Rye Harbour Nature Reserve Wildlife sightings: September 2024

By David Bentley

Volunteer and member of the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Osprey are increasingly common, early autumn visitors to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and as the UK breeding population continues to grow, this trend seems likely to continue. These migrating birds can linger for days on their journey south. The autumn birds are in less of a hurry than the spring birds, the latter being super-keen to get to their breeding sites ahead of rivals. Osprey were seen on many days this September favouring the River Mouth, Salt Pool and Castle Water. How many birds were involved isn't clear, but comparison of the many photographs taken may help with that conundrum.

Around 50 Yellow Wagtails were at Salt Pool on the first day of the month, but otherwise it's not been a great autumn for them on the nature reserve. Similarly, there haven't been too many Whinchats, though one was seen on the 16^th. Sadly, there has been no evidence of Wheatear breeding on the reserve again this year, but there were 17 passage birds seen between the River Mouth and the Crittall Hide on the 4^th. The grey upper-parts of the male bird are lacking in autumn, making the different sexes and ages rather similar, but the striking black mask of the male birds remains to help with identification.

Records of wading birds included a Curlew Sandpiper and eight Greenshank at Salt Pool on the 1^st and two Spotted Redshank in front of Gooders Hide on the 22^nd. The number of Lapwing rose throughout the month, with 460 at Castle Water on the 21^st, many of these will be continental birds arriving to enjoy our relatively milder winters. There were also reports of Little Stint and Wood Sandpiper.

There were three Spoonbills at Castle Water on the 14^th and again on the 22^nd. Thereafter, they appeared to be roosting on New Saltmarsh in front of the Discovery Centre. There were impressive numbers of three species of egret throughout the month, including 12 Cattle Egret at Castle Water on the 3^rd and 11 Great White Egret at Salt Pool on the 15^th.

The arrival of some species of bird, hints of the approaching winter. So it was, that the first Brent Goose was seen on the 11^th and the first Pintail on the 14^th, with up to 13 of the latter at Castle Water by the end of the month. A Merlin was seen on occasions throughout the month, usually at Flat Beach or Salt Pool. This charismatic bird of prey is rather like a mini Peregrine and can be seen throughout the winter making low, hunting flights or sometimes perched on a fence-post, considering its next move.

At least one Black-necked Grebe has over-wintered on the nature reserve in recent years, and so it was good that one turned up on the 24^th at Ternary Pool, where it remained for the rest of the month. Hopefully this bird will linger. If so, it will be interesting to compare it with the slightly smaller and browner Little Grebe that can be found in good numbers at Ternary Pool in winter.

Visible migration, when birds can be watched purposefully flying-over en masse, was largely confined to many hundreds of hirundine - Swallows, House and Sand Martins - but movement of Meadow Pipits could be seen from the middle of the month onwards.

Wasp Spiders were seen and photographed on New Saltmarsh on the 17^th.

Common Fleabane was still in flower, as were Sea Aster and Sea Purslane out on the saltmarsh.

Thanks go to all those whose observations contribute to the monthly sighting reports. If you have spotted something interesting on the reserve, please do make a record with iRecord here and if you think it's particularly significant, please let us know at [email protected].