Rye Harbour Bioblitz 2022

Barry Yates
, 04 September 2022
Rye Harbour Bioblitz 2022
Elephant Hawkmoth

Sorry, this event has been cancelled, apologies for any inconvenience

10th & 11th September 2022

A BIOBLITZ tries to find as many species of plants, animals and fungi as possible and show some of these to as many people as possible.

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve's coastal and wetland landscape is home to more than 4,355 species - how many will we find this weekend?

BIOBLITZ HQ will be the classroom of the Discovery Centre (DC) 10am-4pm

Helping us will be:

Chris Bentley - the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve warden and invertebrate specialist

Lucy Bowyer,  Jill Ferguson, Natasha Sharma, Shannon Rae  - from the SWT Communities and Wildlife team at Rye Harbour

Ralph Hobbs - Grasshopper specialist

Dr Erica McAlister - Senior Curator for Diptera at the Natural History Museum author and broadcaster, listen to her Radio 4 series on insects

Glenn Norris - the SWT Ecologist

Keith Palmer - Lichen specialist

Dr Barry Yates - The RHNR manager who has just co-authored a book about its Seaside Flowers.

And many other local naturalists who will be spotting birds, listing plants, catching fish, photographing spiders, recording bats, trapping moths (and letting them go again).


Bioblitz Events

Saturday 10th

  • 8.30–10am - Wildlife walk with the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve – start Rye Harbour car park.
  • 9-2pm - Guide in a hide - birdwatching help with our volunteers at the hide near DC.
  • 9am - Moth trapping with Chris Bentley – grassland area near DC.
  • 10-11am - A closer look at moths with Chris Bentley – inside DC
  • 10-11am – Searching for mini-beasts with Lucy Bowyer - grassland area near DC.
  • 10-4pm – Discovery Centre with latest wildlife totals and specimens to look at with hand lenses and microscopes, including wildlife specimens from our craft group. Pat Bonham will be there with the Friends pre-owned wildlife book sales table.
  • 10.30-12.30pm – Pond dipping and wetland wildlife at Castle Water with Jill Ferguson, our teenage Wildlife Rangers, Shannon Rae and Glenn Norris – meet at reedbed viewpoint near #15 on our online map, then on to #13.
  • 1-2pm – Discover Amazing Flies with Dr Erica McAlister from the Natural History Museum – inside DC
  • 2-3pm - Beachcombing and Mermaid’s Purses with Lucy Bowyer – meet near river mouth.
  • 2–4pm - Grassland Walk with Chris Bentley and Ralph Hobbs to see dragonflies, grasshoppers, spiders and bees – outside DC
  • 4-6pm - Seaside Flowers walk with Barry Yates – outside DC

Sunday 11th

  • 9am – Moth trapping with Chris Bentley – grassland near DC.
  • 10-11am - A closer look at moths with Chris Bentley – inside DC
  • 10-4pm – Discovery Centre with latest wildlife totals and specimens to look at with hand lenses and microscopes, including wildlife specimens from our craft group.
  • 10-12pm – Lichens and other wildlife in, on and around Camber Castle with Keith Palmer and Barry Yates.
  • 10-11am – Searching for mini-beasts with Natasha Sharma - grassland area near DC.
  • 2-3pm – Wasp Spiders and other minibeasts - a walk with Chris Bentley – outside DC
  • 2-3pm - Beachcombing and Mermaid’s Purses with Natasha Sharma – meet near river mouth.
  • 2-3pm – Remote Sensing – the results of 2 nights Bat Logging and Trail Cameras with Barry Yates –inside DC
  • 3-4pm – Bioblitz preliminary results – how much wildlife did we find? - inside DC
  • 4-6pm - Saltmarsh walk to look for plants, seeds and the rare Saltmarsh Bee with Barry Yates – outside DC

Let us know what and where you see wildlife on the reserve by coming to the classroom or sending details to us at [email protected]

A summary of what we find will be here after the event..

Leave a comment