Beachy Head area 31st July, 2009

Beachy Head Lighthouse from Shooters Bottom.

Looking towards the old Belle Toute Lighthouse.

Shooters Bottom (aka Chat Vale).

Willow Warbler at Birling Gap.

Male moulting Stonechat with white rump in Shooters Bottom.

Male Chaffinch at Birling Gap.

Male Blackbird at Birling Gap.

Small Tortoiseshell in the Old Trapping Area.

Field Scabious in Cow Gap.

Arrived with Doreen at 06.30 hrs to an overcast but calm and warm morning. During the next 5 hours walked the area and met up with RDME near Belle Toute and later RKH at Shooters Bottom. I have included both Bob's & Roger's sightings in the following numbers.

Overnight arrival of warbler migrants with numbers as follows:

Grasshopper Warbler 3 (10 so far recorded this Autumn).

Sedge Warbler 4

Reed Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 4

Common Whitethroat 60

Blackcap 2

Willow Warbler 50 (Maximum daily number so far this Autumn).

Also:

Peregrine 3

Sand Martin 19

Butterflies:

Peacock 1

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Clouded Yellow 4

Brown Argus 1

Common Blue 20

Chalk Hill Blue 50

Painted Lady 20

Beachy Head area 29th July, 2009

The Gully, below Cow Gap

Male Common Blue in the Old Trapping Area.

Fox near Birling Gap.

Round Headed Rampion in Cow Gap.

White coloured form of Greater Knapweed in Whitbred Hollow.

Juvenile Peregrine over Shooters Bottom.

Common Whitethroat at Birling Gap.

Linnet in Shooters Bottom

Jackdaw with grub in Birling Gap car park.

Arrived at 06.20hrs to a calm overcast morning which felt very good for night migrants and for Swifts to be moving. Soon to be disappointed with very few migrants on the ground and not a single Swift seen in 4 hours of walking the area. Met Peter Netherway in the wood, and also saw Liz briefly who told me that they also had a Wood Warbler in Hodcombe yesterday, so therefore 2 for yesterday with ours in Belle Toute wood.

Little Egret 1 flew over Birling

Peregrine 1 juv. flew right over my head

Sand Martin 2

Grasshopper Warbler 1 in Cow Gap

Reed Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 24

Willow Warbler 2

Also 1 Fox at Birling.

Beachy Head area 28th July,2009.

Looking towards Belle Toute

Looking into Whitbred Hollow

Looking towards Eastbourne

Wood Warbler in Belle Toute wood

Four pictures of a Grasshopper Warbler in the Old Trapping Area

Female Chalk Hill Blue in the Old Trapping Area

Small Copper in the Old Trapping Area

Painted Lady in the Old Trapping Area

Male Chalk Hill Blue near Belle Toute

Arrived with Doreen at 06.15 hrs to a clear but breezy day, RDME joined us at Birling Gap. Walked the area for 4 hours.

Fulmar 2

Cormorant Flock of 27 flying high West in V formation off Birling Gap

Sparrow Hawk 1 female

Peregrine 3

Swift 2

Grasshopper Warbler 2 (Cow Gap & The Old Trapping Area).

Common Whitethroat 33

Wood Warbler 1 in Belle Toute wood

Chiffchaff 2

Willow Warbler 3

Butterflies:

Brown Argus 1

Common Blue 15

Chalk Hill Blue 70

Painted Lady 50

Comma 1

Beachy Head area 26th July, 2009

View looking across Birling Gap to the Seven Sisters.

Adult and Juvenile Pied Wagtails at Birling Gap

Arrived with DC at 06.15 hrs in an overcast but fairly calm morning. Birded the area for almost 5 hours, briefly met RDME at the Old Trapping Area.

Little Egret 1 on beach at Birling Gap

Swift 40 drifted West

Sand Martin 6

Pied Wagtail 3 (Adult feeding 1 young at Birling Gap).

Stonechat 6 (very low numbers being seen at present).

Grasshopper Warbler 2+ in Cow Gap

Sedge Warbler 2

Reed Warbler 3 (First for the Autumn).

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 20

Blackcap 1

Willow Warbler 7

Raven 1 East over Birling Gap

Starling 300+ (Many juveniles) at Birling Gap

Corn Bunting 1 with House Sparrows at Birling Gap.

Beachy Head area 25th July, 2009

Two views taken in Whitbred Hollow.

Willow Warbler near Birling Gap

Comma near Belle Toute wood

Clouded Yellow in Whitbred Hollow

Arrived at the Head at 06.15 hrs with DC, and spent 5 hours walking on the Headland. Met up with RHC in Shooters Bottom, and Martin Casemore & Ron Knight at Belle Toute wood.

Sparrow Hawk 1 male

Peregrine 1

Turtle Dove 1 West through Shooters Bootom. (our first for the year & an early date for a returning migrant).

Swift 2

Sand Martin 40

Swallow 30

Grasshopper Warbler 1

Sedge Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 21

Willow Warbler 8

Butterflies:

Clouded Yellow 3 (first for the year).

Brown Argus 2

Chalk Hill Blue 50

Small Copper 2

Painted Lady 40

Comma 1

Beachy Head area 23rd July, 2009

Lesser Whitethroat in Shooters Bottom

Essex Skipper in the Old Trapping Area

Marbled White in Cow Gap.

Arrived at 06.15am and walked virtually the whole area, and several new arrivals were seen.

Sparrow Hawk 1male

Peregrine 2 off Shooters Bottom

Cuckoo 1 flew across Whitbred Hollow and up into the Rides. (My first for the year).

Grasshopper Warbler 1 in Cow Gap. (First for the Autumn).

Sedge Warbler 1 at Birling Gap (First for the Autumn).

Lesser Whitethroat 2

Common Whitethroat 29

Blackcap 1

Butterflies:

Painted Lady 40

Marbled White 4

Essex Skipper 1

Beachy Head area 21st July

Common Whitethroat in Cow Gap.

Walked virtually the whole area in 4 hours this morning, but generally a very quiet morning.

Swift 3

Sand Martin 10 (first for the Autumn)

Common Whitethroat 40

Blackcap 2

Butterflies:

Painted Lady 30

Beachy Head area 20th July, 2009.

Willow Warbler in Shooters Bottom

Arrived in calm conditions, but within a short period a strong breeze had picked up and decided therefore to concentrate on top of the Headland and then do a sea-watch for 30 minutes.

Great Crested Grebe 3 East

Hobby 1 adult which knocked down a Swallow which it picked up out of some long grass.

Guillemot 1 East

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 25

Blackcap 2

Willow Warbler 6 (first small influx of the Autumn)

18th July, 2009 Beachy Head

Sea-watched in windy conditions from Birling Gap from 06.15 to 08.45 hrs with DC & was joined by RHC.

A Hobby flew over the fields at Birling Gap as we arrived.

Sea-watch:

Fulmar 3-4

Manx Shearwater 2 seen by DC

Gannet 30 East

Redshank 1 West was chased by a Peregrine over the sea.

Mediterranean Gull 24 West including a flock of 18, all adults other than 2 in juvenile plumage.

Auk sp.2 East.

RHC informed us that he and Liz had a Bee-eater for approx. 30 minutes in Hodcombe on the 9th July.

16 July, 2009 Beachy Head area

Brown Argus near Belle Toute

Seven Sisters from Birling Gap.

Spent 4 hours walking the Headland looking for early migrants.

Blackcap 2

Willow Warbler 1

Crossbill Party of 8 flew North above Whitbred Hollow

Also seen:

Sparrow Hawk 1

Peregrine 2

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 46

Butterflies:

Brown Argus 1

Chalk Hill Blues 60

Small Copper 2

Green Winged Fritillary 3

Painted Lady 3

Comma 1

Marbled White 15

Essex Skipper 2

Small Skipper 25

15th July, 2009 Birling Gap Sea-watch 10.15 - 11.15 hrs

Manx Shearwater 6 West

Balearic Shearwater 1 West

Gannet 60 East

Common Scoter 7 East

Sandwich Tern 2 East