14/12/2019 Rye Harbour and Pett Level with the East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

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