November 2016: Rye Harbour Nature Reserve Sightings
November saw several records of scaup on the reserve, with three young birds present on Flat Beach Quarry from the 8th and an additional 17 on Harbour Farm on the 10th. This marine relative of tufted duck breeds within the Arctic Circle in northern Europe, North America and Asia, wintering in more temperate climes further south. At Rye Harbour this species is seen on and around the reserve from about early November to late March in most years, usually in small numbers but with a maximum of 215 offshore in 1997. One of the main foods of scaup is shellfish and the name is probably a corruption of the Scottish/northern English word ‘scalp’ meaning a shellfish bed.
Golden plover numbers began to build up during the month as cold weather pushed birds towards the milder climes of the south coast, with a maximum of 310 on the 15th. Curlew numbers also showed an increase compared to October with 330 on Harbour Farm on the 19th, while 81 snipe, also on Harbour Farm, were recorded on the 10th. Wader highlight was a jack snipe on Harbour Farm on the 10th, while a green sandpiper on Harbour Farm on the 10th and three ruff on Flat Beach Level on the 15th and Castle Farm on the 30th were also of note. Cold weather during November also brought in a good range of wildfowl to the reserve and surrounding area. Numbers of wigeon remained high, with at least 1330 recorded around the reserve on the 11th, while at least 500
Image: Toby Houlton
teal were present on Castle Water on the 30th. Also on the 30th, two red-crested pochard were present on Long Pit along with at least two goldeneye, the first records of the winter. On the Beach Reserve, a black-necked grebe was present on Ternery Pool from the 13th, and Flat Beach played host to three whooper swan, a Bewick’s swan and 19 pintail on the 11th, a barnacle goose on the 14th, 45 brent goose on the 15th and the long-staying red-breasted merganser up until the 17th. In addition, there were regular sightings of great white egret (above), with a maximum of three on Long Pit on the 23rd, and several sightings of bittern, while, a ‘sea watch’ on the 11th recorded 350+ common scoter and four velvet scoter. Raptors included regular marsh harrier, a merlin over the Beach Reserve on the 11th and buzzard at Castle Water on two dates, with the highlight a hen harrier at Castle Water on the 11th.Passerines during November also began to take on a more wintry feel, with 55 fieldfare and 17 redwing on the 15th and increasing numbers of skylark on Harbour Farm with a maximum of 37 on the new saltmarsh on the 10th. Highlights during November, all at Castle Water, included a Dartford warbler (below) on the 13th, firecrest on the 24th and eight bearded tit on the 15th.
Image: Toby Houlton