27th September,2010 Beachy Head

RDME went ringing in the Hollow today and also did some areas on the Headland. Ringing numbers in brackets.

Wind NW 3-4 decreasing to 2 N-NNE.

Sparrowhawk 1

Greater Spotted Woodpecker departed W. from Belle Tout wood.

Mistle Thrush 1 W

Ring Ouzel 1

Reed Warbler 2 (1)

Blackcap 150 (38)

Chiffchaff 25 (10)

Pied Flycatcher 1 in Hodcombe (RHC)

Goldcrest 1

Firecrest 1 in Hodcombe (RHC)

Treecreeper (1)

Raven 2

26th September 2010 Beachy Head N4 Overcast

Gannet c.10

Cormorant 6W

Shag 1W juv.

Scoter 3E

Buzzard 1

Sparrowhawk 2

Merlin 2

Snipe 3N over Belle Tout

Dunlin 1N over top of Birling Lane

Golden Plover 1N

Swallow c.100

House Martin c.200

Song Thrush 3 dropped in

Stonechat 2

Wheatear 2

Meadow Pipit 5W, 6E, 60

Pied Wagtail 5E

Grey Wagtail 3W

Yellow Wagtail 3

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Whitethroat 2

Chiffchaff 15

Blue Tit 55 including a flock of 45 in Belle Tout Wood

Siskin 4h (RKH, RES)

Goldfinch 10

Lapland Bunting 4 fvo, 1W at 11.05am over Icky Ridge ex.

Reed Bunting 1W

Painted Lady 1

Small Copper 1

Meadow Pipit at Belle Tout

One of three Common Snipes arriving in off the sea south of Belle Tout

Sparrowhawk over the Beachy Head Hotel Garden

Painted Lady along Icky Ridge

Blue Tit apparently feeding on Blackberries in Whitbread Hollow

The infamous run in Whitbread Hollow with the BHRG hut

Beachy Head Lighthouse

25th September 2010 Beachy Head N1 Clear

Little Egret 1

Heron 1

Buzzard 2 (RES)

Sparrowhawk 1

Peregrine 1

Merlin 1

Kestrel 6

Short-eared Owl 1 (RHC)

Red-legged Partridge 2

Stock Dove 1

Swallow 15W, 150

House Martin 50W, 30E, 160

Pied Wagtail 4W, 3E, 5

Yellow Wagtail 2W, 2E, 2

Grey Wagtail 8W

Meadow Pipit 325

Stonechat 16

Whinchat 2

Wheatear 2 (RHC, RES)

Robin 5

Reed Warbler 1 (RES)

Whitethroat 2

Lesser Whitethroat 1 (RHC)

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 40

Spotted Flycatcher 1 (RHC)

Chaffinch 10

Linnet c.150

Lapland Bunting 3 fvo

Raven 2

Red Admiral 1

Small Copper 1

Migrant Hawker 2

On the 21st RHC had 10 Common Buzzards & 1 Red Kite over The Top Fields.

The gully south of Belle Tout Wood looking towards Seaford Head

Male Migrant Hawker at Belle Tout

Comma at the Old Trapping Area

Common Buzzard over the Beachy Head Hotel Garden

Grey Heron off Cow Gap

Oystercatchers off Cow Gap

Female Migrant Hawker in Whitbread Hollow

Merlin over the Top Fields

23rd September 2010 Beachy Head Calm and overcast to SW4

Birds trapped by RDME in Whitbread Hollow appear in brackets:

Gannet c.15

Fulmar 1

Buzzard 1

Sparrowhawk 2

Peregrine 4

Merlin 2-3

Kestrel 7

Sandwich Tern 5W

Curlew 3

Swallow 750

Sand Martin 2

House Martin 800

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1E

Pied Wagtail 7

Grey Wagtail 2W

Yellow Wagtail 11

Meadow Pipit 175

Stonechat 16

Whinchat 1

Wheatear 1

Dunnock 15

Robin 15

Ring Ouzel 1 Cliff Path

Mistle Thrush 1E

Reed Warbler 3 (1)

Blackcap 100 (34)

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Whitethroat 6 (1)

Chiffchaff 140 (47)

Goldcrest 3

Spotted Flycatcher 4

Long-tailed Tit 8

Blue Tit 10

Jay 3

Raven 2

Reed Bunting 3E

Goldfinch 30

Linnet c.100

Spotted Flycatchers in Whitbread Hollow

The Waverely Paddle Steamer off Birling Gap - the last seagoing paddle steamer in the World!

Belle Tout Wood

22nd September, 2010 Whitbread Hollow

RDME went ringing this morning in Whitbread Hollow and following are his sightings together with ringing totals in brackets.

Sparrow Hawk 1

Swallow 250

House Martin 1,000 (55)

Yellow Wagtail 1

Wheatear 2

Ring Ouzel 1 (1)

Reed Warbler 4 (3)

Whitethroat 2 (1)

Blackcap 250 (80)

Chiffchaff 40 (15)

Firecrest 1

Spotted Fly 2

Raven 1

House Sparrow 1 (Unusual in the Hollow and the first for the Autumn).

AQ also visited the Headland today and concentrated on the usual sites on top of the Headland and recorded the following migrants:

Common Buzzard 1

Merlin (female) 1 around Hodcombe.

Swift 1 W.

Woodlark 1 flushed and flew off calling.

Swallow 500 West

House Martin 2,500 West.

Meadow Pipit 220 (70 in the Top Fields and 150 on cliff edge).

Yellow Wagtail 10 West

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 1

Spotted Flycatcher 1 in Hodcombe

Blue Tit - Party of 12 moving high west with others seen in the bushes.

On the 21st RHC saw 1 Red Kite and 10 Common Buzzards.

Pictures of the Treecreeper trapped on the 19th.

1st yr. Ring Ouzel trapped in the Hollow.

19th September 2010 Beachy Head W4 cloud building

Birds trapped in Whitbread Hollow are included in brackets:

Little Egret 1W

Sparrowhawk 2

Merlin 1

Kestrel 8

Sandwich Tern 5W

Great Spotted Woodpecker 2

Skylark 20

Swallow 125 (1)

House Martin 50

Sand Martin 3

Grey Wagtail 4W

Meadow Pipit c.375 (225 moving W)

Tree Pipit 1

Stonechat 7

Wheatear 1

Reed Warbler 1 (1)

Whitethroat 9 (1)

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 200 (86)

Garden Warbler 1

Willow Warbler 1

Chiffchaff 435 (118)

Scandinavian Chiffchaff 1 ex. Belle Tout Wood

Spotted Flycatcher 2

Blue Tit 5

indeterminate Treecreeper 1 (1)

Lapland Bunting 3 ex.

Goldfinch 30

Raven 4

Speckeld Wood 8

Comma 2

Red Admiral 5

Lapland Bunting over the Top Fields

Little Egret off Cow Gap Beach

The Ringing Hut in Whitbread Hollow

Scandinavian Chiffchaff P.c. abietinus in Belle Tout Wood

A black-billed, black-legged colourless Chiffchaff for surprisingly early in the season. With its greyish-brown upperparts, pale ear-coverts and whitish underparts (including white undertail-coverts) this bird certainly proved immediately arresting amongst the accompanyingcollybita. In addition, it frequently uttered a monosyllabic 'cheeep' call, being reminiscent, although to my mind louder, than tristis. Such distinctive individuals are normally assigned to eastern populations of abietinus. Found unfortunately late in the day, the above image was obtained in the poor light of Belle Tout Wood, so fails to convey quite how distinctive this individual appeared in the field, although it is worth comparing its cold-toned plumage with a typical September collybita below:

Chiffchaff P.c. collybita photographed on 12th September 2009

Spotted Flycatcher in Belle Tout Wood

18th September 2010 Beachy Head NW2 Clear

Birds ringed in Whitbread Hollow are included in brackets:

Heron 1

Buzzard 5

Sparrowhawk 5

Merlin 1

Kestrel 5

Great Spotted Woodpecker 2

Swift 3

Swallow c.300

Sand Martin 3

House Martin c.500

Skylark c.15

Meadow Pipit c.500 many flying west

Tree Pipit 1

Yellow Wagtail 18W

Grey Wagtail 1

Whinchat 4

Wheatear 12

Reed Warbler 1 (1)

Whitethroat 8 (2)

Garden Warbler 3 (1)

Blackcap 250 (94)

Chiffchaff 75 (14)

Willow Warbler 1 (1)

Blue Tit 200+ many small flocks 15 -25 strong moving west

Lapland Bunting 5 ex. (2W then N at 7.25am, 1 at 8.15, 1 at c.9am (RJF), 1W at 10.05)

Reed Bunting 2

Chaffinch 10

Linnet c.150

Raven 5

RJF also recorded 2 Redstarts, 1000 + Swallows, & 226 Blue Tits chiefly moving West. RHC had around 100 Blue Tits many were seen moving through his garden, but RDME who was ringing in Whitbread Hollow just recorded 10 during the morning.

I have now looked up previous influxes of Blue Tits at Beachy Head since 1960 and this present influx is the largest to date. Although we have had several days in the past of around 150-170 birds on a day.

Red Admiral 4

Small Heath 3

Small Copper 3

Adonis Blue 1

Wheatear at Birling Gap

Great Spotted Woodpecker near the Old Trapping Area

Mustang over the Top Fields

Long Down Woods and Stubble Field

16th September,2010.Whitbread Hollow

RDME was ringing in the Hollow this morning and saw the following with birds ringed in brackets:

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 2

House Martin 150

Meadow Pipit 100

Dunnock 10+

Robin 20

Reed Warbler 2 (2)

Lesser Whitethroat 1 (1)

Common Whitethroat 25 (9)

Blackcap 500 (182)

Chiffchaff 200 (71)

Willow Warbler 1 (1)

Raven 1

13th September 2010 Beachy & Whitbread Hollow NW3 increasing 4-5

RDME went ringing with lots of common migrants again present with birds trapped in brackets:

Swift 1

Swallow 150+

House Martin 200+

Grasshopper Warbler 1

Sedge Warbler 1 (1)

Reed Warbler 1 (1)

Lesser Whitethroat 1 (1)

Whitethroat 20 (3)

Garden Warbler 1 (1)

Blackcap 200 (76)

Chiffchaff 150 (52)

Willow Warbler 2

Pied Flycatcher 1 Belle Tout Wood

Spotted Flycatcher 2

Adonis Blue 1

Forest Bug 1

Bob was told that there was no sign of the Icterine Warbler or Ortolan Bunting today.

Adonis Blue in Chat Vale (Roger Haggar)

Forest Bug Pentatoma rufipes at Belle Tout (Roger Haggar)

12th September 2010 Beachy Head NW2 Clear after overnight rain

Birds trapped in the hollow follow in brackets:

Buzzard 1-2

Honey Buzzard 1 (Chris Ball)

Sparrowhawk 5

Merlin 1

Hobby 1

Kestrel 5

Collared Dove 1

Swallow 125W

Sand Martin 12W

House Martin 975W

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Wryneck 1 (Chris Ball)

Skylark 6

Yellow Wagtail 5

Grey Wagtail 9W

Tree Pipit 23

Meadow Pipit 125

Blackbird 15

Ring Ouzel 1 in the hollow

Robin 6

Redstart 2

Wheatear 62

Whinchat 12

Grasshopper Warbler 2 (1)

Reed Warbler 5 (3) including the dark individual retrapped again

Sedge Warbler 6 (5)

Whitethroat 170 (25)

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 260 (106)

Garden Warbler 4 (2)

Icterine Warbler 1 ex. at top of Birling Lane

Chiffchaff 60 (17)

Willow Warbler 14 (4)

Spotted Flycatcher 3

Lapland Bunting 1W at c.9.15am over below the Old Belle Tout Lighthouse

Ortolan Bunting 1 still opposite Belle Tout Wood

Linnet c.150

Raven 1

Icterine Warbler at Birling Gap (Matt Eade)

Icterine Warbler at Birling Gap (Jake Everitt)

Ortolan Bunting at Belle Tout (Matt Eade)

Ortolan Bunting at Belle Tout (Jake Everitt)

House Martins over Belle Tout

Whinchat at Birling Gap

Garden Warbler in the Old Trapping Area