Trip reports

Walk around Rye Harbour

Sunday, 1 July 2007

The weather had been very wet in the previous week and we kept a close eye on the forecast before deciding to set off. It was raining as Pauline left home with Ron and Jean but the nearer to Rye, the better the weather got. By the time they arrived it had become sunny along with a strong wind. A select group of five was completed with Eddy and Alison and we walked towards the reserve, spotting a Mistle Thrush on the grass next to the caravan park.
A Mallard, head under its wing, and fluffed up by the wind, provided a few moments of identification challenge, then Linnet, Shelduck, Reed Bunting, Skylark & Little Egret were seen on the way to the first hide which provided welcome shelter from the wind.
Birds seen from the hide included Stock Dove, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Wheatear, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, Curlew and Redshank.
We battled the wind to the end of the river where 3 Turnstone were seen. Common Tern were flying over and as we walked towards their nesting site on the beach, 8 Little Tern put on a spectacular performance for us, calling and passing back and forth with their delicate flight. Sadly this year breeding has been affected by weather & Kestrels and we could not find any sign of nests or chicks. Looking towards the sea we saw Sandwich Tern and a single Gannet.
Towards the Ternary pool, the cacophony of bird sound grew louder and louder. We visited both hides and were able to watch adults terns and chicks. Particularly nice to see was a Sandwich Tern feeding a chick close to the hide. There was a Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe and a large number of Mediterranean Gulls, dramatically different from the Black-headed Gulls, in summer plumage. Leaving the Hide we saw 2 Dunlin on the adjacent pool.
We followed the path between the new pools and scrapes and walked down to the Long Pit where we saw and heard Sedge and Reed Warbler, also Grey Heron, Several Whitethroat, Pied Wagtail and near the farm Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Collared Dove. A number of swift were feeding over the long pit and we found Swallow and Goldfinch. An attempted shortcut back to the car park failed when we nearly ended up in someone's back garden, and had to climb a steep slope to the edge of a football pitch. Our final bird at Rye was a Wren in the car park while we were having lunch. Butterflies we came across included Small Copper & Meadow Brown.
We then decided to go to the reserve at Dungeness to see what was about. A brief stop at Scotney added Greylag and Canada Geese to our list and arriving at the RSPB Visitors Centre we had 3 Common Gull, Pochard and Teal.
On hearing reports of Black Tern at the patch, we were soon off again. It was very windy as we struggled along the shingle but worth the effort as we were able to pick out 3 Black Tern from among all the terns and gulls flying round the patch. A good bird to end the day on and number 61 on our trip list.