2011: Spring: On the 15/4 when 1 was singing in Shooters Bottom.
Autumn: Recorded on 25 dates from 23/7(1) to 27/9 (2 trapped). In total 39 birds seen with 3 on the 14/8, 4 on the 24/8 (3 trapped), 4 on the 15/9 (3 trapped). In Whitbread Hollow a total of 23 birds were ringed. Per B.H.Log.
(Encouraging, that even allowing for the fact that Cow Gap,which is a good area for Grasshopper Warbler, is not now being covered as well as in past years, our numbers are similar to numbers seen in recent years. Although back in the 1960's & 70's with at least 6 breeding pairs numbers were far higher. In 1972, it was recorded during the Spring on 22 dates with 133 bird-days and a daily maximum of 13 on the 26/4. During the Autumn it was recorded on 32 dates with 134 bird-days and a daily maximum of 15 on the 30/9).
REED WARBLER
2011: Spring: 2 singing birds at Birling on the 30/5 & 1 on the 4/6.
Autumn: Recorded on 31 dates from 13/7 (1) to 16/10 (1 photographed in Shooters Bottom). In total 225 bird-days which includes the BHRG numbers, with daily maximums of 31/7 (8), 6/8 (35, with 15 trapped), 14/8 (40, 15 trapped), 17/8 (31 with 17 trapped). Per B.H.Log.
(Another good year, our largest fall recorded was on the 20/9/1980 when at least 100 were logged and for a fairly skulking species probably good numbers were missed. An interesting ringing recovery was of one ringed on the 14/9/2002 and was controlled on Queen Mary Reservoir, Surrey a week later, seemingly having travelled in the 'wrong' direction).
SEDGE WARBLER
2011: Spring : None seen. Autumn: Recorded on 19 dates from 11/7 (1) to 19/9 (1). In total 28 bird-days which again includes birds ringed by the BHRG. Daily maximum of 3 on the 21/8. Per B.H.Log.
(A poorish year with none logged during the Spring. The Sedge Warbler has become much scarcer than the Reed Warbler at Beachy Head but in the 1960's the Sedge Warbler was commoner than the Reed. It used to be regularly seen during the Spring with a daily maximum of 12 and in fact one year a pair bred above Whitbread Hollow. Between 1960-1970, the Autumn daily maximum was 70 on the 5/9/67, although on an average Autumn, the daily maximum of 30 to 40 being the norm. A total of 552 birds were ringed during these early years, an average of around 50 per year compared to this year when less than 15 were ringed).
MELODIOUS WARBLER
2011: One 1stW trapped in Whitbread Hollow on the 6/8. (RDME & PF). (Also seen by JFC, DC, BK & JK). Per B.H.Log.
(Our 31st Record since regular watching commenced in 1960, 1 was also trapped in Holywell in 1958).
1stW. Melodious Warbler trapped in Whitbread Hollow on the 6th August.
