Monday 31 May 2010

31st May 2010 Beachy Head

Birling Gap 6.30am - 7.15am
Heron 1
Auk sp. 2W
Razorbill 3E
Swift 646 ex. mainly moving W and N
Swallow 43
House Martin 8
Stonechat 2
Greenland Wheatear 3
Reed Warbler h
Whitethroat 7
Corn Bunting 3

Seal sp. 1 off Cow Gap

Wall 4
Common Blue 3
Dingy Skipper 1
Small Heath 1
Common Swifts over Birling Gap

30th May 2010 Beachy Head

Birling Gap W3 Overcast 6.30am - 7am
Heron 1
Gannet 15
Shelduck 2 prospecting
Scoter 5E
Peregrine 2
Hobby 1
Kestrel 1
Sandwich Tern 1W
Razorbill 2E
Red-legged Partridge 1
Swift 4
Stonechat 3
Greenland Wheatear 3
Nightingale 1 Hollow (RDME)
Swallow 36
House Martin 4
Rock Pipit 1
Lesser Whitethroat h
Whitethroat 13
Blackcap h
Garden Warbler 1 (RDME)
Chiffchaff 1 + h
Long-tailed Tit 2
Corn Bunting 3

Hare 4

Red Admiral 1
Speckled Wood 1
Wall 3
Common Blue 12
Adonis Blue 10
Dingy Skipper 3
Small Heath 2

Lady Orchid 1
The Seven Sisters

Birling Gap Lane

Male Greenland Wheatear

Female Greenland Wheatear

Lady Orchid at Beachy Head

Early Purple Orchids at Beachy Head

Adonis Blue at Cow Gap

Saturday 29 May 2010

29th May 2010 Birling Gap & Beachy Head

Birling Gap ESE2 strengthening with rain by 10am 5.30am - 8.00am & 9.45am - 10.45am
Red-throated Diver 2E
Gannet c.60E
Scoter 252E, 11W
Auk sp. 13E
Guillemot 1E
Razorbill 6E
Sandwich Tern 25E
Skua sp. 1 dark phase landed on sea
Dunlin 1W
Oystercatcher 5W
Swallow 1 in off sea

Beachy Head
Swallow 5
Wheatear 2 (including a Greenland Wheatear ex.)
Lesser Whitethroat h
Whitethroat 2
Corn Bunting 1
Male Greenland Wheatear at Belle Tout

Friday 28 May 2010

28th May,2010 Beachy Head

RDME visited the usual sites on the Headland today. 3 Lesser Whitethroats in song which included 2 in new sites, also Chiffchaff singing and 1 Collard Dove up the lane. 2 Swifts and 6 Swallows moved west. Only 1 Corn Bunting was heard singing.

RHC had a male Hen Harrier yesterday, and a Hobby.

Tuesday 25 May 2010

25th May, 2010 Beachy Head

RDME paid a quick visit to the Birling area but due to the strong cold NE wind little was seen. Single Reed & Willow Warblers up the lane at Birling and the Tawny Owl in the wood.

Monday 24 May 2010

24th May, 2010 Beachy Head

RDME visited the Headland today and also called into Hodcombe.
2 Reed Warblers, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear, 2+ Corn Buntings & the Tawny Owl in the wood being harassed by Magpies & Blackbirds.
Butterflies & Dragonflies seen: 5 Small Blues, 10+ Common Blues, 1 Small Heath and 1 Broad Bodied Chaser.

Sunday 23 May 2010

23th May 2010 Beachy Head

Birling Gap 6.45am - 7.45am E1 Clear, sunny and hot
Scoter 2
Shoveler 4E
Garganey 2E ex. pair
Auk sp. 3
Whimbrel 1E
Oystercatcher 3
Turnstone 6E
Black-headed Gull 4E
Sandwich Tern 2
Commic Tern 4E
Little Tern 1E

Beachy Head
Heron 1
Peregrine 1
Hobby 1N
Kestrel 2
Collared Dove 1
Swift 8
Sand Martin 1
House Martin 2
Swallow 74
Stonechat 4
Black Redstart 1
Whitethroat 17
Blackcap 5h singing
Chiffchaff 2h singing
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Serin 1 ex. Belle Tout at 10am
Corn Bunting 5

Peacock 1
Wall 8
Speckled Wood 1
Small Heath 10
Dingy Skipper 10
Magpie over Belle Tout

Corn Bunting at Belle Tout

Dunnock at Belle Tout

Wallflower at Whitbread Hollow

Small Copper at Beachy Head

Saturday 22 May 2010

22nd May 2010 Beachy Head

Beachy Head NE2-3 Fog Patches Seawatch 6.30am - 6.45am
Gannet 6
Sandwich Tern 4W

Marsh Harrier 1 in off the sea over Birling Gap at 7.10am
Turtle Dove 1 in off the sea at Chat Vale (RKH & RES)
Swift 2
Swallow 30
House Martin 1
Stonechat 6 including 2 juveniles
Reed Warbler 1h singing
Lesser Whitethroat 1h singing
Whitethroat c.25
Blackcap 5h singing
Chiffchaff 1h singing
Corn Bunting 3 singing and 2 over Chat Vale (RKH & RES)

RDME had a Garden Warbler singing in the Hollow.

Grizzled Skipper 1
Dingy Skipper 5
Small Copper 1
Small Heath 5
Common Blue 4
Wall 1
Red Admiral 1
Marsh Harrier arriving in off the sea over Birling Gap

Grizzled Skipper at Belle Tout

Wall Brown at Chat Vale

Peregrine over Chat Vale

Stoat in Cow Gap

Dingy Skipper in Whitbread Hollow

Small Heath in Whitbread Hollow

Wednesday 19 May 2010

19th May,2010. Beachy Head

RDME visited the Headland today. A short sea-watch produced very little, and a check of a number of sites on the Headland produced only the residents and no actual migrants. The Tawny Owl was seen in the wood.

Sunday 16 May 2010

16th May 2010 Beachy Head WSW1

Red-legged Partridge 2
Swallow 24
House Martin 1
Pied Wagtail 1
Stonechat 4
Wheatear 1
Whitethroat 22
Lesser Whitethroat h
Chiffchaff 2
Spotted Flycatcher 4

Small Heath 1
Spotted Flycatcher at Birling Gap

15th May, 2010 Beachy Head

RDME seawatched from 6.00-7.00am seeing:
Gannet 6W, 21E
Great Crested Grebe 2E
Sandwich Tern 2 milling about
Brent 8E

Combined totals for the area:

Kestrel 1
Swift 3
Swallow c.80 in off the sea
House Martin 3
Stonechat 6 including the first juvenile of the year (RDME)
Redstart 1 female
Wheatear 4
Nightingale h
Whitethroat 33
Lesser Whitethroat 3
Blackcap 2h
Chiffchaff 3
Willow Warbler 1
Spotted Flycatcher 7
Raven 1
Linnet 38
Goldfinch 10

Green Hairstreak 2
Dingy Skipper 1
Small Copper 1
Small Heath 2
Wall 3
Peacock 2
Small White 3
Speckled Wood 1

Early Spider Orchid c.60

Female Wheatear at Belle Tout

Male Lesser Whitethroat at Belle Tout

Fulmars at Birling Gap

Speckled Wood in the Gully

Early Purple Orchids at the Old Trapping Area

Friday 14 May 2010

14th May, 2010 Beachy Head

RDME did a 4 hour sea-watch between 05.50-09.50 and was joined by RHC for over an hour. The following were seen: 178 Gannets, 4 Red Throated Divers, 10 Black Throated Divers, 6 Brents, 37 Scoter, 9 Eiders, 103 Auks, 1 Bonxie, 1 Arctic Skua, 39 Sandwich Terns, 2,119 Commic Terns, 3 Black Terns, 1 Little Tern, 3 Curlew, 7 Whimbrel, 1 Avocet, 2 Ringed Plover & 3 Bar tailed Godwits.

Bob also had a Sedge Warbler in Cow Gap and the Nightingale was still singing in the Hollow.
Pete & Miriam had a Spotted Flycatcher in Chat Vale.

13th May, 2010. Beachy Head

Sea-watch from 05.30-10.40 hrs by various observers produced the following:

301 + Commic Tern , 1Little Tern , 3 Black Tern , 3 Black Throated Divers , 165 Common Scoter , 1 Red Breasted Merganser , 3 Whimbrel , 2 Sanderling , 4 Shelduck, 50 + Gannets , 3 Auks, 1 Arctic Skua & 1 Long Tailed Skua mainly sat on the sea drifting E between 10.10 & 10.40 (seen by TWP. RHC. & Andy Swash).

Also 3 Swallows came in.

Monday 10 May 2010

10th May, 2010 Beachy Head

RHC had a fine male Greenland Wheatear in his field this morning and he also had a male & female Serin flying East on his walk along the cliff edge at 07.30 this morning.

Sunday 9 May 2010

9th May 2010 Beachy Head

Beachy Head NE3 Overcast and cold
Shelduck 4 over Top Fields
Hobby 1
Red-legged Partridge 1 Cow Gap
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 Top Fields
Swift 72 in off
Wheatear 2
Stonechat 6
Yellow Wagtail 2 in off
Swallow 11 in off
House Martin 27 in off (including a tight flock of 25)
Reed Warbler 2h
Blackcap 4
Whitethroat 23
Lesser Whitethroat 2h
Chiffchaff 2h
Willow Warbler 5
Raven 1
Hobby over Birling Gap

Stonechat

Male Wheatear at the Old Trapping Area

Raven over the Old Trapping Area

Female Wheatear at Cow Gap Beach

Long-tailed Tit in the Gully

Dingy Skipper in Whitbread Hollow

8th May 2010 Beachy Head

Birling Gap & Belle Tout ENE1 Overcast
Pied Wagtail 2
Wheatear 1
Stonechat 4
Whitethroat 14
Lesser Whitethroat 2h
Blackcap 2
Chiffchaff h
Willow Warbler 11 including a couple of acredula-type individuals
Spotted Flycatcher 1

Also RES had a Spotted Flycatcher in Belle Tout Wood yesterday

Early Spider Orchid at Beachy Head

Spotted Flycatcher in Belle Tout Wood

Wednesday 5 May 2010

5th May, 2010. Beachy Head

RDME visited several sites on the Headland and also Whitbred Hollow. Only the now resident Chiffchaff, Blackcaps & Whitethroats seen and the Nightingale was still singing in Whitbred Hollow. 4 Swallows moved North over the Hollow.
Of interest, Bob counted 26 Early Spider Orchids in Cow Gap although probably more still to come out and also found 1 very close to the Ringing Hut, a new site for Early Spiders.

Sunday 2 May 2010

2nd May 2010 Beachy Head SW1 Overcast with light rain

Diver sp. 1E, 1W
Scoter 4E
Red-legged Partridge 2 just west of Belle Tout Wood
Sandwich Tern 6
Bonxie 1E (RDME)
Stock Dove 2
Swift 5
Swallow 4
Stonechat 3
Whitethroat c.15
Lesser Whitethroat 2h
Blackcap 2h
Chiffchaff 1h

Saturday 1 May 2010

1st May 2010 Beachy Head W1-2 Overcast with some drizzle

Gannet 2
Scoter 3W
Swallow 13W, 3
Swift 6N
Stonechat 3
Wheatear 1 male
Whitethroat 18
Lesser Whitethroat 3
Chiffchaff 1

Early Spider Orchid 12
Early Purple Orchid 40

On the 28th April RHC had 8 Pomarine Skuas (7 E & 1 on the sea) @ approx.4.40 hrs.


Early Spider Orchids

Early Purple Orchid