Sunday 27 February 2011

27th February, 2011. Beachy Head. Fine Sunny NNW3

We weren't to hopeful when we went to Beachy with bright sunny conditions with a NNW wind and we only sea-watched for 30 minutes between 07.45-08.15. We then did most of the Headland and recorded the following:

Gannet 6 W
Common Buzzard 2 soaring over the Headland.
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 1-2 Shooters Bottom area.
Med. Gull 1 Birling Gap area.
Black Headed Gull 200 Birling area.
Common Gull 600 Birling area
Herring Gull 1,000 drifted W including many 1st Yr. birds.
Auk sp. 6
Stock Dove 2 W
Skylark 15 + 2W
Stonechat 1 male Birling
Carrion Crow party of 23 feeding together in top field.
Corn Bunting 1-2 near Cornish Farm.





Adult Med. Gull at Birling.


Corn Bunting near Cornish Farm


Male Stonechat at Birling.



Common Buzzard soaring over the Headland.

Not the Kite we were hoping to find.

Thursday 24 February 2011

24th February, 2011 Beachy Head. Fine,mild but misty. WSW 1

Doreen & myself sea-watched from 07.20 - 09.25 and then we walked Birling lane and then up to Belle Tout lighthouse onto the wood and back to Birling. Met up with Pete & Mim who had covered a similar area. Birds seen:

Divers 15 (14 E & 1 on the sea, ones i/d were all Red Throats).
Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea
Gannet 2 W
Brent Goose 29 E
Shelduck 5 E
Med Gull 1 ad in full s/p E
Common Gull 50 including 20 1st W's
Greater Black Back Gull 50
Kittiwake 15 W
Very few birds present on the ground or in the bushes and no sign of any early migrants.

Sunday 20 February 2011

20th February,2011 Beachy Head Overcast NNW 1

Just a short sea-watch between 07.30-08.00 and then walked most of the Headland including Long Down.Met up with Pete & Mim. Recorded the following:

Great Crested Grebe 2 on sea
Brent Geese 20 E + 1 on sea off Cow Gap
Gadwall 1 E
Kestrel 1
Golden Plover 7 in off the sea and headed N. over Birling.
Common Gull 500
Skylark c50
Meadow Pipit 8 (5 N).
Blackbird 10
Fieldfare 1
Song Thrush 3
Long Tailed Tit 10 at Birling
Raven 3 displaying at Belle Tout
Chaffinch 15
Reed Bunting 1 Long Down
Corn Bunting 1 singing Long Down.




Corn Bunting singing at Long Down


Carrion Crow above Whitbread Hollow


Magpie above Whitbread Hollow


Long Down


Violet in Belle Tout wood (First for the year).

Friday 18 February 2011

18th February, 2011 Beachy Head.

RDME visited the Headland this morning, but it was very foggy. He therefore walked up Long Down and had 2 Corn Buntings, 1 of which was singing.

On the 14th RES had 1 Tawny Owl in Belle Tout wood, good news as the Owls haven't been seen since November.

Monday 14 February 2011

14th February, 2011. Birling Gap. Sunny periods, mild & clear WSW 3.

Doreen and myself did a sea-watch from 07.35 - 08.50, in nice conditions but very little on the move. We also did the lane at Birling. Following were seen:

Red Throated Diver 16(6 E, 4 W & 6 on the sea)
Great Crested Grebe 11 on the sea.
Gannet 17 E (including 1 immature).
Goose sp. 2 E
Shelduck 1 W
Common Gull 300 Birling area.
Kittiwake 20 W
Auk sp.10 on the sea.
Guillemot 2 on the sea.
Razorbill 1 on the sea.

Long Tailed Tit A party of 11 moved W. up the lane at Birling.

Snowdrops in flower amongst the bushes at Birling Gap.

Saturday 12 February 2011

12th February, 2011 Beachy Head. Fog & drizzle at first becoming sunny. WSW 2

Went to Beachy and we met RDME briefly at Birling. Early morning fog and drizzle delayed the sea-watch until 08.45 - 09.15. We then did most of the Headland including the cliff-path. The following were recorded:

Red Throated Diver 1 E
Great Crested Grebe 10 on the sea
Brent Geese 10 E
Wigeon 30 E
Auk sp. 17 E & 5 on sea

Skylark c25
Grey Wagtail 1
Black Redstart 1 ad. male still at Birling.
Stonechat 1 male
Fieldfare 1
Mistle Thrush 1
Long Tailed Tit 9 in Belle Tout wood.



Gorse in flower

Male Black Redstart still present at Birling.

Our first Stonechat for the year.

Dunnock

Wednesday 9 February 2011

9th February, 2011. Overcast & mild SSE 1

Doreen & myself sea-watched from 07.30 - 10.30 and we then did the lane at Birling & Belle Tout wood. RDME joined us for some 20 minutes at Birling & he had also visited Holywell.

Following seen:
Red Throated Diver 51 (19 W, 28 E & 4 on sea)
Great Crested Grebe 10 E & 2 on sea
Gannet 50 (with at least 4 immatures seen)
Grey-lag Geese 5 E (with a party of Brents).
Brent Goose 701 E
Wigeon 6 E
Teal 14 E
Common Scoter 2 E
Curlew 5 E
Med. Gull 2 (1 ad. E & 1 ad s/p on sea).
Common Gull 400
Lesser Black Back Gull 4 graellsii race on beach.
Greater Black Back Gull 80 on beach
Kittiwake 30+
Auk sp. 2,280 E & c150 W
Guillemot 40+ E & on the sea.
Razorbill 850+ E & 100 on the sea.

Black Redstart 1 ad male at Birling
Firecrest 1 at Holywell RDME.

Record shot of the male Black Redstart at Birling.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

8th February, 2011. Beachy Head. Sunny, frosty E1

Doreen and myself did a sea-watch from 07.30-09.30 and in glorious warm weather we walked from Birling to the Old Lighthouse back to Belle Tout wood and then through the field opposite back to Birling. Recorded the following:

Divers 41E & 4 on the sea. (all the ones i/d were Red Throats).
Great Crested Grebe 18 on the sea & 2 E
Gannet 15 W
Cormorant 70 (including a flock of 50 on the sea off Birling).
Brent Goose 7W
Scoter 1 E
Red Breasted Merganser 3 E
Goosander 1 redhead which landed on a sea pool on the beach off Birling, walked onto the beach and then departed East. (Never thought I would ever see a Goosander on the deck at Beachy!!).
Curlew 2 W
Common Gull 600 Birling area
Kittiwake 30 W
Auk sp 80 W & 10 E

Red legged Partridge 1
Skylark 20

Birling Gap (our sea-watch site).

Up the lane at Birling Gap.

Doreen at Birling with Seaford Head as the backdrop.





Redhead Goosander which landed briefly at Birling.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

1st February, 2011 Birling Gap. Overcast, mild WSW 3-4

Two hour sea-watch between 07.40 -09.40. Large impressive passage of Auks moving chiefly during the first hour, although small numbers were still moving when we left:

Red Throated Diver 3 on sea.
Diver Sp. 16 E (most were probably Red Throats)
Great Crested Grebe 2 W
Fulmar 5+
Gannet 160 (151 W & 9 E).
Cormorant Flock of 20 landed on sea off Birling.
Kittiwake 30
Auks: 350 E & 2,205 W of which 1500 W during the first hour. Approx. 600 i/d as Razorbills of which 80% were still in winter plumage but only 10 Guillemots were identified. The birds moving E, were much further out.