Rye Harbour with the Ashdown Bird Group (ABG)

 Here's a copy of the trip report that I wrote for the group.

Sunday 20^th March 2022,

Rye Harbour NNR

Ashdown Bird Group

(7 members present)

Trip Report

Once again we were fortunate with the weather, enjoying bright, sunny conditions throughout the day.

We were determined to visit Castle Water, a part of the reserve often missed out because of the additional long walk needed to get there.

 

·         Our target species today was the long-staying black-necked grebe.

·         We were also hoping to find our first wheatear of 2022.

·         Maybe the spoonbill would still be around.

Stage 1 saw us go round the main reserve.

• Alison led us from the car park to the Salt Pool but there was no sign of the spoonbill - an early setback.  We heard later that it had left the site a few days ago, heading east, and had not returned.

Things improved rapidly when we moved back on to the main track, past the Discovery Centre to a position just outside Gooders Hide where we had commanding views over the New Saltmarsh and Flatbeach.  

• Our species count accelerated as we ticked off the waders and the other water birds like the avocet … 

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

 

….and the cormorant that Martin liked so much….

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

  

•         There was great excitement when a peregrine flew by us.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

• We saw 5 close Sandwich terns on one of the islands and shortly afterwards a flock of 12 flew overhead.
• The other notable species was golden plover with scores of them on view.
•  As we walked out further towards the sea we got clearer views of the lone bar-tailed godwit that was on Flat Beach.

After a brief seawatch which yielded little apart from a small group of teal, we headed for Denny Hide and then Parkes Hide where we saw a few more interesting species:-

•          Like this ruff, one of 2 present today……

Courtesy of Alison Playle

•          ….and a small group of ringed plover from Parkes Hide.

  

Stage 2 involved us relocating north down Harbour Road to the industrial site, picking up the footpath that led out to the reedbed viewing ramp and then on to Castle Water and Halpin Hide. 

•          From the viewing ramp we saw our first marsh harrier when one flew low over the reeds.
•          Moving on, along the long footpath, we saw some Egyptian geese, in flight and on the ground.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

After the long, but most pleasant, walk we finally arrived at Halpin Hide where we spent a most relaxing, yet productive, couple of hours.

• Bird of the day was, without doubt, the black-necked grebe looking absolutely majestic in its summer plumage.

courtesy of Alison Playle

• There were lots of species here, most of which we had seen on the main reserve earlier but the 3 lapwings we saw were our first of the day. 
• There were frequent sightings of the marsh harriers.
• The pochards and pintails looked superb in the afternoon sunshine.

 

On the return leg we still managed to add to our impressive species count.

• This lovely green woodpecker was the last new bird that we saw – clearly enjoying the early evening sunshine..

 

courtesy of Alison Playle

 

Martin’s species list is shown below.

Species			Species
Avocet	1		Linnet	32
Bar-tailed Godwit	2		Little Egret	33
Blackbird	3		Long-tailed Tit	34
Black-headed Gull	4		Magpie	35
Black-necked Grebe	5		Mallard	36
Blue Tit	6		Marsh Harrier	37
Brent Goose	7		Meadow Pipit	38
Canada Goose	8		Moorhen	39
Carrion Crow	9		Mute Swan	40
Cetti's Warbler	10		Oystercatcher	41
Chaffinch	11		Peregrine	42
Chiffchaff	12		Pheasant	43
Collared Dove	13		Pied Wagtail	44
Coot	14		Pintail	45
Cormorant	15		Pochard	46
Curlew	16		Redshank	47
Domestic Greylag Goose	17		Reed Bunting	48
Dunlin	18		Ringed Plover	49
Egyptian Goose	19		Robin	50
Gadwall	20		Ruff	51
Golden Plover	21		Sandwich Tern	52
Goldfinch	22		Shelduck	53
Great Black-backed Gull	23		Shoveler	54
Great Crested Grebe	24		Skylark	55
Great Tit	25		Starling	56
Green Woodpecker	26		Stonechat	57
Grey Plover	27		Teal	58
Herring Gull	28		Tufted Duck	59
House Sparrow	29		Turnstone	60
Jackdaw	30		Wigeon	61
Lapwing	31		Woodpigeon	62
			Wren	63

 

Species count = 63

 

 

 

What an terrific visit – and we didn’t see a single wheatear!

 

Bob Hastings

30/03/2022

Year total - 153