26 February 2014 Beachy Head Fine, sunny and mild WSW 1-2

Doreen and myself sea-watched from 07.10-08.40: Bob visited Whitbread Hollow

Gannet 1 E
Common Scoter 1 E
Glaucous Gull 1 ad. winter plumage (with still brown streaking on the head and upper breast) W between 08.00-08.05. (Our 19th record for Beachy since 1960, with our last record in 2000).
Mediterranean Gull 1 ad s/p W
Kittiwake 35 W
Common Gull only 10 seen.
Peregrine 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming in the Hollow
Rock Pipit 1
Stonechat 1 pair near Belle Tout wood.
Song Thrush 2
Corn Bunting 1 on fence between Birling and Belle Tout wood.

23 February, 2014 Beachy Head Overcast cool SSW6

DC and BK sea-watched from 07.30-10.30:

Red-throated Diver 5E
Great Crested Grebe 2E
Gannet 25E, 82W
Cormorant 5E
Little Egret 1E along beach
Brent Geese 59E
Scaup 5E (2 drakes)
Eider 4E (2 drakes)
Scoter 13E
Curlew 2E
Oystercatcher 15E
Black-headed Gull 23E
Common Gull 30E
Mediterranean Gull 8E (7 adults 1 second-winter)
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 on beach
Kittiwake 32E, 2W (only a single first-winter seen)
Guillemot 3E
Auk sp. 6E

22nd February, 2014 Beachy Head. Fine and clear but with a cool wind W 3-4Gannet 1 E

Sea-watched from 07.45-08.30 but virtually no movement recorded:

Gannet 1 E
Mediterranean Gull 1 ad s/p W
Auk Sp. 4 E
Razorbill 1 close in on the sea and being attacked by a G.B.B.Gull

Also 1 Stonechat along the road.

Razorbill off Birling

unfortunately attracting the attention of a first-winter Great Black-

backed Gull every time it surfaced. (taken by DC)

 

Sea-watch hut now demolished is this an end of an era.

Front of Birling Gap Hotel now demolished.

16th February, 2014 Beachy Head Fine warm and sunny SW 1

After all the dreadful weather we have been having this year, today was superb and the best so far this year.
We sea-watched from 08.30-09.15 but unfortunately very little seen and we then covered Birling lane and walked up to the gully leading to Belle Tout lighthouse with the highlight being a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.
A Canada Goose was stood directly below the cliffs on the shingle, maybe our first record of a Canada Goose seen on the ground at Beachy.

We met Mr Nash who lives at Birling, and he informed us that the Black Redstart has been present on and off in his garden for several weeks this year.

With another cliff fall at Birling overnight, decided to take several photographs as the sea-watch hut is now too dangerous to use, and the National Trust have started demolishing the front of the Hotel. We shall miss very much the sea-watch hut.

Birling Gap after yesterday's cliff fall.

The sea-watch shed with the exposed safety boat rails exposed

over the edge of the cliffs.

The sea-watch hut virtually on the edge of the cliffs with yesterday's

cliff fall underneath the hut.

Work started on demolishing the front of the Hotel before it

disappears over the cliff.

The steps leading down to the beach have now been closed off

with no current access to the beach.

(TEC)

View from the front of the hut.

(TEC)

 Workmen demolishing the front of the hotel.

(TEC)

The right hand coastguard cottage will now have to be demolished.

with some of the wall at the back has now disappeared over the cliff.

(TEC)

The section behind the wall is likely to be the next section to go.

(TEC)

DC, BK and JFC preparing for a sea-watch, outside the hut, 

they are only smiling as they saw the Chinese Pond Heron on Friday.

(TEC)

JFC and DRC in their 55th year of birding at Beachy Head.

Can anyone beat that in Sussex.

1st February, 2014 Beachy Head Partly overcast with odd heavy showers, cold SW 6-7

Just a short sea-watch from 08.00-08.45:

Red-throated Diver 13 E
Great-crested Grebe 2 E
Auk Sp. 16 E and 3 W
Rock Pipit 1