Each month Rye News reports on the amazing wildlife right on our doorstep at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Sussex Wildlife Trust volunteer David Bentley has been capturing the comings and goings on the Reserve during May.
May was very dry with an extended heatwave towards the end of the month, which saw unprecedented spring temperatures in many parts of the country. That’s now three months in a row with very little meaningful rainfall in the Rye area. In combination with the constraints on water level management caused by the bio-bead pollution incident, this has made retaining optimal water levels in Flat Beach extremely challenging.
Little Tern numbers peaked at ten birds at Flat Beach on 10 May. A single Black Tern was reported to be in with the Sandwich Terns at Ternery Pool on 24 May. The Sandwich Terns are now settled in front of Parkes Hide. Being so close and easy to observe, the details of a few ringed birds are being collected, providing valuable information on the international movement of ‘our’ birds.
An Arctic Skua was seen hassling terns over the sea on 30 May. Skuas are kleptoparasitic, meaning that they relentlessly chase other seabirds until they regurgitate food that the skua then snaffles it up. Skuas are the avian pirates of the sea.
A White Stork was seen over the Discovery Centre on 22 May.
One Little Stint, six Knot and thirteen Grey Plover were at Flat Beach on 10 May. An additional Little Stint was seen on 28 and 29 May. Fourteen Black-tailed Godwit were at Flat Beach on 11 May.
A summer plumage Curlew Sandpiper, a real treat for wader-lovers, was visible from Denny Hide on 16 May. The first Avocet young were recorded on 13 May.
Cuckoos were noted at various places around the reserve, but especially Castle Water, becoming more visible and vocal from the middle of the month.
Over 375 Linnets at Castle Farm on 11 May was an unusually high count.
Bird of the month was a superb short-staying male Red-backed Shrike opposite the Halpin Hide at Castle Water on 19 May. Shrikes are known as “butcher birds”, reflecting their habit of storing prey items on thorns and spikes.
Imagine a bird of prey with all the speed and agility of a Swift and you come up with a Hobby; at least three were seen from the Reedbed Viewpoint on 9 May. Five roosting Red Kite were spotted very early on 24 May near Castle Farm and a massive White-tailed Eagle was over the Reedbed Viewpoint on 27 May. Either of these last two sightings would have been unimaginable just a few dozen years ago.
An amazing colony of Lackey Moth caterpillars was found on Flat Beach on 9 May. A rare Pale Grass Eggar Moth caterpillar was seen near Crittall Hide on 17 May. The first ever recorded at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, a White-shouldered Shieldbug – a recent UK colonist, was seen on 23 May at Castle Water along with a Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle. The Yellow Belle is a scarce moth that prefers dry grassland around the coast; one was seen near Nook Drain on 24 May. A Norfolk Hawker dragonfly was by the Reedbed Viewpoint on 27 May.
The first Grass Vetchling flowers were seen by Nook Drain on 21 May. These intense hot-pink/cerise blooms appear out of nowhere, their leaves being similar to grasses in the sward. Other plants in flower during May included Hound’s-tongue, Sea Pea, Yellow Vetch, Bee Orchid and Pyramidal Orchid.
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust and supported by the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
Image Credits: Joe Rawles , Bobbie Lane , James Tomlinson , David Bentley , Barry Yates .