Friday 22 April 2011

22nd April, 2011. Beachy Head. Sunny, warm with sea-haze. NE1

Most of the regulars were sea-watching today from 05.50 to 10.05. We then walked to Belle Tout wood and the scrub under B/T lighthouse and walked the rough field:

Red Throated Diver 2 E
Black Throated Diver 4 E all in full summer plumage.
Shelduck 5 E
Eider 6 on sea departed E.
Common Scoter 411 E
Velvet Scoter 9 E ( A total so far this year of 86 birds E).
Peregrine 1
Bar Tailed Godwit 26 E
Whimbrel 52 E
Curlew 3 E
Greenshank 2 over Birling
Pomarine Skua 1 ad. l/p @ 09.16
Arctic Skua 4 E
Arctic/Pomarine Skua 1 E (just to far out and in the haze to correctly i/d)
Bonxie 3 E
Mediterranean Gull 5 E (2 ads & 3 1st W) (A total so far this year of 67 birds E).
Little Gull 3 E (A total so far this year of 397 birds E)
Sandwich Tern 95 E
Commic Tern 73 E
Yellow Wagtail 1 in off the sea (heard only).
Wheatear 4
Lesser Whitethroat 1 singing in scrub west of B/T wood.
Common Whitethroat 8
Blackcap 2
Corn Bunting 1

Orange Tip 1
Small Tortoiseshell 2
Small Whites 6
Early Spider Orchids 7 found in flower.


Our first Early Spider Orchids for the year.