Thursday 29 April 2010

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.

Wednesday 28 April 2010

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.

Tuesday 27 April 2010

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.

Sunday 25 April 2010

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

Saturday 24 April 2010

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.

Friday 23 April 2010

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.

Thursday 22 April 2010

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.

Wednesday 21 April 2010

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.

Tuesday 20 April 2010

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.

Sunday 18 April 2010

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

Friday 16 April 2010

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.

Monday 12 April 2010

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.

Sunday 11 April 2010

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

Saturday 10 April 2010

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

Friday 9 April 2010

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)

Tuesday 6 April 2010

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

Monday 5 April 2010

4th April 2010 Beachy Head

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

Saturday 3 April 2010

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

Friday 2 April 2010

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.

Thursday 1 April 2010

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.