Friday 31 July 2009

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