Folkestone and Hythe Birds Tetrad Guide: TR13 H (West Hythe, Hythe Roughs West, Lympne and Folks’ Wood) The Royal Military Canal runs along the southern edge of the tetrad TR13 H, from just west of the Burmarsh Bridge at Palmarsh westwards through West Hythe, nearly as far as the dam (which is just into TR13 C), and the canal and its banks form one of the most interesting habitats for birds. The canal itself holds breeding Mute Swan, Mallard and Moorhen, whilst rarer visitors have included Goosander, Goldeneye, Smew, Mandarin and Red-throated Diver. Kingfishers are regularly seen and Reed Warblers breed in the Phragmites edges. The scrub and trees which line the bank have breeding Cetti’s Warbler and the commoner warblers, whilst Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Firecrest may overwinter. The ditch which runs parallel to the northern bank of the canal attracts Water Rail, particularly adjacent to the small reedbed on the Roughs, whilst the Alder trees here can hold Siskin and Redpoll in winter. Looking west along the Royal Military Canal from West Hythe It is a good area for observing a range of common woodland species such as Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Jay, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Treecreeper and Bullfinch, all of which probably breed in Lympne Park Wood, whilst Marsh Tit and Nuthatch are occasionally noted. Lympne Park Wood is best known for its heronry, discovered in 1948 and holding 38 nests at its peak in 1971, with around 13 nests in recent years. Little Egrets have been sighted in the wood on a couple of occasions, raising hopes that they might also breed here in future. There is a well-established rookery which comprises up to 110 nests and Hobby and Tawny Owl also breed in the wood. Lympne Park Wood from the south-west Grey Heron carrying nesting material at West Hythe Grey Herons at nest in Lympne Park Wood The tetrad contains the western part of Hythe Roughs, which has breeding Stock Dove, Cuckoo, Little Owl, Whitethroat, Stonechat, Linnet and Yellowhammer, and probably Red-legged Partridge, with Snipe and occasionally Barn Owl in winter. Looking west from Hythe Roughs towards Lympne Park Wood Looking east across Hythe Roughs The West Hythe area was one of last strongholds of Turtle Dove locally but this species has disappeared in the last few years. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Nightingale and Tree Sparrow were also formerly found here but all had ceased to breed by the mid-1990s. Longer ago, in the 1950s, there were records of Wryneck and Hoopoe, and it seems likely that the former may have bred in the area, and possibly even the latter. Goosander at West Hythe Red-throated Diver at West Hythe The fields either side of the roman road (Old London Road or Aldington Road) can attract winter thrushes or flocks of Sky Larks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Chaffinches, Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, particularly if some stubble or fallow areas are left. Lapwings and Snipe (with up to 62 present in February 2017) have also been recorded, with Merlin and Woodcock on occasion, whilst Red-legged Partridges may also be found. Looking north-west from Old London Road towards Fallow field between Oxenden Farm and Folks’ Wood Folks’ Wood favoured by Linnets and Yellowhammers The pond in Folks’ Wood, adjacent to the A261, often holds Mandarin ducks, with a peak count of 27 there in January 2013. The wood also has wintering Woodcock and breeding Buzzard, Tawny Owl, Marsh Tit and Nuthatch. A Golden Oriole was recorded in Folks’ Wood in May 1985. Nearby the Pedlinge area may attract large numbers of Jackdaws and Rooks gathering prior to going to roost in Chesterfield Wood (TR13 M). Firecrest at West Hythe Chiffchaff at West Hythe The tetrad has produced a number of migrants, particularly along the canal or at the Roughs, including Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Black Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler, Ring Ouzel, Pied Flycatcher, Whinchat and Wheatear, whilst rarer species have comprised Barred Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Marsh Warbler and Hawfinch. Folks’ Wood, from the bridleway looking west Raptors noted overhead have included Honey Buzzard, Rough-legged Buzzard, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier and Osprey. The Green Heron that spent three weeks in TR13 C in autumn 2008 ventured into the tetrad on at least one occasion, and the Night Heron present in late autumn/winter of the same year did so several times, whilst a Bittern was seen along the canal by Hythe Roughs, to the west of the Palmarsh estate, in February 1982. Great Spotted Woodpecker at West Hythe Sparrowhawk at West Hythe Other oddities have included Garganey, Falcated Duck and Grey Phalarope on the canal and Waxwings have occurred during irruption years, most recently at Lympne in December 2010. Cetti’s Warbler at West Hythe Little Owl at West Hythe Grey Phalarope at West Hythe Falcated Duck at West Hythe Access and Parking The Royal Military Canal car park at West Hythe (situated on the north side of the canal at the bottom of Lympne Hill) provides a handy base for exploring the canal and Roughs, and parking here is free. There are footpaths running along both banks of the canal and crossing points at the dam (in TR13 C) and at Burmarsh Bridge, Palmarsh, which enable a different return route to be taken. The footpath on the southern side enables better views of the canal whilst the one on the northern side is better for viewing the heronry and woodland species. It is also possible to park in Palmarsh and access the canal and Roughs, via Burmarsh Bridge, from here. Hythe Roughs is owned by the Ministry of Defence and has permissive access though there are no formal rights of way. There is a well-marked path which runs from the gate near the Burmarsh Bridge uphill to the acoustic mirror, which is not marked on the map, neither are the several other smaller paths. The ground off the beaten tracks however is uneven, boggy and overgrown in places so care should be taken here. There is also a path which runs from Hythe to Lympne along the top of the Roughs, following the edge of the greensand ‘cliff’, which affords good views of the Roughs and the marsh beyond. The road which runs past St. Mary’s Church also enables access to the Roughs though parking is very limited and the eastern end of the track is prone to flooding due to a nearby spring. Lympne Park Wood is a private woodland and should only be viewed from public rights of way, which will also avoid disturbance to the heronry. The Saxon Shore Way and other footpaths shown on the map allow access to the fields off Old London Road and there is a bridleway which passes through Folks’ Wood (though comes to a dead end at the A261). Other Natural History The southern half of the tetrad contains part of the Lympne Escarpment SSSI, which extends eastwards to the Hythe end of the Roughs. The steep escarpment is of Kentish ragstone, a hard sandy limestone formed by the Hythe Beds of the Lower Greensand, which produces calcareous soils. The grassland and woodland of this site are among the best remaining examples of semi-natural habitats on ragstone in Kent. Wet ash-maple is the predominant woodland type with a small area of calcareous ash-wych elm wood, whilst many plants usually associated with chalk soils occur in the grassland. Outcrops of ragstone are frequent on the upper slopes of the escarpment and the vegetation here is dominated by grasses such as fescues, Cock’s-foot, False Oat-grass and Tor-grass. Grazing helps to encourage a diverse flowering plant community including Carline Thistle and Hound’s-tongue which are associated with calcareous soils. Due to the high humidity of the south-facing slope wood sedge and stinking iris, species usually restricted to woods, are able to grow in the open grassland, and these conditions also promote the growth of ferns and mosses. The grasslands have been designated as a Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitat. Numerous springs and flushes occur at the base of the escarpment at the junction of the ragstone and the Atherfield Clay and the marshy ground below the springline has tall herb vegetation including plants such as Great Horsetail, Great Willowherb, Ragged Robin and Water Figwort. Lympne Park Wood is the largest remaining example of ash coppice woodland on the ragstone escarpment. It is thought to be of ancient origin with a long history of woodland cover. Most of the wood is ash, field-maple and hazel coppice with oak and ash standards, with wych elm present in a small area in the south-east corner. The calcareous nature of the soil is shown by the presence of shrubs such as spindle and wild privet. Of note elsewhere is a small colony of Lizard Orchids at Pedlinge. Due to the designation of a large part of the tetrad as a SSSI the fauna and flora here have been well catalogued and the non-avian lists are amongst some of the best in the area. Hythe Roughs supports the only Kent colony of the Four-spotted, whilst Cosmopterix scribaiella (New Marsh Cosmet) was recorded for the first time in the county at West Hythe in July 2015 (and mines were found there in November 2019, with the only other Kent record coming from the Aldergate Bridge in July 2019). The second county record of Anarsia lineatella (Peach-twig Borer) was taken at West Hythe in 2006 and the first local sighting of Scarce Chocolate-tip in over a century occurred there in August 2019, whilst in July 2017 the second modern record of Dark Crimson Underwing was trapped.