Sussex Wildlife Trust now sponsoring RX Wildlife.

We have a new sponsor for the website. Sussex Wildlife Trust is the leading nature conservation organisation covering East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

The Trust manage four nature reserves in the RX area - Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, Flatropers Wood, Filsham Reedbed and Marline Valley. They are also running a number of courses in the area during the year, go to their courses page to find out more.

Also welcome to SWT Reserves Officer Alice Parfitt as a new author to the website.

East Guldeford Levels

A lovely blue sky and frosty morning, freezing the muddy paths nicely.  There were clearly more birds on the levels than of late, with 300 Lapwings and 250 Golden Plovers most obvious, about 15 Curlews was typical, but a singing Dunlin was a first.

This is a good place for raptors, with two good ones today, a ringtail Hen Harrier and a female Merlin; also a Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier.

Farmland birds were represented by Skylarks only, but a good number, with 15 in ploughed fields and a nice flock of 70 in stubble.  There were no Corn Buntings today, and no Linnets- I haven't recorded Linnet anywhere yet this year , despite some pretty intensive searching,the last few days in particular. Where are they ?

Rye Harbour

With the freezing conditions large parts of the reserves water bodies (and local area) are frozen over so good numbers of wildfowl are on the move finding patches of open water. Counts across the site this morning included 972 Teal, 332 Gadwall, 540 Wigeon, 184 Shoveler, 575 Mallard, 161 Tutfed Duck, 6 Pintail and 46 Shelduck. Two Bitterns again gave flight/perching views around the main pit as they searched for open margins. Also of note this morning 515 Curlew, 220 Dunlin and 64 Knot were feeding along the shore. 

Filsham Reedbed

While working at Filsham yesterday, a bittern flew over the reedbed but i wasn't sure where it landed. Also very vocal water rail and cettis warbler still about. A woodcock was also flushed from the site. 

National Wildlife Crime Unit

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