27th July 2020 - Rye Harbour and Steepdown

After visiting Rye Harbour NR last Tuesday for Mum's birthday, Sophie was keen to re-visit although this time to go for a look around the town as we didn't have time the previous week. We had an enjoyable visit taking in the lovely cobbled streets and medieval buildings. After finishing up in the town we headed to Castle Water in what were quite promising conditions for something unusual. The previous evening it had rained heavily and the weather during the day had been quite unsettled with periodic showers and strong winds. 

On our way out to the hide we enjoyed the profusion of the scarce Marshmallow Althaea officinalis and two noisy Ravens messing around in the sheep fields. As we were approaching the hide we got caught in a heavy rain shower which was not to Sophie's liking, I'm just grateful we were only a few hundred metres from the hide! Virtually the first two birds I set eyes on were two eclipse drake Garganey an increase in one from my previous visit. Waders comprised of five Black-tailed Godwit, three Common Sandpiper, two Ruff and 229 Lapwing. A Common Tern dropped in after a heavy rain shower. Almost continuously throughout our stay, hirundines were hawking over the water and were made up of 16 House Martins, five Swifts, and a cautious estimate of c50 Sand Martins. On our way back to the car we added four flyover Whimbrel and two Marsh Harriers were above the large expanse of reed beds. 

Eclipse drake Garganey, Castle Water, Rye Harbour NR

Marshmallow, Rye Harbour NR

On our way home we received a telephone call from Dad informing us of a ringtail Harrier Sp. which had been flushed off Steepdown by visiting Shropshire birder James Grundy. I wasn't too fussed as earlier in the day a Caspian Tern had been found at Fishlake Meadows near Southampton in Hampshire. The tern had done a disappearing act for much of the afternoon but had decided to reappear as I was home. Dad was keen to see it too so he came and picked me up and we set off but we got as far as Titnore Lane before turning round again on negative news. So Dad didn't have a wasted journey we headed for Steepdown to look for the Harrier Sp. 

Upon arrival at Steepdown the conditions couldn't have been worse. It was blowing a gale and the clouds had rolled in creating a very murky atmosphere and visibility was poor. From the Beggar's Bush car park we walked east towards Steepdown taking the lower footpath which gave us some protection from the wind, this footpath also provides a good viewing platform for the cereal fields that are situated just to the north/north-east of Steepdown. We got to the far end of Steepdown (where the path starts from the Lancing end) before turning around and we hadn't had a sniff of anything. We were both feeling pretty despondent and thought the bird was long gone by now. However as we were approaching the western end of Steepdown on our way back I picked up a ringtail Harrier sp. in my bins (for c5 seconds) at roughly a miles range, quartering a game strip just to the south of Annington Hill Barn. Luckily the bird dropped into the game strip and we managed to get into a better position to see if the bird would reappear. Shortly after, it revealed itself to be an unseasonal adult female Hen Harrier. It always remained relatively distant but did come quite close on one occasion giving reasonable views. I really expected the bird to be a Monties, I don't think I've ever been so disappointed to see a Hen Harrier.

A murky and windy evening at Steepdown