Orlestone Forest - cool and cloudy, W3 - We spent the morning searching for woodland birds in poor weather conditions where the highlight was at least 10 singing Nightingales, mostly around the recently created habitat in Faggs Wood. Also present: Willow and Garden Warblers, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, plus the usual range of common resident species. We checked out the area that held a singing Tree Pipit a fortnight ago of which there was no sign. Back on the Marsh we had good views of a `purring` Turtle Dove by the railway crossing and several Yellowhammers along the lanes.
Rye Harbour - A superb afternoon session on the Beach Reserve where we racked up 10 species of waders including 30 Sanderlings (mostly in summer plumage), 20 Dunlins (all in breeding plumage), a Red Knot, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 26 Tundra Ringed Plovers (much smaller and darker than the nominate race), a Curlew, 12 Turnstones (in a variety of plumages) and a Ruff (in non-breeding plumage) on Ternery Pool, plus the usual breeding Avocets, Redshanks, Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers. The tern and gull situation was very worrying with only a handful each of nesting Black-headed Gull, Common and Little Terns, presumably due to the poor weather; although we did note two Sandwich Terns and three Mediterranean Gulls. Also noted: Shelduck, Gadwall, Little and Great Crested Grebes, Little Egret, 20 Skylarks and a Wheatear. It was good to see that the new Discovery Centre and all the bird hides were open. On the way home we called in at a site on Walland Marsh where a `booming` Bittern and several Bearded Tits were noted.
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