THIS AND THAT RHNR

31 July 2022 Our motley crew AP, JT, TW and myself, looking more like ‘ Last of the Summer Birders ‘, set out once more early on a mostly cloudy blustery day around Castle Water. A Great Egret, my first since Spring, was the first bird we encountered. Camber Castle was covered in Jackdaws, not happy about the presence of a couple of Ravens. Castle Water itself is now rammed, mostly Greylags and Cormorants and Ducks in eclipse. We did find amongst them 3 Green Sands, one distant calling and flying Wood Sand, 6 Ruff, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and many Lapwings. Even the BnGrebe put in an appearance. A Hobby chased a late Swift near the Castle and there were plenty of Sand Martins at the North end. The view down Castle Water from the North End showed even more birds. JT was trying to persuade us that a small Greylag with some white around the bill might be a Greylag/Greater White-fronted Goose hybrid but I doubt it. Early summer there was a paired up pair on Ternery Pool but no evidence yet of hybrids. Finally the Sparrowhawk nest that we have been monitoring is empty so successfully fledged we assume. A Sparrowhawk did glide over near the Marsh Mallow plants now in full bloom and was harassed by a pair of Common Terns, not something you see every day. We even went off piste again at the North End and investigated a bit of Industrial Farming Archaeology, TW is in charge of research and I will update when he passes on the information of the maker and date and use etc.

STATUS QUO

26 July 2022 Little change from the Halpin Hide at Castle Water in the RHNR. A quick look this afternoon found the view from the hide challenging, time for the reeds to be cropped perhaps or there will be no view at all. Otherwise nice to see a variety of waders present including 3 Avocets, 2 Ruffs, 10 Black-tailed Godwits,and Common and Green Sandpipers, and tons of Lapwings but no increase on previous days. A Greenshank was heard in the direction of the Viewpoint.

CRITTALL HIDE DELIGHTS

24 July 2022 The Crittall Hide on Ternery Pool in the RHNR was the place to be this morning. AP, JT, and I started early seeing a few Curlew on the Salt Marsh and a couple of Little Terns on Flat Beach, which desperately needs a refill, as well as overhead Common Terns bringing in fish for their young. Two Gannets off shore were the first for a long time. However things finally got interesting at the Crittall Hide, with evidence of new waders passing through. As we entered Barry Yates was already there and told us we had missed two fly past rare Roseate Terns by minutes, curses. To the left of the Hide in a small bay Dunlin were feeding but one was reddish in colour, not a Dunlin but a fine partial summer plumage Curlew Sandpiper. A scraggy Starling was occupying a post usually reserved for the Common Terns. Avocets were wandering around close to the Hide and a second pair of Common Terns are attempting belatedly to nest. Elsewhere were more Dunlin, one colour ringed 8Y3, a couple of Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, three yesterday, the leucistic Redshank first seen a week ago, and a fly past Whimbrel. Things are looking up wader-wise. At the Parkes Hide end were two Turnstones and four first summer Little Ringed Plovers. Over on the Quarry a young Redshank was impersonating a Wood Sandpiper for the unwary and three Sanderling were photographed in atrocious into the sun light.

Yesterday at home a demented juvenile Herring Gull landed on our porch and spent two hours looking at its own reflection in our window. I did try to put some food and water out but it flew off. On the way back from the RHNR I stopped at the Main Pool at Pett Pools and the two plastic geese were present and rather tame in the throng of birds being fed, unfortunately one of them now has a bad limp.

BREEDING BLACK REDSTARTS

22 July 2022 Black Redstarts are rare breeding birds in Sussex ( see Birds of Sussex ) so last Sunday it was good to hear from Mike Mullis and friend that they had found a nest with young on the cliffs near the eastern end of the granite berm at Fairlight. Black Redstarts have been suspected to have been breeding there for a few years, being seen there often in the early Autumn. On past walks from Pett Level to Hastings along the shore we had heard singing males a few times especially at the Rock-a-Nore end. When John Gowers looked on Thursday, the nest was probably no longer occupied but two young were being fed nearby. John also saw two further males towards the western end of the berms. Today I walked west along from Pett Level and soon found at least four birds in the expected place at the end of the berm. You can see the yellow gape still visible on two of the recently fledged birds. They are very flighty often just popping up on the top of the boulders before flitting back across to the cliffs. It is possible that there are more pairs nesting along this stretch of coast than we realise. Along the Cliffs themselves a Peregrine glided over, a Black-headed Gull showed partial head moult, but only two Fulmar nests with young now showing appeared to be occupied, not looking like a good year for them.

A CRAB DIET

17 July 2022 Another early start at the RHNR with AP and TW. On the salt water part of Flat Beach near the Gooders’ Hide was a fine Curlew. We watched it for ages probing into the plants at the side of a pool. At first we could not figure out what it was eating but when it moved over to the water to wash its prey, we saw it was eating small green Crabs, about five while we watched. AP spotted a very pale bird out in the middle of Flat Beach, presumably a leucistic Redshank. A single Black-tailed Godwit was seen in flight and a Common Sandpiper was with a bunch of Dunlin. Two photos show the difference at the moment between adult and first summer Redshank plumages. We later heard a Greenshank and a fly over Sandwich Tern. I tried another go at Swifts in flight as they wizzed past and had one reasonable image, the bird looks as though it has a full crop ready to head into Rye to feed its young. Both Starlings and House Sparrows feed out on the Reserve and a Starling on a post ( unfortunately looking the wrong way ) shows its partial winter plumage. The spots on the breast are actually horse shoe in shape. Over at the Crittall Hide on Ternery Pool we had good views at last of the Common Gull pair, rare breeders in Sussex, and their two young. A pair of Common Terns have also decided to belatedly lay right in front of the hide, the presumed female is ringed. It was good to see at least one tiny Little Ringed Plover chick on one of the Barn Pools. Back at the Quarry at the end of Flat Beach chicks of both Common Terns and late Black-headed Gulls were hanging around waiting for food to be brought in.

PLASTIC GEESE

16 July 2022 I popped down to Pett Pools at high tide yesterday afternoon. There was a stiff breeze and the beach looked nearly deserted, no doubt that will change today and tomorrow. PR had been there in the morning and had said that the PLASTIC Red-breasted Geese were still there, rather unkind I thought. He also reported on a Whimbrel with the Curlews. I could see the Curlew roost just behind the bank on the Roadside Pool but they were almost impossible to count, I will say 50+ and although some were standing up, others were nearly invisible crouched down in the grass and no sign of the Whimbrel. There were few Gulls roosting in the usual place but a large roost was visible over near the Pannel Valley in the distance. The Gadwall brood is still looking good and Bearded Tits were pinging in the reeds. A mix of adult and 1st summer Black-headed Gulls were bathing on the same Pool, some of the adults are still in fine summer plumage. As expected the Plastic Geese were preening in a mass of other ducks and geese of dubious origin near the Main Pool gate. A Redshank on the water’s edge there was unusual surrounded by giant waterfowl.

CASTLE WATER CIRCUMNAVIGATION

10 July 2022 AP, JT and I were supposed to carry out a WEBS count around Castle Water today but JT pulled out at the last minute. Tim Waters TW did join us however so off we went visiting pools en route not normally accessible. Geese heads were popping up like something out on the Savanna. On one pool were loads of Lapwings, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 15 Avocets and three horrible plumage newly arrived Ruffs. About 7 Teal were also found, again newcomers. At Castle Water we had three Green Sandpipers, two looking untypically pale in the bright sunlight. A single Dunlin was feeding and way over the back of the main pool was a long legged wader that we assume to be a Wood Sandpiper, one has been seen by others previously during the week. It was so far away that my camera just lacks the necessary pixels when on full zoom and leads to poor images cropped to death. Near Camber Castle were a series of dug out rabbit holes, one occupied by angry White tailed Bumblebees, all no doubt the work of Badgers. Concerning ducks Gadwall seemed to be in the majority but eclipse makes id for the rest a nightmare. At the North End of Castle Water we saw two flighty Marble White Butterflies, a fine male Four Spotted Chaser and a Common Darter, and a Burnett Moth on a Pyramidal Orchid. Large blue Emperor Dragonflies were also on the wing but not a single Hobby was in sight. Heading back towards the Viewpoint, near the 5 bar gate, AP picked out a reeling Grasshopper Warbler which I could only hear intermittently when the bird turned its head in my direction. News from the local Sparrowhawk nest is that at least one large downy headed chick is present, though it has not yet developed the yellow evil eye

The Gatekeeper seems to be the most abundant Butterfly at the moment

ESCAPEES OR NOT

07 July 2022 A WhatsApp message yesterday from Sue Howard informed us of two Red-breasted Geese down at Pett Pools. The assumption is always going to be that these are escaped birds from a collection unless they are seen in the middle of a Brent Goose flock in the winter. CD saw two at Castle Water in the RHNR back in September 2013 that had been around for a month. Still I popped down this morning to have a look anyway and there they were by the gate of the Main Pool, grazing or dozing amongst the assorted Mallard type species. Attractive birds and surprisingly small, only Mallard size. The tide was just on its way out and a few Curlew were already trying to get onto the moor-log as it was exposed. First summer Black-headed Gulls were also there and a lone Sandwich Tern was roosting on the shingle. Over at the roadside Pool the Egyptian Geese were on the nearside bank and the Gadwall creche was on the waters edge of the far bank. An adult Little Grebe had two nearly full grown youngsters under its supervision out in the middle.

CHICK UPDATE RHNR

03 July 2022 Back to Flat Beach and the Harbour Farm Pools today to check on breeding birds and hoping for more passage waders. An early start with AP and JT at low tide found only a few Redshank on the Salt Marsh, a single Stock Dove and a Curlew were nearby. Four Ravens flew over, two of which engaged in a bit of fisty-cuff. Flat Beach had three summer plumage Dunlin and two Black-tailed Godwits, so little wader passage as of yet. The Little Terns looked good with about 15 in total with one fledged young in flight and a further 6 or 7 large young which will hopefully all fledge in the next couple of weeks. Oystercatchers, Common Terns, Skylarks, and Avocets all seem to be doing well and over at the Crittall Hide on the Ternery Pool a large sized Common Gull chick confirms breeding. Three Sandwich Terns flew over. Black-headed Gulls have nearly finished breeding now but it is still interesting to see the development of plumage in the young. A brave female Tufted Duck traversed the Ternery Pool with a tight flotilla of about 7 small ducklings in tow. A Greenshank was distant but recognisable and near the Barn Pools our first Common Sandpiper of the year was found. A few Sand Martins were also around and 50 odd Swifts first thing were over Flat Beach. At the Barn Pools late Avocets noisily protective still have young of various sizes. As usual we were distracted by a few Butterflies, a Comma being the best and with the Ragwort now in full bloom, many creepy crawlies were on the flowers. Only one quick burst of warbler song was heard but that is normal for July. The Salt Pool pair of Shelduck still have seven young ( six shown ).