Saturday 14 December 2019
East Grinstead RSPB Local Group
A copy of my report to the group is shown below.
East
Grinstead RSPB Local Group Visit to Rye Harbour and Pett Level
Saturday
14 December 2019
Our final
outing before Xmas saw us travel down to the south coast again. We spent a very enjoyable morning at Rye
Harbour NNR where we saw a respectable 38 species, including a very welcome
winter visitor. After lunch we moved on
to Pett Level where we added several other interesting birds to our list. On the way home, we called in at Penhurst
Lane to check on a particular bird that Mark Mallalieu had mentioned at the
November indoor meeting. At the end of a
day that was far from conducive to birding, we had eked out a creditable 49
species - 51 if we count the red kite and pheasant that Chris, Jen and Sue had
seen end route to Rye.
The
weather was dominated by a very strong SW wind.
On the plus side, the predicted showers did not materialise and we
enjoyed bright sunshine for most of our stay.
Rye
Harbour
The new
Discovery Centre is now well under construction and is due to open in the spring
of 2020. As we passed by we were able
to take in the sheer size of the building for the first time. This will be a major improvement with café,
toilets, viewing platforms and educational facilities all enclosed in one large
space. It is being built on the site of
the old Lime Kiln Cottage.
 |
Discovery Centre at Rye Harbour NNR
This is how it will look in spring 2020 |
As we approached
the Discovery Centre our eyes were drawn to a small flock of brent geese
feeding on the saltmarsh so we hurried to the sanctuary of the nearby hide and
study the situation in more detail. Wigeon,
redshank, shelduck, shoveler, gadwall, little egret, oystercatcher, little
grebe were all showing well. Pick of the
bunch were the golden plover which provided quite a spectacle, especially when
they took flight along with the lapwings.
The more eagle-eyed members managed to pick out a knot, a pintail, a few
grey plover and a dunlin in the distance.
Bird of
the day was, without doubt, the beautiful redhead smew which we saw just before
lunch from the Denny hide on the return leg of our walk. It was swimming directly
in front of us about 40 metres away but it soon disappeared behind one of the
islands, much to the disappointment of some members. Thankfully it didn’t take long for it to
reappear and in the end everyone enjoyed great views. Smew is a rare winter visitor, more often
seen at Dungeness than at Rye, so we were privileged to be in the right place
at the right time.
 |
| courtesy of Barry Yates |
Also
from Denny hide, we saw 6 pintail take flight at the back of the saltmarsh. Then we realised there were others still on
the water, taking our overall count for this species well into double figures. There was an abundance of little grebes,
wigeon and tufted ducks, all showing well at close quarters which added to the spectacle.
The
only raptor we saw was a sparrowhawk which flew by as we assembled in the car
park at the very start of our visit.
Pett
Level
After
lunch in the car park at Rye, we moved on to Pett Level. First stop was Pett Pools where we saw our
first marsh harrier of the day as we got out of the car. It was flying low over the levels, looking
quite majestic in the bright light.
Other
species added included curlew, greylag goose and an impressive great white
egret.
Out at
sea we saw a couple of common scoter.
There were also several common gulls flying around.
Our
planned walk below the cliffs to look for fulmar had to be shelved. The wind was too strong and this, together
with the high tide, produced a huge spray which would have drenched us within
seconds.
Penhurst
Lane near Battle
As it
was just 1.30pm, 6 of us decided to move inland, calling in at Penhurst Lane on
the way home. This was one of the
hawfinch hotspots that Mark Mallalieu had highlighted at the meeting last
week. We arrived at the ideal time to
look for them - just before roost time.
We had
to wait 15 minutes or so before the birds appeared. In the meantime we were entertained by 3
buzzards circling in the skies above the trees, several long-tailed tits in the
hedges close by and yet another sparrowhawk as it whizzed by. Martin finally saw 2 birds in the canopy of
the distant trees and subsequent telescope views confirmed the ID. Despite looking into the setting sun, the
profile of a very thick beak and strong neck was very clear, leaving no doubt
that they were indeed hawfinches.
Only 10
members made the trip, our lowest total for a long time. 2 “regulars” had dropped out overnight
through illness and several others were caught up in pre- Xmas
arrangements. Thanks to Sue Shropshire
for the continuous supply of Xmas cake throughout the day.
We had
a surprise guest - a young Japanese student called Jo. He met us at the start and asked if he could
join us for the day. Jo had a couple of
days to spare before flying home, after attending an ecology conference in
Belfast earlier in the week. He had
travelled down to Rye by train from London specifically to meet up with
us. Thanks to everyone for making him
feel so welcome. He certainly proved to
be a likeable young man and a very capable birder. Particular thanks are due to Phil for giving
him a lift to Pett Level and returning him to the railway station at Rye at the
end. He really enjoyed the day, appreciated
the help given and sends his thanks.
Merry
Xmas everyone!
Bob
Hastings
