seen in the distance.

 

As we turned west and headed for the Reedbed viewpoint a couple of other birds drew our attention:-

• In the nearby field, we watched a couple of mistle thrushes on the ground.
• A sparrowhawk flew overhead.
• We heard our first green woodpecker of the day.

 

At the Reedbed viewpoint, the usual suspects were present:-

• Pick of the birds was a cracking marsh harrier, flying low over the reedbed.
• As we moved away, Kevin spotted a raptor flying past and away from us which Martin identified as a short-eared owl – a very welcome, if somewhat surprising, sighting.
• Almost immediately, a raven flew past us to add yet more variety to our growing list of larger birds.

 

By now the path was very muddy but thankfully we were all wearing boots. As we approached the Halpin Hide, conditions underfoot improved. 

 

We were intrigued by a large flock of birds flying over the fields to our right. When they landed we were able to get up close to ascertain that it was a mixed flock.

• Most of the birds were linnets.
• Interspersed with the linnets were a few goldfinches.
• At the top end of Castle Water the cormorants caught our attention with their large numbers but mainly because of the brilliant plumage they displayed.  Patrick was particularly impressed by them as witnessed by his superb images.

  

 Courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

 

 

 Courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

 

 

Courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

  

Looking over Castle Water from the Halpin Hide there were all kinds of birds on show.

• Pick of the birds was the drake goldeneye, looking absolutely stunning in the afternoon sunshine.

                                                                                                                       Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• The pintail ducks also impressed us.
• Disappointingly, there was no sign of the black-necked grebe that has been around the reserve for well over a year.

 

The trek from the Halpin Hide back to the car park by the Martello Tower was largely uneventful and quite tiring because of the state of some of the paths that we used.  Some were so muddy as to be unpleasant.

• John and Martin heard a Mediterranean Gull utter its characteristic cat-like call and also loud pings which could have been Bearded Tits but this was not confirmed.

 

 

After a well-earned lunch, 8 of us set off to visit the southern aspects of the reserve, calling in at the Salt Pool, Flat Beach and New Saltmarsh.  We were well rewarded, picking up quite a good number of new birds for our list.  By now the weather had deteriorated, with strong winds and falling temperatures the main changes.

• The avocets were soon evident and we saw more and more as we moved round the reserve.

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• There were plenty of redshank around but sadly we could not find the spotted redshank that had been reported earlier in the day.
• Dunlin and ringed plover were also well represented.

Dunlin – courtesy of Patrick Sullivan

• Martin spotted a ruff which some of us saw before it disappeared.
• Of course there were several skylarks around – a Rye Harbour staple.
• At the mouth of the river, there we saw at least 30 turnstone, huddled together sheltering from the wind.
• A single Brent goose flew by us as we walked towards the Visitor Centre.
• We finished the day at Gooders Hide where we saw some lovely grey plover and a snipe.

 

In the end we finished up with a huge species count of 74.

 

Ian missed the scaup at Camber when we visited Dungeness on our February outing.  He returned this morning, before we all met up, and this time he was successful with the scaup coming very close. 

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

 

It was another excellent turnout by our members today.  What a pity that conditions underfoot were so bad at times.  This, together with the long distance we walked, took its toll and detracted from what was otherwise a very good birding trip.

Thanks Kevin!

Bob Hastings

 

 

Today’s species list:

Name:			Name:
Avocet	1		Magpie	38
Black-headed Gull	2		Mallard	39
Blackbird	3		Marsh Harrier	40
Blue Tit	4		Meadow Pipit	41
Brent Goose	5		Mediterranean Gull	42
Buzzard	6		Mistle Thrush	43
Canada Goose	7		Moorhen	44
Carrion Crow	8		Mute Swan	45
Cetti's Warbler	9		Oystercatcher	46
Chaffinch	10		Pheasant	47
Chiffchaff	11		Pied Wagtail	48
Collared Dove	12		Pintail	49
Coot	13		Pochard	50
Cormorant	14		Raven	51
Curlew	15		Red Kite	52
Dunlin	16		Redshank	53
Dunnock	17		Reed Bunting	54
Egyptian Goose	18		Ringed Plover	55
Gadwall	19		Robin	56
Goldeneye	20		Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon	57
Goldfinch	21		Rook	58
Great Black-backed Gull	22		Ruff	59
Great Crested Grebe	23		Shelduck	60
Great Tit	24		Short-eared Owl	61
Green Woodpecker	25		Shoveler	62
Grey Plover	26		Skylark	63
Greylag Goose	27		Snipe	64
Herring Gull	28		Sparrowhawk	65
House Sparrow	29		Starling	66
Jackdaw	30		Stock Dove	67
Kestrel	31		Teal	68
Lapwing	32		Tufted Duck	69
Lesser Black-backed Gull	33		Turnstone	70
Linnet	34		Water Rail	71
Little Egret	35		Wigeon	72
Little Grebe	36		Woodpigeon	73
Long-tailed Tit	37		Wren	74

 

Species count = 74

2023 species count = 128