pstraughan
Well-known member
Any birding day which starts and ends with a lifer and includes 53 species is a good one in my book.
The disappointment that the Little Terns have failed to nest at Rye Harbour again this year was offset by an early sighting of a Bittern rising up out of the reedbeds before flying across for a few seconds and dropping back in. My first sighting of this bird, although I heard one booming two years ago.
Elsewhere on the reserve, there were hundreds of Common and Sandwich Terns. Over 100 pairs of Mediterranean Gulls have nested this year. Sadly no Turtle Doves and only one Cuckoo was heard. Lots of small bird activity: Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Cetti's Reed and Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting and Linnet. Not a huge number of waders - Turnstone, Oystercatcher, a couple of Avocet , Redshank, Lapwing and Dunlin.
Th last bird of the day was my second lifer - a Corn Bunting.
It all made up for the fact that I ended up looking a bit like a male Linnet myself - managed to put the sun cream on most of my face but missed the forehead and bib area!
Pat
The disappointment that the Little Terns have failed to nest at Rye Harbour again this year was offset by an early sighting of a Bittern rising up out of the reedbeds before flying across for a few seconds and dropping back in. My first sighting of this bird, although I heard one booming two years ago.
Elsewhere on the reserve, there were hundreds of Common and Sandwich Terns. Over 100 pairs of Mediterranean Gulls have nested this year. Sadly no Turtle Doves and only one Cuckoo was heard. Lots of small bird activity: Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Cetti's Reed and Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting and Linnet. Not a huge number of waders - Turnstone, Oystercatcher, a couple of Avocet , Redshank, Lapwing and Dunlin.
Th last bird of the day was my second lifer - a Corn Bunting.
It all made up for the fact that I ended up looking a bit like a male Linnet myself - managed to put the sun cream on most of my face but missed the forehead and bib area!
Pat
