Rye Harbour with the East Grinstead RSPB Group for a Red-necked Phalarope

 

Sunday 30^th October 2022,

Rye Harbour NNR, East Sussex

EGRSPB Local Group

(15 members present)

 

 

Trip Report

The weather dominated this trip.  We met up at the main car park at 09.30, in the pouring rain.  Conditions didn’t really change until after midday when the rain stopped.   Things improved rapidly in the afternoon and by the end of the day we were enjoying bright sunshine and some excellent lighting.  

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s target species was the red-necked phalarope which has been around since 16^th October. 

Despite the weather, expectations were high.

 

 

At the start, we spent over an hour in Gooders Hide, sheltering from the rain.  Thankfully the birding was excellent, and we managed to see over 40% of the day's species from there.  The highlights included: 

• A little stint that was associating with a group of 10+ dunlin and provided our biggest ID challenge. Later on, a second one was seen.   
• A mystery bird turned out to be a ruff.  
• Over 1000 golden plover were showing well on the ground  
• At least 8 snipe were seen. 
• Several grey plover were showing well close to the hide.  

• A very regal pintail was yet another notable species.

 

 

We braved the wet and breezy conditions yet again as we ventured along to the river mouth, passing Flat Beach on our right.

·         A huge flock of oystercatchers flew in and landed on the shingle.

·         They were followed shortly afterwards by a flock of around 30 ringed plover.

At this point in time there had not been any reported sightings of the red-necked phalarope so we decided to split the group with one team making the long walk down to the Mary Stanford Lifeboat House to look for the bird while the other carried on birding from the shelter of the nearby Denny and Parkes hides. 

After some confusion over the reported sighting area and then some miscommunication between the groups, we found the phalarope and joined up again but by now the group size was down to 12.   Remarkably, it had stopped raining!  It was time for a quick lunch.

• The phalarope was on the saline pool, east of the path from the beach to Harbour Barn and moving around continuously in its characteristic streaky way. 

• After a while it took flight to the adjacent pool a few metres north of us but within seconds we had relocated it and gained further good telescope views. 

 

 

 

Having satisfied ourselves over the phalarope sighting, we retraced our steps to the Visitor Centre for a well-earned hot drink and snacks.

7 of us decided to stay on to visit the salt marshes between the caravan park and Denny Hide.  This turned out to be a master stroke as we were treated to something of a late birding bonanza.  By now the marshes were becoming flooded by the incoming tide, and there was lots of bird movement.  The lighting was, at times, magnificent, despite the late hour.

•  A huge flock of greater black-backed gulls flew in over our heads and landed on the southern end of the reserve.  
• A lone brent goose could be seen resting in the reeds to the south of us.  
• On the Salt Pool we saw at least 10 little grebes, 5 on each stretch of water either side of the bank and they looked immaculate.  
• On the same pool there were at least 10 grey plover and a similar number of dunlin – all resting up.  
• A kestrel and then, a little later, a sparrowhawk and a marsh harrier joined the parade.  
• Goldfinches flew around in small flocks and we got a spectacular view of one such group as they enjoyed the area covered by thistles.  

• A greenshank was a welcome sight near the end of the day.  
• Pride of place, however, went to the spotted redshank that we found and eventually ticked off, after much deliberation and cross-checking against the Collins Guide

 

 

 

What a final session!  

• Ian’s picture below captures the scene brilliantly as we ended our visit - flooded marshes with golden plover flying high above – and the lovely early evening light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn’t see everything we came for - there was no sign of shelduck and gadwall, for example and this must be the first time we have failed to record a mute swan or an avocet at Rye Harbour!

 

Nevertheless’ it was another excellent outing and everyone went away well satisfied with the day’s events. 

 

54 species represents a very acceptable return for a great day's birding in poor weather.

 

Well done everyone.

Thanks again Kevin.

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Hastings

01/11/2022

 

 

All photographs courtesy of Martin Jeffree and Ian Hodgson

 

 

Species List

 

Name:		Name:
Black-headed Gull	1	Magpie	28
Black-tailed Godwit	2	Mallard	29
Blackbird	3	Marsh Harrier	30
Brent Goose	4	Meadow Pipit	31
Carrion Crow	5	Moorhen	32
Coot	6	Oystercatcher	33
Cormorant	7	Pied Wagtail	34
Curlew	8	Pintail	35
Dunlin	9	Red-legged Partridge	36
Dunnock	10	Red-necked Phalarope	37
Gannet	11	Redshank	38
Golden Plover	12	Ringed Plover	39
Goldfinch	13	Robin	40
Great Black-backed Gull	14	Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon	41
Great Crested Grebe	15	Ruff	42
Greenshank	16	Shoveler	43
Grey Heron	17	Skylark	44
Grey Plover	18	Snipe	45
Herring Gull	19	Sparrowhawk	46
House Sparrow	20	Spotted Redshank	47
Kestrel	21	Starling	48
Lapwing	22	Stonechat	49
Lesser Black-backed Gull	23	Teal	50
Linnet	24	Tufted Duck	51
Little Egret	25	Turnstone	52
Little Grebe	26	Wigeon	53
Little Stint	27	Woodpigeon	54

 

Species count = 54

  Year total = 213 

Radde's Warbler - another "lifer"

Saturday 22nd October 2022

Beachy Head, Sussex

Martin and I spent a profitable couple of hours twitching the Radde's warbler on the south coast between Beachy Head and Eastbourne. 

As we arrived there were several birders already in attendance This is he habitat we found, with no bird showing.

We didn't have to wait long for the warbler to appear - just a few metres away.

• It only showed for a couple of seconds, but it was enough for us to get a good look through the binoculars. 

• That was the pattern for the next 2 hours - occasional sightings but always very brief.

Another comfortable twitch!

 Year total = 212       UK Life list total = 365

All pictures courtesy of Martin Jeffree

Radde's Warbler

• This species breeds across southern Siberia and the Russian Far East and winters in South-East Asia. 
• Though first recorded in Britain at North Cotes, Lincs, in 1898, there were no further records until the 1960s. Since then it has become an expected autumn visitor and today is recognised as a regular rarity, occurring in some numbers in some years; it was dropped from the British Birds Rarities Committee's list in 2005.
• Radde's occurs exclusively in late September, October and early November and is unknown outside this period. Records come largely from the east and south coasts although, unlike many Siberian species, there is no Northern Isles bias, with most occurring further south.
• This is a highly skulking species, extremely adept at hiding in thick cover. When seen, it is a sturdy, thickset Phylloscopus with a somewhat atypical structure which comprises a rather large head, a shortish rather tit-like bill, a large eye and a solid, broad, deep-bellied body. It has a short primary projection, a longish, slightly round-tipped tail and long, stout legs with large feet.
• Its plumage is a muted olive above, with a warm yellow-buff suffusion below, richest on the vent and undertail coverts. The face pattern comprises a long, strong supercilium, broad and buff in front of the eye – over rather weakly marked lores – and narrower and whiter behind. The legs are a strikingly bright pink.
• It is often silent, but a characteristic chet chet or wit wit may draw attention to its presence.

courtesy of bird guides