29thApril, 2010.Beachy Head

RDME did a sea-watch for 1.5 hrs and saw the following: 2 Brent Geese, 20 Common Scoters, 9 Gannets, 1 Red Throated Diver, 2 Bonxies, 4 Arctic Skuas, & 3 Sandwich Terns.

A walk up the lane at Birling and a visit to Belle Tout wood produced only 1 House Martin, 1 Chiffchaff & 1 Willow Warbler.

28th April,2010 Beachy Head.

RDME sea-watched for almost 5 hours and was joined by TWP & RHC for part of the time. The following were recorded: 11 Brent Geese, 375 Common Scoters, 4 Velvet Scoters, 1 Red Breasted Merganser, 3 Red Throated Divers, 1 Diver Sp., 71 Gannets, 32 Whimbrels, 1 Little Gull, 2 adult Med. Gulls, 5 Bonxies, 11 Arctic Skuas, 217 Sandwich Terns & 6 Commic Terns.

TWP had 5 Lesser Whitethroats in Shooters Bottom, and RHC had another or the same Red Kite yesterday.

27th April, 2010 Beachy Head.

RDME visited most of the usual sites on the Headland and then walked into Cow Gap and the Hollow. Highlight was a Short Eared Owl which flew high over the Old Trapping Area heading north. It had probably come in off. A Nightingale was singing in Whitbred Hollow. Four pairs of Stonechats were seen also 2 Shelducks probably prospecting flew north over the lane at Birling.

In the area the following were seen: 11 Swallows, 2 Ravens, 5 Lesser Whitethroats in song, 5 Blackcaps in song also 4 Chiffchaffs, and 27 Common Whitethraots.

25th April 2010 Birling Gap & Beachy

Birling Gap Seawatch 5.30am - 8.00am & 9.20am - 12.20pm E1 becoming W3 Overcast with showers

Red-throated Diver 1E

Gannet 54E

Brent 171E

Shelduck 3E

Merganser 2E

Scoter 456E

Shoveler 2E

Auk sp. 4E

Bar-tailed Godwit 20E

Whimbrel 11E

Commic Tern 266E

Sandwich Tern 151E

Arctic Skua 27E

Bonxie 5E

Swallow 3 in off

Beachy Head

Tawny Owl 1 grey phase

Collared Dove 1

Swallow 1

Stonechat 6

Wheatear 2

Whitethroat 14

Lesser Whitethroat 2

Willow Warbler 1

Raven 2

Linnet 10

Goldfinch 10W

Tawny Owl in Belle Tout Wood

24th April 2010 Birling Gap & Beachy Head ESE1 Clear

Birling Gap Seawatch 5.00pm - 8.20pm

Red-throated Diver 3E

Diver sp. 5E

Manx Shearwater 12E at 8.05pm in a single flock. Ex.

Gannet 26E

Long-tailed Duck 1E drake s/p ex. at 6.48pm

Merganser 2E

Whimbrel 138E

Bar-tailed Godwit 1E

Grey Plover 2E

Sandwich Tern 121E

Commic Tern 296E

Common Gull c.50E

Mediterranean Gull 2 adult Summer in off the sea

Little Gull 22E

Arctic Skua 34E

Swallow 1 in off

Birling Gap Seawatch 6.00am - 11.00am

Red-throated Diver 2E

Black-throated Diver 3E ex.

Great Crested Grebe 1E, 1 on sea

Gannet 45E

Brent Geese 76E (including 2 leucistic and 1 with a white flank patch)

Canada Goose 4W, 2E

Shelduck 25E

Scoter 604E

Velvet Scoter 2E

Merganser 7E

Shoveler 5E

Pintail 2E

Auk sp. 23E

Whimbrel 51E

Curlew 1E

Bar-tailed Godwit 20E

Avocet 4E

Pomarine Skua 1E dark ex. (6.20am)

Arctic Skua 22E (4 pale, 18 dark)

Bonxie 6E

Black-headed Gull 27E

Little Gull 290E ex.

Mediterranean Gull 1E (1s)

Common Gull 35E

Sandwich Tern 320E

Arctic Tern 2E

Commic Tern 1,504E

Little Tern 22E

Black Tern 3E

Yellow Wagtail 1 in off

Sand Martin 1 in off

Swallow 2 in off

Beachy Head

Buzzard 2

Swallow 4

Whitethroat h

Willow Warbler 4

Chiffchaff 1

RHC had a Red Kite over Hodcombe in the afternoon.

23rd April, 2010. Beachy Head

RDME & RHC did a sea-watch for 1.5 hrs and recorded the following: 1 Bonxie, 8 Gannets, 8+ Sandwich Terns, 4 Comic Terns, 12 Scoter, 3 Curlew, 3 Auks, 3 Bar Tailed Godwits, 9 Whimbrel 2 Red Breasted Mergansers, with 3 Swallows & 1 House Martin in.

RDME visited several sites on the Headland & had a party of 4 Ravens, the Tawny Owl in the wood, 1 Blackcap & 2 Lesser Whitethroats. A Peregrine with its prey in the field opposite the wood.

RHC had a single Wheatear.

22nd April,2010 Beachy Head

RDME did a short sea-watch and was joined by RHC & Tim & Sue. An Avocet was the highlight, but otherwise little seen. Then a walk around Birling and over the top to Belle Tout wood produced 3 Swallows, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroats, plus the odd Chiffchaffs.

Tim & Sue had a Swift over Shooters Bottom & 2 Wheatears at Birling.

21st April,2010 Beachy Head

Ring Ouzel (DC)

Sunset over Seaford Head (DC)

RKH visited the Headland this morning and recorded the following:

6 Wheatears, 2 Redstarts, 3 Ring Ouzels (2 west of the wood & 1 in the Old Trapping Area), also 2 Lesser Whitethroats in Chat Vale.

DC went up in the evening. A short sea-watch produced singles of Arctic & Great Skuas, 9 Sandwich Terns & 28 Whimbrel. Migrants seen included 1 female Redstart, 4 Ring Ouzels (3 near Belle Tout & 1 Shooters Bottom), with a Lesser Whitethroat singing under Belle Tout Lighthouse.

20th April, 2010 Beachy Head.

RDME visited Holywell & various sites on the Headland and recorded the following:

3 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 17 Willow Warblers, 1 female Redstart and 1 winter plumage Brambling, the Tawny Owl was showing well in the wood. 4 Wheatears on the breakwater at Holywell.

18th April 2010 Birling Gap & Beachy Head

Birling Gap Seawatch 6.15am - 9.30am E1

Red-throated Diver 7E

Little Egret 1E

Gannet 8E

Brent 324E including a 'pale brown' leucistic individual

Shelduck 6E, 2W

Merganser 9E

Eider 7E

Scoter 451E

Teal 5

Merlin 1W female

Whimbrel 7E

Oystercatcher 6W

Black-headed Gull 24E

Mediterranean Gull 4E adults

Little Gull 146E

Arctic Skua 1E

Sandwich Tern 33E

Pomarine Skua 1E pale morph ex.

Swallow 7 in off

Willow Warbler 1 in off

Harbour Porpoise 3

Beachy Head

Nightingale 1 singing and glimpsed several times just west of Belle Tout

Wheatear 9

Stonechat 2

Common Redstart 1 male

Whitethroat 2

Blackcap 1 male

Willow Warbler 25

RDME saw 1 Chiffchaff in Shooters Bottom, a Common Buzzard near Hodcombe and a Raven and RHC saw a Marsh Harrier over Hodcombe which played host to 10 Willow Warblers and a Whitethroat.

17th April 2010 Birling Gap & Beachy Head

Birling Seawatch 6.15am - 9.15am NE1

Red-throated Diver 2E

Black-throated Diver 2E (1 close full s/p - ex.)

Great Crested Grebe 1E

Shag 2E adults

Brent 32E

Canada Goose 2W

Greylag Geese 4W

Merganser 22E

Scoter 36E

Pintail 1E

Teal 2E

Shoveler 6E

Whimbrel 40E

Bar-tailed Godwit 6E

Grey Plover 4E

Sandwich Tern 8E

Black-headed Gull 40E

Mediterranean Gull 6E adults

Bonxie 2E

Arctic Skua 1E dark morph

Skylark 2

Swallow 5 in off

Harbour Porpoise 1E

Beachy Head

Kestrel 1

Whimbrel 2 top fields

White Wagtail 1W plus 3 alba Wagtails north

Stonechat 5

Whitethroat 2 singing

Blackcap h

Chiffchaff h

RDME found a male Ring Ouzel on the path at the southern end of Chat Vale and RKH heard a Willow Warbler there.

Weasel 1

Small Tortoiseshell 4

Peacock 3

Small White 1

Male Whitethroat just east of Belle Tout Wood

Male Common Starling in Chat Vale

Birling Gap Hotel - due to close on Tuesday 20th April 2010

Two Whimbrel in the Top Fields

Cowslip at Beachy Head Top Fields

15th April, 2010.Hodcombe, Beachy Head

Liz had a Cuckoo briefly in Hodcombe today, and Roger had a Firecrest on the 13th. Also Roger had 2 Garganey move East, when he was sat on the beach at Birling on or around the 11th.

12th April,2010. Beachy Head.

RDME performed a short sea-watch but only recorded a few Gannets and 2 Red Breasted Mergansers E.

He also looked at several sites on the Headland, but did not see any migrants.

11th April 2010 Birling Gap & Beachy

Birling Gap NE3 Overcast 6.15am - 8.30am

Gannet 5E, 14W

Scoter 92E

Merganser 4E

Shoveler 51E

Whimbrel 22E

Curlew h

Bar-tailed Godwit 2E

Mediterranean Gull 9E all adult Summer

Kittiwake 70E

Sandwich Tern 6E

Bonxie 1W

Auk sp. 13E, 6W

Beachy

Stonechat 6

Whitethroat 1

Chiffchaff 2

Raven 2-3

Birling Gap Seawatch 6.15am - 8.15am ENE1 Clear

Red-throated Diver 1E, 2 on sea

Gannet 12

Mute Swan 4E then W

Canada Goose 1 on sea then flew west

Shelduck 5W

Red-breasted Merganser 18E

Scoter 132E

Shoveler 22E

Teal 9E

Gadwall 3E

Mallard 2E

Common Gull 250

Black-headed Gull 12E

Mediterranean Gull 2E (2nd-S & ad S)

Kittiwake 675E

Sandwich Tern 4E

Carrion Crow 1 in off

Beachy Head

Grey Heron 1

Kestrel 1

Peregrine 1

Stock Dove 1

Swallow 1

Pied Wagtail 1

White Wagtail 2 ex.

Stonechat 7

Wheatear 3

Black Redstart 1 female

Whitethroat 1 male

Blackcap 4

Chiffchaff 10

Willow Warbler 3

Long-tailed Tit 2 rides

Raven 2

Small White 4

Small Tortoiseshell 6

Peacock 3

Female Stonechat near Belle Tout Lighthouse

Male Stonechat near Belle Tout Lighthouse

Dunnock near Belle Tout Lighthouse

Kestrel at Belle Tout

Male White Wagtail at Birling Gap Lane

Small White at Birling Gap Lane

The new road to Old Belle Tout Lighthouse

Black Redstart in the Old Trapping Area

Wheatear in Cow Gap

Peacock in Whitbread Hollow

9th April, 2010.Beachy Head.

KH & RS visited a number of sites on the Headland today and met up with RDME in Shooters Bottom & Pete & Miriam in the wood. They saw during their visit the following: 1 male Yellow Hammer, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Yellow Wagtail moved over N., 2 Whitethroats east side of the wood. Pete &Miriam had seen 2 Swallows at Birling.

RDME also walked Cow Gap & the Hollow and in addition saw 5 Blackcaps & 4 Chiffchaffs.

RHC had informed me that the pair of Ravens near Hodcombe had lost their nest due to a recent cliff fall. The pair had disappeared for 9 days but were back displaying on the 8th April. He has a pair of Stonechats in his field but the only other recent sighting was of a Blackcap.

Raven hitching a ride (RKH)

6th April 2010 Birling Gap Seawatch 7.40 - 9.40am SSE3

RHC, RDME & TWP sea-watched from 6.50am - 9.40am seeing:

Red-throated Diver 3E

Diver sp. 3 E

Gannet 1E

Brent Geese 13E

Red-breasted Merganser 1E, 7 on sea

Common Scoter 251 E

Goldeneye 1E

Teal 6E

Shoveler 2 E

Mediterranean Gull 3E

Kittiwake 2-3,000E

Sandwich Tern 25E

Commic Tern 2E

Bonxie 2E

Auk 2 E

Just 2 Chiffchaffs seen in Belle Toute wood.

5th April 2010 Birling Gap & Beachy Head

Birling Gap Overcast W3 6.30am - 7.30am

Gannet 3E, 3W

Brent 87E

Scoter 21E

Curlew 1E

Sandwich Tern 2E

Brent Geese passing Birling Gap

Beachy

Stock Dove 2

Sparrowhawk 1

Peregrine 1

Stonechat 2

Skylark 2W

Blackcap h

Chiffchaff 11

Long-tailed Tit 2

Jay h

Raven 2

Goldfinch 2

Hare 1

Chiffchaff at Belle Tout Wood

Long-tailed Tit in Cow Gap

Robin in Whitbread Hollow

Carrion Crow in Whitbread Hollow

Cowslip in Whitbread Hollow

4th April 2010 Beachy Head

RDME & PN visited the Head and saw 2 Blackcaps, 1 Willow Warbler and 1 Chiffchaff in Belle Tout Wood

3rd April 2010 Birling Gap & Beachy Head

Birling Gap SSW4 Overcast 6.30am - 10.00am

Red-throated Diver 5E

Great Crested Grebe 2E

Gannet 18E, 32W

Brent Geese 129E

Scoter 216E

Velvet Scoter 2E ex.

Merganser 2E pair

Kittiwake 284E

Little Gull 1E adult

Mediterranean Gull 1E second-Summer

Black-headed Gull 10E

Sandwich Tern 19E

Common Tern 2E

Bonxie 6E

Arctic Skua 1E dark morph 9.16am

Curlew 1E

Carrion Crow 6 in off sea

Beachy Head

Common Buzzard 1

Sparrowhawk 1

Swallow 2

Pied Wagtail 2

Stonechat 2

Chiffchaff 4

Chiffchaff at the Old Belle Tout Lighthouse

Male Stonechat at Belle Tout

Male Common Kestrel along Icky Ridge

Common Buzzard over Birling Gap

2nd April, 2010. Beachy Head

DC did a 4 hour sea-watch and recorded the following:

13 Red Throated Divers, 11 Gannets , 107 Brent Geese, 1 Pale Bellied Brent Goose, 3 Eider, 1 Red Breasted Merganser, 385 Common Scoters, 4 Tufted Ducks, 4 Shovelers, 4 Curlew, 12 Sanderling, 1 Guillemot, 290 Kittiwakes, 5 Med. Gulls, 161 Sandwich Terns, 1 Common Tern, 3 Arctic Skuas & 2 Bonxies.

No migrants were seen on the Headland in a short visit.

1st April, 2010 Beachy Head

Our sea-watch site at Birling after the recent cliff falls. (taken by RHC)

Both RDME & PN visited the Headland today but again very little seen on the migrant front with 1 Chiffchaff & 1 Blackcap in Belle Toute wood.