30th January, 2011 Beachy Head. Sunny, frosty & cold.NE2-3

We sea-watched 07.45-08.45, but far less activity than yesterday. We then visited Belle Tout wood and the field opposite. We recorded the following:

Red Throated Diver 1 E

Diver Sp. 3 W

Great Crested Grebe 1 E & 1 on sea

Fulmar 4

Gannet 9 E & 25 off shore.

Cormorant 11 E & 52 W

Brent Goose 25 E

Wigeon 1 E

Common Gull 100 in fields

Auk sp. 51 E & 48 W

Razorbill 62 E & c50 on sea.

Skylark 40

Rock Pipit 1

Long Tailed Tit 8

29th January, 2011 Birling Gap. Overcast NE2

We sea-watched from 07.35-10.05. Lots of activity and again the majority of Auks i/d proved to be Razorbills. We recorded the following:

Red Throated Diver 70 E & 25 on the sea.

Great Crested Grebe 1 W & 9 on the sea.

Slavonian Grebe 2-3 on the sea.

Fulmar 5

Gannet 5 E & 50 loafing off shore.

Cormorant 140 (10 E & 130 flew in from the E. and settled on the sea in one raft (Beachy record).

Brent Goose 45 E

Shelduck 1 on sea.

Wigeon 2 E & 6 W

Gadwall 1 E

Teal 5 E

Common Scoter 4 E

Oystercatcher 25

Curlew 5 E

Common Gull 400 in fields

Lesser Black Back Gull 1 (English race).

Kittiwake c20

Auk sp 5 E & 150 W.

Guillemot 5 on sea.

Razorbill 22 E & 200+ on Sea

Rock Pipit 1

Just part (of the record flock of 130 for Beachy) of Cormorants off Birling Gap.

2-3 Slavonian digi-scoped off Birling by DC.

Jackdaw.

27 January, 2011. Birling Gap, Overcast cold, NE2 to 4.

Did a sea watch with Doreen between 07.45 to 09.30 and recorded the following:

Red Throated Diver 14 E, 4W & 3 on sea.

Fulmar 4

Gannet 40 feeding of shore

Shelduck 1E

Curlew 11 E & 2 W

Bonxie 1 lingering around the Gannets between 09.00 to 09.15

Black Headed Gull 70

Common Gull 400 in the fields.

Kittiwake 20

Auk sp: 300 W & 100+ on the sea. (All birds i/d were Razorbills)

Razorbill 150 either on the sea or moving W. Quite a few now in full s/p.

23rd January, 2011 Beachy Head, Overcast N1

Sea Watch 07.45-09.15

Red Throated Diver 12 E & 8 W

Great Crested Grebe 1 W & 5 on the sea.

Fulmar 8

Gannet 120 feeding off shore

Cormorant 20 E & 2 W

Peregrine 1 male hunting over the sea and attacked a Fulmar.

Curlew 2

Kittiwake 15 W chiefly juvs.

Auk sp. 41 E & 60 W

Razorbill 442 E & 40 W

Other sightings:

Skylark 25

Raven 1

22nd January, 2011. Birling Gap

Sea-watched from 07.45-09.15, Overcast cold with N2 wind:

Red-throated Diver 5E, 1 on sea
Great Crested Grebe 1E, 1W, 2 on sea
Fulmar c.8
Gannet 10E, 5W, c.40 on sea
Cormorant 7W
Teal 3E
Razorbill 296E, 210W, 5 on sea
Guillemot 3E, 3W
Auk sp. 50E, 20W
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 adult intermedius
Greater Black-backed Gull c.100
Common Gull c.800
Black-headed Gull 35W, c.30 on beach
Kittiwake 4E, 5W
Curlew 1E, 2W

Greater Black Back, Common & Black Headed Gulls on the beach.

2 Adults & 1 1st W. Greater Black Back Gulls.

1st W Greater Black Back Gull.

Greater Black-backed Gulls at Birling

Great Crested Grebes off Birling

19 January, 2011 Beachy Head. Sunny with frost Light winds.

Went with Doreen and did a 90 minute sea-watch, we then walked the area from Birling to B/T lighthouse onto the wood and walked the field opposite. Also visited Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area & Hotel Garden. Again no sign of any Dartfords above B/T wood or in Shooters Bottom and no sign of any Black Redstarts or the Tawny Owls.

Red Throated Diver 5 (4 W & 1 on sea)

Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea

Fulmar 7

Gannet 60+ feeding off Birling

Cormorant 31 W

Common Gull 800+ off Birling

Kittiwake 25 W

Auks c500 of which 70 were i/d as Razorbills, 300 on the sea & 130 W.

Skylark 40 in usual field

Peacock Butterfly 1 in fine sunshine flying around the gorse above B/T wood.

15th January, 2011 Beachy Head Overcast cold SW6-8

RDME sea-watched between 08.00-09.00 from Birling and recorded the following:

Diver sp. 19 E (probably all Red Throats)

Gannet 4 E & 20 W

Brent Geese 5 E

Auk sp. 1

9th January 2010 Birling Gap 8am - 9am W2-3 Sunny

Red-throated Diver 2E, 4W

Gannet 11E, 11W

Fulmar 1E, 2W

Cormorant 1E, 5W

Common Gull c.50

Kittiwake 2E, 12W

Razorbill 22W

Auk sp. 1E, 18W

Red-legged Partridge 1

Curlew 1W

Starling c.250

Skylark 2W, 50

Meadow Pipit 3

House Sparrow 15

Goldfinch 5

Linnet 2

Jackdaw at Belle Tout

Common Gulls on Birling Gap beach

8th January 2011 Birling Gap SW6 8am - 10am Overcast with some rain

Diver sp. 2W
Cormorant 2W
Gannet 40E, 52W
Fulmar 12E, 12W, 4 sat on sea
Brent 10E
Common Gull c.75
Kittiwake 5E, 40W
Bonxie 1E at 8.45am
Auk sp. 1E, 1W, 15 sat on sea
Guillemot 1W
Razorbill 1W
Oystercatcher 4E
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Skylark 50
Meadow Pipit 2
Long-tailed Tit 6
Goldfinch 5

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker in Belle Tout Wood

Long-tailed Tit in Belle Tout Wood

4th January,2011 Birling Gap Overcast cold SSW3

Doreen & myself did a sea-watch between 08.00-09.30. Very little Diver activity today maybe due to a change in the wind direction from North to South. We did not visit any other sites on the Headland and the following species were seen on the sea-watch:

Red Throated Diver 7 E & just 1 on the sea.

Fulmar 12 mainly moving W.

Gannet 52 E & 68 W (including 6 Juv's)

Cormorant 18 (including a flock of 11 high E)

Pintail 6 E (including 3 drakes)

Bonxie 1 E @ 09.10

Common Gull 400 in the fields near Birling (virtually all adults)

Kittiwake 14 E (including 4 Juv's).

Auk Sp. 12 E & 154 W

Guillemot 2 on the sea (both in summer plumage)

Razorbill 50 E (very close) & 7 W with 10 on sea. (virtually all were still in full winter plumage).

Rock Pipit 2 in the car park.

3rd January 2011 Beachy Head Overcast N1

We did a sea-watch between 08.00 - 10.00 hrs and then walked the area from Birling Gap to Belle Tout lighthouse onto the wood and then into the field before returning back to Birling. No sign of any Dartfords or Black Redstarts.

Red-throated Diver 110E, 138W

Great Crested Grebe 8 on sea

Gannet 33E, 25W

Fulmar 3

Cormorant 16E, 11W

Brent 42E

Egyptian Goose 1W at 8.23am (only our 2nd record since 1960).

Shelduck 1W

Wigeon 4E

Scoter 7E

Merganser 3E

Sparrowhawk 1

Razorbill 5E, 4 on sea

Guillemot 10E, 1 on sea

Auk sp. 405E, 153W

Kittiwake 3E

Mediterranean Gull 1 adult winter

Oystercatcher 20W

Pheasant 18

Green Woodpecker 2

Skylark 2W, c.100 field

Meadow Pipit 1

Rock Pipit 2

Pied Wagtail 3

Grey Wagtail 1

Long-tailed Tit 4

Song Thrush 2

Starling 8

Raven 1

Rock Pipit at Belle Tout

Beachy Head Lighthouse

Adult winter Mediterranean Gull near Birling

Adult male Pied Wagtail near Birling

Some birders will go that extra mile for a better view

2nd January 2011 Birling Gap 8am - 10am NE1

Birling Gap NE1

Red-throated Diver 177E, 412W

Fulmar 1

Gannet 6E, 33W

Cormorant 20E, 4W, 67 on sea

Geese sp. 2W

Scoter 5E

Kestrel 1

Common Gull c.400

Kittiwake 1E

Razorbill 3 on sea

Auk sp. 435E, 20W

Oystercatcher 5E

Skylark 1E

Rock Pipit 1

Meadow Pipit 6E

Song Thrush 3

Blackbird 1

Wren 1

Robin 1

Raven 4

Goldfinch 11

Cormorants off Birling Gap

1st January 2011 Birling Gap 8am-10am N1

Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea

Red-throated Diver 9E, 416W (including largest flocks of 53, 50 & 46)

Black-throated Diver 2W

Gannet 1E, 19W (including 1 imm.)

Fulmar 12 mainly W

Cormorant 2E, 8W

Geese sp. 4E

Goosander 2W then E and then 1W all redheads

Scoter 5E

Wigeon c.40E, 16W

Mallard 3W

Teal 2W

Great Black-backed Gull 5

Herring Gull 25

Common Gull 400

Black-headed Gull c.25

Kittiwake 10W

Razorbill 16E, 39W

Guillemot 1E, 2W, 1 on sea

Auk sp. 67E, 58W

Curlew 1W

Oystercatcher 5

Pheasant 10

Woodpigeon 2

Green Woodpecker 1

Blackbird 10

Song Thrush 3

Starling 10

Skylark 16 flew out to sea off Birling, 90 in field

Rock Pipit 2

Meadow Pipit 1

Wren 2

Robin 1

Dunnock 1

Blue Tit 5

Great Tit 1

Jackdaw 25

Carrion Crow c.10

Rook 2

Raven 1

Magpie 6

House Sparrow 5

Goldfinch 11

Chaffinch 2

Grey Seal 1

Adult winter Red-throated Divers off Birling Gap

Adult winter and juvenile Red-throated Divers off Birling Gap

Juvenile Red-throated Divers off Birling Gap