Bob visited Beachy today and covered Birling lane, Birling to Belle Tout loop, Shooters Bottom and the Cliff Path and recorded the following:
Lapwing 1 on beach at Birling our first sighting this year, and perhaps the first migrant for this Autumn.
Stock Dove 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Swallow c10
Stonechat 2 x 2nd broods up the lane at Birling.
Chiffchaff 2
Raven 6
Corn Bunting 2-3
Also good numbers of downland butterflies although only 2 Dark Green Fritillaries seen
Fulmar: 2014: Spring: Recorded from 1/1 with 10. Generally just small numbers seen during the Spring although a noticeable movement was logged on the 26/4 with 27 E but only 2 W and the 27/4 with 33 E.
Gannet: 2014 Spring sea-watches: Between Jan to June a total of 1,921 were logged over 55 dates, with daily maxs: 5/4 108 E, 26/4 140 E, 27/4 200 E, 23/5 110 E and 24/5 110 E
Shag: 2014 Spring sea-watches: Recorded on four dates 5/4 1 ad E, 19/4 1 E, 5/5 2 E and 9/5 1 ad E.
Little Egret: 2014: Jan and Feb: Recorded on 4 dates with a daily max of 3 E off Birling on the 25/1. Spring: Recorded on 21 dates from 1/3 when 1 arrived in off the sea at Birling to 1/6 2. A total of 39 bird-days (with 2 in off the sea on the 11/4, 2 E a long way out off Birling on the 17/4 were probably true migrants) otherwise most birds were moving from the Cuckmere to feed off Birling.
Grey Heron 2014: Spring: Recorded on 13 dates between 31/1 (1) to 24/5 (1). Chiefly singles with several birds seen arriving high in off the sea and were probably true migrants
Spoonbill 2014: Spring 11/5 1 imm. E with a Little Egret @ 07.50 and almost
certainly related to the Spoonbill which had been wintering in the Cuckmere.
The following day it was present at Rye Harbour.
(JFC, DC, RHC)
Our
8th record since 1960 involving 15 individuals.
Grey-lag Goose 2014: Spring sea-watches: 16/4 2 W and 19/5 1 E.
Barnacle Goose 2014 : 29/3 1 E with a party of Brent Geese.
Our 5th record since 1960.
Our 5th record of Barnacle Goose on the end of a small party of Brents.
Dark-bellied Brent Goose: 2014: Jan-Feb: Recorded on 6 dates from 1/1 to 23/2. A total of 842 E with daily max of 488 E on the 4/1.
Spring sea-watches: A total of 5,647 E on 27 dates between 2/3 (124 E) and 5/5 (8 E). Daily maxs: 7/3 642 E, 30/3 620 E, 31/3 890 E, 4/4 1,537 E.
Nearly 6,500 Brents passed Beachy during the first 6 months.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose: 2014 30/3 1 E with 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese @ 10.37.
Our 9th record since 1960
1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Dark-bellied Brents.
Red-breasted Goose 2014: Spring
Went also past Selsey Bill at 09.30 hrs. and Splash Point at 11.13 hrs.
Our First record for Beachy Head.
Bar-headed Goose (Escape) 2014: Spring : 24/4 1 W past Birling Gap.
Our 3rd record involving 6 individuals.
