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 April.
April brought little meaningful rainfall and generally warm and sunny weather prevailed. At the end of the month high pressure over the north of the UK led to a period of stiff easterly winds along the East Sussex coast.
A month for wader-lovers to relish kicked off with two Little Ringed Plover at West Nook Meadows and two more at Salt Pool on 1 April.
The first Common Sandpiper of the spring was seen on 20 April. They’ll still be passing through into May. Look out for their distinctive bow-winged, stiff, shallow flight which is hard to mistake for any other wader.
Seventeen Black-tailed Godwit – striking birds in flight with white rumps and broad white wing-bars – were seen heading east on 5 April.
Seventeen Ruff, with barrel-chests and pin-heads, were at Flat Beach on 17 April.
Bird of the month goes to a Kentish Plover at Flat Beach on 20 April. This is a very scarce visitor to the reserve, even though they are frequent on the other side of the Channel. It only stayed long enough for one person to see and photograph it. Those that came in hope of re-finding the bird had the consolation prize a Little Stint which had the decency to linger until at least 22 April.
The over-wintering Spotted Redshank was last seen on 23 April, so seems to have departed on exactly the same day as last year!
A Wood Sandpiper was seen in a non-public part of Castle Water on 27 April.
April is famed for the passage of two charismatic wader species – Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit – with numbers of both species peaking towards the end of the month. High counts were 50+ of the former on 28 April and 80+ of the latter on 29th.
In addition there were 50+ Whimbrel and 50+ Bar-tailed Godwit, along with 15 Grey Plover, seen passing east over the Discovery Centre on the last day of the month. Visible migration, accompanied by coffee and cake.
The Guide in a Hide visitors enjoyed the first Little Tern (five) and Common Tern (one) of spring on 8 April and four Greenshank on 18 April, all from the Gooders Hide. Two Little Gulls were reported on 29 April, one at Castle Water and one at Ternery Pool.
Last month’s Green-winged Teal was seen at Salt Pool on 1 April, but not thereafter. A Common Scoter, rare away from the sea here, was at Castle Water from 13 to 17 April at least. Two Garganey were on Barn Pool East on 25 and 26 April.
A booming Bittern was heard at Castle Water on 6th and the acoustic monitoring around Castle Water has regularly picked out nocturnal flight calls. The first Cuckoo of the year was heard at the same place on 27 April. Cattle Egret are now regular at Castle Water, with a peak count of 25 on 13 April.
The first lemon-drop Yellow Wagtail of spring was seen at Flat Beach on 8 April and ten more were counted at Castle Water on 18 April.
The first Swift (our most iconic spring bird?) was seen on 20 April.
First spring dates for our returning warblers were Sedge (1 April), Reed (8 April), Common and Lesser Whitethroat (both 9 April). An unusual springtime record for the reserve was of a Garden Warbler at the Castle Water Viewpoint on 19 April.
The first adult St Mark’s Flies were seen on 14 April, 11 days earlier than St Mark’s Day when they traditionally emerge.
Sea Kale started to flower around 17 April and soon a sweet honey aroma will hang over the shingle. Other plants in flower during April included Red Valerian and Ivy-leaved Toadflax.
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust and supported by the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
Image Credits: Derek Middleton , Roger Wilmshurst , James Tomlinson , James Tomlinson , Hugh Clark FRPS , Barry Yates .