Saturday 2 July 2011

2nd July, 2011. Beachy Head Clear & calm SE 1

The four of us visited Beachy and carried out a sea-watch from 06.45 to 07.45. We then covered most of the area on the Headland including the rough field. Excellent numbers of Butterflies seen. The following were recorded:

Fulmar 6
Gannet 50
Common Scoter 4 E
Common Buzzard 1
Bonxie 1 E
Med. Gull 1 s/p ad. W.
Herring Gull 250 resting in the rough field.
Sandwich Tern 11 E
Common Tern 1 E
Auk sp. 1 E
Cuckoo 1 adult near Birling flew off high to the South.
Swift 3 W. along the cliffs
Sand Martin 1
Swallow 6
Stonechat a male with a large white rump and by its behaviour was breeding nearby.
Lesser Whitethroat 1 singing in Shooters Bottom
Common Whitethroat 12
Blackcap 2-3
Starling Flock of 350 in the Top Fields were all virtually juveniles.
Corn Bunting 1 singing

Marbled White 60+
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Common Blue 2
Small Heath 15
Small Copper 5
Large Skipper 3
Small Skipper 10
White Lettered Hairstreak 1 nectaring in the clump just West of B/T wood.
Dark Green Fritillary 40+
Comma 1
Small White 12
Large White 3
Red Admiral 1
Meadow Brown 40
Gatekeeper 4






Male Stonechat, which had a large white rump, and by its behaviour
had young in a nearby nest.

Whitethroat


Bonxie past Birling a strange early July record.







White Lettered Hairstreak, nectaring and probably the best butterfly
we regularly see on the Headland.


Dark Green Fritillary - At least 40 were seen today.


Marbled White - large numbers present today on the Headland.

Large Skipper

Small Skipper

Silver Y moth, which was half in the sun.

Dandelion seedhead

Pyramidal orchids in the Old Trapping Area.

Thyme

Marsh Harrier arriving in off the sea opposite the Beachy
Head Hotel on the 10th May. (RKH)

Longhorn Micromoth (Nemophora degeerella) at Belle Tout
Wood on the 14th May (RKH)

Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica) at Belle Tout
Wood on the 11th May (RKH)