Beachy Head: 23 August 2012 Beachy Head Sunny periods cool at first SW 1-2

Thursday, 23 August 2012

23 August 2012 Beachy Head Sunny periods cool at first SW 1-2

Much cooler start to the day with small numbers of night migrants were well scattered all over the area.

We covered all the sites on the Headland from Birling to Icky Ridge. PN also covered most of the sites and kindly sent me his totals. Met up with RB in Shooters Bottom who also provided me with his sightings and a number of birders were raptor watching, and their sightings are also included in the totals. RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow and the birds ringed are included in brackets. Small numbers of hirundines were present with 3 Swifts but otherwise diurnal migration was minimal.

Met Office view

A ridge of high pressure extending from the Azores lies through the English Channel and will amplify across the south of the UK. Low pressure in the Atlantic will track east and deepen to affect all parts this weekend bringing rain and strong winds.

Marsh Harrier 1 over the Top Fields
Sparrowhawk 3-4
Common Buzzard 3 soaring over the Top Fields
Osprey 1 departed S out to sea @ 11.10
Hobby 1
Peregrine 1
Swift 3
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1-2
Sand Martin 20 W
Swallow c50
Nightingale 1 Shooters Bottom
Common Redstart 2
Wheatear 1
Sedge Warbler 1 (1)
Reed Warbler 3 (1)
Lesser Whitethroat 6 (1)
Common Whitethroat 80 (22)
Garden Warbler 8 (7)
Blackcap 16 (7)
Willow Warbler 85 (29)
Spotted Flycatcher 3
Starling 1,000 in the Top Fields
Bullfinch 1

Small Tortoiseshell 4
Common Blue 50
Chalk Hill Blue 40
Small Copper 1
Comma 1
Red Admiral 15
Speckled Wood 4