GOOSEY GOOSEY GANDER

27 December 2023  Whither shall I wander? Well yesterday morning, Boxing Day I did not head over to the RHNR where everyone and their dogs would be arriving. Instead I stayed at Pett Pools and had a six Goose morning. Following the nursery rhyme I know who I would like to throw down the stairs – private joke for JT and AP. Of particular interest at Pett Pools is the increase in the number of the wintering Greater White-fronted Geese, now up to 31, with a single Pink-footed Goose amongst them as well as two Brents, all accompanied by hundreds of Canada and Greylag Geese. The white feral Farmyard Goose with the Greylags took the Goose species total to six. About a thousand mobile Lapwings were present along with ten Ruff including the white-headed one, Coot numbers are near 200, eight Shelducks, and a good sized flock of Wigeon was by the Cormorant Pool. Otherwise as it was as expected with unusually a female Marsh Harrier actually perched on the reeds at the back of the Main Pool. Out in Rye Bay were some rafts of Great Crested Grebes and Common Scoters with a few Red-throated Divers but all far out.

CD has pointed out that there are two different White Farmyard Geese around Pett Level recently, today’s nearly all white version and one on the 8th December shown in the last photo below

WITH FRIENDS AT THE RHNR

18 December 2023 For a change yesterday I joined a group of Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve for an organised walk in bright sunlight led by JT and CD. We covered the Salt Marsh, Salt Pool, Harbour Pools and Ternery Pool before I left. Looking into the sun at the Salt Marsh we could see a Redshank hiding out away from the stiff breeze, about 30 Brent Geese, and a pair of Shelduck with translucent bills in the sun. CD then spotted a Juv. Peregrine coming over, possibly the Kingfisher Killer. At the Salt Pool the resident adult Spoonbill was busy feeding over on the far side away from its usual haunt on Flatbeach but I got closer views later. Stonechats were performing well in various places. Barn Pools was quiet but over on the Beach the incoming tide had pushed in a large impressive flock of waders mostly Dunlin but with about 30 Grey Plovers, and a few Knot and Sanderlings. JT went full commando to get closer photos of the wader flock. Over on Ternery Pool the Oystercatchers were dropping in to roost in their usual spot as high tide approached. There were enough species for an enjoyable walk. Ducks were everywhere, one high flying flock was a mixture of Shoveler, Wigeon, and two Mallards.

More info on the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve Facebook page.

GOOSE CHASE

09 December 2023 Yesterday morning we received a WhatsApp message from CD saying that 16 Whitefront Geese had just landed on the Main Pool, Pett Pools so I popped down. I always think that winter has not really started at Pett Level until the Whitefronts are back. Of course by the time I got down to the Pools there was no sign of the Whitefronts. Being just after high tide there were as CD said ” loadsa birds “, with particularly impressive numbers behind the Roadside Pool. PR was also there earlier and had 7 Velvet Scoter off shore. His other recorded counts were Curlew 200+, Lapwings 700+, Ruff 15, Redshank 30+, Brent Geese 7, Great Egrets 2, Marsh Harriers and Peregrines 2 each, and many assorted Ducks so only Golden Plovers absent. At the Roadside Pool the oversize White Duck was on display dwarfing all the other birds but seems to have lost its piebald friend from a few weeks ago. A Ruff, unfortunately just preening, was with some of the roosting Redshank. CD then spotted a flyover winter plumage adult Med Gull and a female Marsh Harrier flew across. I then attempted to find the Whitefronts by scanning the assorted geese groups out on the Level. I located the 7 Brent Geese, the White Farmyard Goose that has been with the Greylags for many years, 6 Shelduck, and finally the Whitefronts, last photo, which are surprisingly small geese in comparison with the Greylag which was walking across in front of them.

For visitors the best time to visit Pett Pools is during the five hour period 2.5 hours either side of high tide when the beach is covered and birds are roosting by the pools.

SUNNY RHNR

06 December 2023 At last the sun was out again so I was off to the RHNR where a male Goldeneye on Ternery Pool was the best of my birds. At the Salt Pool I chatted with Linda Williams and Ray Allen. Ray earlier had photographed a Cetti’s Warbler sunning itself by Cuckoo Corner so I went to have a look, rare for these birds to be seen out in the open, usually you only hear them. I managed to find a small brownish bird in one of the hawthorns but it looks like it was probably only a Wren, better luck next time. On both Flatbeach and the Salt Pool were groups of up to 20 Little Grebes fishing together often squabbling. The usual Curlew, Redshanks, Wigeon, Shoveler, Tufted Ducks, and Teal were around. A Carrion Crow was flying in off the beach with a shellfish and a wing stretching Pied Wagtail was atop the iconic Red-roofed Hut. About 20 Skylarks were feeding along the Flatbeach fence and the resident Spoonbill was annoyingly again roosting out in the middle, this time on two legs. About 40 Brent Geese and 3 Shelduck were on the Salt Marsh in front of the DC. Still it was a pleasant walk out in the sunshine.

It was low tide whilst I was there so there were no waders roosting on Flatbeach but LW reported 500 Dunlin out on the beach with Grey Plovers, Ringed Plovers, and Sanderling. She also had a fly over Greenshank and a female Red -breasted Merganser later on Flatbeach. Lee Cornes reported a Goosander on the Main Pool Pett Pools.