Rye Waders & Eider

Lade - 0900hrs - mild, cloudy, w4 - Kicked off the day at the local patch with a number of passerines in the willows including Chiffchaffs, Whitethroat, Reed and Sedge Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher, amongst numerous Blue and Great Tits, Blackbirds and Chaffinches and 4 singing Cetti`s Warblers. Dabchicks were much in evidence and several skeins of Greylags noisily moved down the coast numbering around 500.
On the sands from the car park the usual Curlews and Oystercatchers.
After calling in at the Kerton Road Cafe to check out the moths it was onto Galloways via Dengemarsh Road where a flock of 100 Greenfinches was noteworthy, plus 2 Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel.
Scotney Pits - The grassy spit held 100 Golden Plovers, 4 Barwits, plus singles of Blackwit and Curlew.
Rye Harbour - 1100hrs - With a high tide flooding into the new salt marsh and the beaches covered, Flat Beach was heaving with waders with no where else to go. From the hide 200 Dunlin, 150 Ringed Plovers, 50 Oystercatchers, 50 Lapwings, 10 Golden Plovers, 10 Turnstones, 6 Barwits, 5 Redshanks, 2 Sanderlings, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank. Also, 100 Great Black-backed Gulls, 20 Sandwich Terns, 10 Little Egrets, 6 Shelducks, 5 Yellow Wagtails and a Rock Pipit.

                                          Eider, River Rother, Rye Harbour

Bird of the day, however, was a very confiding Eider swimming close to shore at the mouth of the River Rother; much to the amusement of Liz from the North-East!
Walland Marsh - 1400hrs - Crossing the Marsh we had Tree Sparrows at the usual spot, a flock of 150 Yellow Wagtails on a recently harrowed spud field, Sparrowhawk, Jay and Green Woodpecker.
ARC - 1530hrs - Not much change from yesterday with 8 Dunlins and singles of Little Stint, Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper the highlights.
Also reported around the bird reserve today, Pectoral Sandpiper on Burrowes and Great White Egret at Dengemarsh.
In summary, 90 species noted during the two days with plenty of waders, wildfowl (inlcuding Eider!) and raptors to enjoy for our guest.