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 August.
The extremely hot and dry weather that will define the summer of 2026 finally started to break in the second half of the month, when we received the first significant rainfall in many weeks.
The outbreak of suspected avian botulism that was confirmed towards the end of the month has restricted access to the Castle Water area and so sightings for August were somewhat reduced.
A Black Tern was at Flat Beach on 5 August and two Little Gulls at Salt Pool on 11 August.
Late August is the peak of Osprey passage in the UK as birds return to winter in West Africa. One was briefly seen at Castle Water on 19 August, but there’s still the chance that one or two will linger for a few days to rest up and feed before the long journey south.
It is also the peak period for the passage of a number of our wader species. High counts of selected species were: five Greenshank (Castle Water on 26th), six Common Sandpiper (Castle Water on 17th), eight Green Sandpiper (Castle Water on 26th) and four Black-tailed Godwit (Castle Water on 26th). There were singles of Bar-tailed Godwit (Salt Pool on 9th), Spotted Redshank (Flat Beach on 26th and 27th) and Wood Sandpiper (Castle Water from 18th – 20th and Ternery Pool on 23rd).
Two Curlew Sandpiper found at Flat Beach on 27 August stayed until the end of the month, at least. The bird of the month was an American Golden Plover first seen at Salt Pool on 14 August. It was viewable there or at Flat Beach for a few days. American Golden Plover nest in the arctic tundra of northern Canada. A few birds each year get disorientated in their autumn journey south to southern South America and end up crossing the Atlantic and exciting birders in the British Isles or mainland Europe.
Yellow Wagtail passage started in earnest around the middle of the month and the peak count was 15 at Salt Pool on 16 August.
Chats were around most of the month; peak counts were of nine Wheatear at Castle Water on 17 August and five Whinchat by Salt Pool on 26 August.
Spotted Flycatchers have been thin on the ground locally so far this autumn, but there were two Pied Flycatchers – a generally much scarcer bird – at the southern end of Salt Pool on 26 August.
A Rambur’s Pied Shieldbug near Castle Water on 3 August is a first for the nature reserve. There are 23 records of the species at scattered locations along the coast, with the majority being from just east of Brighton. It is a recent colonist of south-east England, already established in Essex and North Kent and starting to appear in East Sussex. The first record in East Sussex was 8 August 2022.
A Large Cone-head bush-cricket was at the northern end of Castle Water on 17 August.
Plants in flower included Strawberry Clover, Red Hemp-nettle and Wild Carrot.
All sightings at Castle Water were made by volunteers with a legitimate reason to be on site and following relevant biosecurity protocols relating to the suspected avian botulism outbreak.
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust and supported by the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
Image Credits: James Tomlinson , Roger Wilmshurst , David Bentley .