30 April,2012 Beachy Head Cloud 2/8-7/8 ESE-E4

DC Sea-watched from 05.10 and was joined by RDME, RHC, RKH, RES & KH. DC left at 07.45 and RDME continued to sea-watch until 11.00 when we took over and watched until 12.40. We returned at 14.15 to 14.50. A total of 8 hours.We also visited several sites on the Head:

Red Throated Diver 1 E
Black Throated Diver 28 E
Diver Sp. 3 E
Great Crested Grebe 2
Gannet 340 E & 3 W
Common Scoter 251 E
Red Breasted Merganser 4 E
Sanderling 16 E
Dunlin 1 E
Bar Tailed Godwit 24 E
Whimbrel 11 E
Pomarine Skua 7 E
Arctic Skua 24 E
Bonxie 6 E
Mediterranean Gull 1 E
Sandwich Tern 38 E
Commic Tern 119 E
Little Tern 6 E
Auk Sp. 18 E
Swift 12 in off the sea
Swallow 30 in off the sea
Common Redstart 1 female in Shooters Bottom
Common Whitethroat 5
Blackcap 1

Porpoise Sp.1 off Birling

29th April, 2012 Beachy Head Early Rain becoming sunny NE -E 5-2

We sea-watched from 09.00-16.15 and were joined by RDME & RHC.RDME also visited Belle Tout wood:

Red Throated Diver 1 E
Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea
Gannet 27 E & 17 W
Barnacle Goose 2 W @ 09.50 (Only our fourth record since 1960)
Shelduck 2 W
Common Scoter 28 E
Hobby 1 in off the sea @ 09.20(our first for the year)
Grey Plover 4 E
Bar Tailed Godwit 176 E
Whimbrel 7 E
Pomarine Skua 1 E @ 15.35.
Arctic Skua 1 E & 1 W (different birds)
Bonxie 2 E
Sandwich Tern 46 E
Commic Tern 8 E
Auk Sp. 1E
Swift 5 in off the sea
Swallow 62 in off the sea
House Martin 4 in off the sea
Yellow Wagtail 1 in off the sea
Long Tailed Tit 2 in Belle Tout wood

28th April, 2012 Beachy Head Overcast cool with rain N 2

Did a very brief sea-watch but virtually nothing to report. We then just had time to cover Birling lane around to Belle Tout lighthouse and wood and back to Birling before heavy rain set-in:

Tawny Owl 2
Swift 1 over Birling
Swallow 7 (3 in off the sea)
Alba Wagtail 1 in off the sea
Yellow Wagtail 1 E (our first for the year)
Stonechat 1male at Birling showing good white rump.
Wheatear 1
Common Whitethroat 4
Willow Warbler 2
Common Redpoll 1 E

27th April 2012 Beachy Head Sunny clear cool SSW 5-6

We joined RDME for a sea-watch from 05.55-09.25 and were joined by RHC, RES & KH.

Most of the sites on the Head were covered including Hodcombe & the field but not the Cliff Path. RDME also visited Whitbread Hollow:

Red Throated Diver 2 (1E & 1 on the sea)

Great Crested Grebe 2 on the sea displaying

Gannet 75 E & 14 W

Brent Goose 2 E

Eider 1 drake E

Common Scoter 29 E

Peregrine 1

Sanderling 1 E

Bar Tailed Godwit 21 E

Whimbrel 4 E

Arctic Skua 17 E

Bonxie 15 E

Mediterranean Gull 4 E

Little Gull 1 E

Black Headed Gull 18 E

Sandwich Tern 42 E

Commic Tern 355 E

Auk Sp. 17 E

Tawny Owl 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 2

Swallow 10 (6 in off the sea)

Common Redstart 1 female

Wheatear 3

Common Whitethroat 9

Blackcap 4

Chiffchaff 4

Willow Warbler 4

Tree Creeper 1

Small Copper 1

Speckled Wood 3

RHC did an additional sea-watch yesterday and I have updated yesterday's blog with his sightings.

Tawny Owl

Goldfinch collecting nest material

26th April, 2012 Beachy Head cloud 8/8-4/8 SW-SSW 7-8

WE joined RDME for a sea-watch 05.40-09.10 and were joined by RHC. We left at 08.00.

Red Throated Diver 10 E
Black Throated Diver 1 E
Diver Sp. 4 E
Manx Shearwater 1 E
Gannet 98 E & 31 W
Brent Goose 33 E
Pochard 3 E
Common Scoter 337 E
Red Breasted Merganser 2 E
Whimbrel 4 E
Arctic Skua 37 E including a superb eye-catching variant with white marginal and lesser coverts resulting in a white leading edge to the inner arm of the upper forewing. Whilst new to us it is a recognised variant found in as many as 2% of birds from Atlantic islands (Olsen & Larsson 1997).
Bonxie 76 E
Sandwich Tern 94 E
Commic Tern 129 E
Little Tern 2 E
Auk Sp. 3 E
Swallow 2 in off the sea.

RHC carried out a further sea-watch 09.40-10.40:

Common Scoter 20
Arctic Skua 6
Bonxie 16
Mediterranean Gull 6
Little Gull 2
Commic Tern 50

Also 50 Bar Tailed Godwits E over cliffs seen by MEC.

An evening sea-watch was carried out by RDME from 17.00-18.00 hrs in sunny conditions SW 4: Also checked Belle Tout wood:

Gannet 5 E & 7 W
Mediterranean Gull 4 adults E
Black Headed Gull 75+
Arctic Skua 5
Bonxie 2

25th April, 2012 Beachy Head. Rain becoming sunny & showers SE 4-7

WE joined RHC for a sea-watch from 10.30-18.00 hrs and DC and BK took over until: 20.30 hrs

Red Throated Diver 7 E
Black Throated Diver 27 E all virtually in summer plumage
Great Crested Grebe 1 E
Manx Shearwater 18 E
Gannet Approx. 650 E
Brent Goose 1 E
Teal 10 E
Common Scoter 103 E
Red Breasted Merganser 3 E
Ringed Plover 2 E
Grey Plover 10 E
Bar Tailed Godwit 21 E
Whimbrel 6 E
Curlew 4 E
Pomarine Skua 1 E
Arctic Skua 153 E (Beachy day record was 99)
Bonxie 133 E (Sussex day record was 110)
Common Gull 14 E
Mediterranean Gull 4 E (All 1st W)
Little Gull 27 E
Kittiwake Approx. 350 E
Sandwich Tern 278 E
Commic Tern 1,374 E
Little Tern 42 E (1 killed by an Arctic Skua and then robbed by a G.B.B. Gull)
Guillemot 3 E
Auk Sp. 2 E
Swift 1 in off the sea (first for the year)

23rd April, 2012 Beachy Head Cloudy cold S/SE 4-5

RDME sea-watched from 06.25-10.05 and was joined by RHC for most of the watch:

Black Throated Diver 1 E
Manx Shearwater 1 E
Gannet 85 E & 4 W
Brent Goose 4 on beach
Common Scoter 106 E
Peregrine 1
Bar Tailed Godwit 42 E
Whimbrel 1 E
Arctic Skua 14 E
Bonxie 17 E
Sandwich Tern 16 E
Commic Tern 2 E
Auk Sp. 7 E

Dolphin Sp. 1

22nd April, 2012 Beachy Head Overcast cool WSW4 decreasing to 2

We sea-watched from 06.20-07.10 and were joined by RDME. We then covered various sites on the Headland including the Cliff Path and we also met up with PN & RK:

Grey Heron 1 over Chat Vale

Common Scoter 7 E

Kestrel 1

Peregrine 2

Sandwich Tern 1 E

Collared Dove 2 over Icky Ridge

Tawny Owl 1

Swallow 2

House Martin 6 N (our first for the year)

Lesser Whitethroat 1 (our first for the year)

Common Whitethroat 7

Blackcap 3

Chiffchaff 4

Willow Warbler 1

Tree Creeper 1

Raven 1

Lizard 1

Wall Butterfly 1

Dingy Skipper 1

Small White 1

Speckled Wood 2

Dark Edge Bee-fly 1

Early Spider Orchid 1 in flower

Early Purple Orchid 2 in flower

Rainbow scene taken from the Hotel Garden

Ringed Chiffchaff along the Cliff Path

Female Stonechat holding territory at Birling

Our first Early Purple Orchids

Early Spider Orchid

Dingy Skipper along the Cliff Path

Dark Edge Bee-fly along the Cliff Path

21st April, 2012.Beachy Head Sunny very clear & cool WSW 2-3

We sea-watched from 06.30-08.05 and were joined by RHC. WE only had time to cover Birling lane before the rain came in and there was a number of regular birders on the Head and most of the sites were covered and RDME had also covered Whitbread Hollow, Cow Gap & the Gully:

Shelduck 3 E

Common Scoter 71 E

Velvet Scoter 2 E

Red Breasted Merganser 1 E

Red Kite 1 over the Top Fields and then drifted E

Peregrine 2

Curlew 1 E

Arctic Skua 1 E

Bonxie 1 E

Black Headed Gull 17 W (all sub-adults)

Sandwich Tern 17 E

Commic Tern 14 E

Auk Sp. 2 W

Tawny Owl 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Swallow 5 in off the sea

Song Thrush 2

Common Whitethroat 5

Blackcap 6

Chiffchaff 5

Willow Warbler 5

Long Tailed Tit 1

Grey Seal 1 off Birling

Also Roger & Liz had a singing male Ring Ouzel in Hodcombe on the 20th which from memory is the first singing Ring Ouzel for the Head and maybe for Sussex, and a Grass Snake on the 17th.

Great Tit at Birling (the first for this blog)

20th April, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny & mild W 1-2

We sea-watched from 06.30-07.45, met up with RDME. Most of the sites on the Headland were covered including The Cliff Path and the Field & RDME also covered Whitbread Hollow:

Gannet 13 E

Canada Goose 2 in over the cliffs.

Brent Goose 5 E

Common Scoter 12 E

Red Breasted Merganser 1 E

Peregrine 2

Red legged Partridge 2 pairs

Bonxie 1 E

Sandwich Tern 7 E

Tawny Owl 2

Great Spotted Woodpecker 2

Swallow 1 N

Greenland Wheatear 3

Blackbird 15

Ring Ouzel 1 male singing in Hodcombe

Common Whitethroat 8

Blackcap 5

Chiffchaff 6

Willow Warbler 4

Tree Creeper 1

Raven 1

Linnet 120 (17 in off the sea)

Wall Butterfly

Belle Tout wood still in winter plumage

Cliff Path looking towards Eastbourne

The nest building Wren in Belle Tout wood.

Wall Butterfly

19th April, 2012 Beachy Head Overcast cool with drizzle WSW 6

Sea-watched from 06.30-08.30 and RHC joined us. Otherwise just had a look in Belle Tout wood due to windy conditions on the Headland:

Diver Sp. 1 (possibly a Black Throated)
Manx Shearwater 1 E
Gannet 65 E & 15 W
Common Scoter 21 E
Arctic Skua 4 E
Sandwich Tern 9 E
Auk Sp. 2

Blackcap 1

15th April, 2012 Beachy Head Cold, clear & sunny N 4-5

Cold windy day with only a few birds present under windy conditions. Brief sea-watch 07.00-07.30. Only the Birling & Belle Tout areas covered:

Gannet 6 E
Brent Goose 9 E
Bonxie 1 E
Sandwich Tern 6 lingering
Auk Sp. 2 E
Swallow 1
Wheatear 2
Chiffchaff 3
Willow Warbler 1
Long Tailed Tit 1
Tree Creeper 2
Carrion Crow 6 in off the sea
Linnet 15 in off the sea

14th April, 2012 Beachy Head Fine, clear & cold NE 2

We sea-watched from 06.50-07.50 and we then covered all the areas on the Headland. Met up with RK in the wood:

Red Throated Diver 1 E

Gannet 32 E

Little Egret 1 W off Birling

Common Scoter 52 E

Red Breasted Merganser 3 E

Peregrine 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3 E

Arctic Skua 5 E 

Mediterranean Gull 2 E

Sandwich Tern 1 E & 9 W

Auk Sp. 5 E & 1 W

Swallow 16 chiefly in off the sea

White Wagtail 1 S over Belle Tout area

Common Redstart 2 males

Wheatear 6 (At least 3 were Greenlands)

Common Whitethroat 2 (Our first for the year)

Chiffchaff 2

Willow Warbler 1

Long Tailed Tit 2

Tree Creeper 1

Linnet 100 (25 in off the sea)

Corn Bunting 1 near Birling Sewage Farm.

Bottle Nosed Dolphin 2 off Birling

Roger & Liz had in Hodcombe 40 Willow Warblers on the 12th & 25 on the 13th April.

Meadow Pipit near Birling

Male Common Redstart in the Old Trapping Area.

Chiffchaff in Belle Tout wood.

Our first Whitethroat of the year

13th April, 2012 Beachy Head

RDME covered most of the sites on the Headland including the Cliff Path and also Whitbread Hollow. PN  covered the Headland including Shooters Bottom. RKH, RES & GG were also birding on the Headland. Good arrival of Willow Warblers with many quickly departing N along the lane at Birling:

Common Buzzard 2
Peregrine 1
Tawny Owl 1
Swallow 6
White Wagtail 1 at Birling
Common Redstart 1 in scrub near Hotel Garden.
Stonechat 7
Blackcap 5
Chiffchaff 16
Willow Warbler 125+, many moving N. up at Birling.
Long tailed Tit 2
Corn Bunting 1

12th April, 2012 Beachy Head

PN covered Birling lane & field, B/T Gully & wood, Shooters Bottom and the Old Trapping Area:

Swallow 4
Common Redstart 1 in the Old Trapping Area
Wheatear 2 at Birling
Blackcap 3 males
Chiffchaff 4
Willolw Warbler 60 (40 in Hodcombe)
Tree Creeper 1
Raven 2

10th April, 2012 Beachy Head Part Overcast, clear & cool WSW 4

We sea-watched from 06.30 - 09.00 and were joined by RDME & RHC. We then covered some of the sites on the Headland including the Cliff Path and met up with RB, RKH & RES in B/T wood:

Red Throated Diver 2 E

Great Crested Grebe 1 E

Gannet 54 E

Brent Goose 39 E

Common Scoter 30 E & 5 W

Curlew 7 W

Arctic Skua 1 d/p E

Bonxie 2 E

Mediterranean Gull 4 E

Sandwich Tern 34 E

Auk Sp. 2 E

Wheatear 2

Chiffchaff 5

Willow Warbler 2

Firecrest 1 B/T wood

Tree Creeper 2

Long Tailed Tit 2

Raven 1

RHC sea-watched on the 9th April from 07.15-08.45 and his highlights were:

Manx Shearwater 1

Arctic Skua 2 E

Bonxie 2 E

Mediterranean Gull 14 E

Firecrest in Belle Tout wood.

Male Blackbird with white feathers on the head in the Hotel Garden

8th April, 2012 Beachy Head Overcast, rain & sea-mist W1-2

We sea-watched with RHC in poor conditions from 07.00-08.15. After a break for the rain to ease, we covered the Birling Gap/Belle Tout areas and also the Old Trapping Area:

Brent Goose 49 E
Shelduck 3 W
Common Scoter 12 E
Peregrine 2
Curlew 1 E
Bonxie 1 E
Sandwich Tern 1 E
Meadow Pipit 16 in off the sea
Black Redstart 1 female type Birling
Wheatear 3
Willow Warbler 16
Long Tailed Tit 1
Tree Creeper 1
Siskin 2 W

RHC also had 2 Black Redstarts at Hodcombe on the 3/4

7th April, 2012 Beachy Head Overcast cool & clear NE 1-2

We sea-watched from 07.00-08.05 and then covered all the Headland sites including the field and Cliff Path. Met up briefly with RDME who also had covered many of the sites including Whitbread Hollow/Cow Gap area. Another small fall of migrants recorded:

Red Throated Diver 1 E

Gannet 4 E

Brent Goose 35 E

Shelduck 2 E

Common Scoter 15 E & 6 W

Common Snipe 1 flushed from field.

Mediterranean Gull 2 E

Tawny Owl 1 calling

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Whitbread Hollow

Swallow 4

Common Redstart 1 male (our first for the year)

Stonechat 12

Wheatear 3

Ring Ouzel 1 male (our first for the year)

Song Thrush 3

Blackcap 3

Chiffchaff 12

Willow Warbler 23

Carrion Crow 1 in off the sea

Raven 1

Linnet 70 (19 W)

Corn Bunting 1 left the field and departed high E until out of sight.

Chiffchaff at Birling

Willow Warbler at Belle Tout

Meadow Pipit at Birling

Greater Black Back Gull with ring no. JA551 on Birling beach

Third-summer Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull L.f. intermedius at Birling

The extensive dark subterminal band to the bill ages this individual as did its dark-stained central tail feathers that were best appreciated in flight but just discernible here.

Stonechat at Birling

Stonechat at Belle Tout

Cowslips now in flower

4th April, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny, cool and very clear W 2-3

We joined RDME at the sea-watch between 06.45-07.45 and then covered a number of sites on the Headland including the Cliff Path and met up with RB at Belle Tout. RDME also covered Whitbread Hollow. Generally very quiet:

Red Throated Diver 2 E
Gannet 26 E & 2 W
Brent Goose 13 E
Common Scoter 7 E & 1 W
Mediterranean Gull 2 E
Sandwich Tern 1 E
Auk Sp. 6 E
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Stonechat 3
Blackcap 2
Chiffchaff 5
Raven 3

3rd April, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny with sea-mist becoming warm Wind 0-1

We sea-watched from 07.05 - 08.05 and then met up with PN and covered the whole of the Headland sites including the field and Cliff Path. Small fall of common migrants:

Great Crested Grebe 2 on the sea

Gannet 13 E

Brent Goose 70 E

Wigeon 2 E

Common Scoter 9 E

Curlew 1 E

Common Snipe 1 flushed from Old Trapping Area.

Mediterranean Gull 2 E

Sandwich Tern 16 E

Commic Tern 1 E

Tawny Owl 1 calling

Stonechat 4

Black Redstart 2 at Hodcombe

Wheatear 25

Song Thrush 2

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 20

Willow Warbler 18

Tree Creeper 1

Some of today's 23 Wheatears on the Head

2nd April, 2012 Beachy Head cloud cover 1/8th Light NW

RDME covered the Lane, Birling to Belle Tout, the track to Cornish, back through the Wood, back to Birling.
Met up with RHC briefly:

Tawny Owl calling
Swallow 1 N over Birling (Our first for the year).
Black Redstart 1 heard singing at Birling
Stonechat 2
Tree Creeper 1
Linnet 12

1st April, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny, very clear & cool. N 0-1

A very short sea-watch from 07.15-07.45 in very clear sunny conditions. We then covered virtually the whole of the Headland including the field and Cliff Path:

Gannet 7 E
Brent Goose 8 E
Common Buzzard 1
Peregrine 1 flying very low down over the sea.
Sandwich Tern 2
Auk Sp. 2
Short Eared Owl 1 flushed from the cliff Gully behind B/T wood.
Stonechat 4
Wheatear 10
Blackcap 1 female
Chiffchaff 3
Carrion Crow 4 in off the sea.
Raven 1
Linnet 50

Record shots of today's Short Eared Owl.

One of today's 10 Wheatears 

Male Chaffinch posing nicely for the camera in Shooters Bottom