Special Breeding Birds of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (RHNR) by Dr. Barry Yates

Our planned talk by James Duncan from the SWT on ‘The Wonders of Migration’ had to be postponed, but instead The Friends were treated to a talk by the retired RHNR manager, and current chairman of the Friends Committee, Dr Barry Yates.

Barry spoke to us about the ‘Special Breeding Birds of RHNR ‘and we found out just how important RHNR is for many threatened species. A large proportion of Sussex’s breeding Ringed Plover, Redshank, Lapwing, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern and Marsh Harriers – to name just a few, make RHNR their home for the summer and raise (or attempt to raise) young here. Life is very difficult for these birds and Barry highlighted some of the difficulties faced by these birds, and the importance of measures like electric fences (great, but expensive) to help prevent predation and lack of disturbance whilst breeding. Food supply in the sea and in their breeding habitat on the reserve is another problem many birds face. Birds like Sandwich Tern are able to travel up to 12-km out and along the coast to find food and still frequently struggle to find sufficient food for their chicks. The highly vulnerable Little Tern can only travel 1-km and if there is not sufficient food close by in the sea the chicks can easily starve.

All in all an extremely interesting talk, and the importance of our reserve not just for Sussex, but for the whole of the UK should not be underestimated.