24 Aug 2014 Beachy Head Cool at first becoming sunny and warm with cloud in pm NW 3 at dawn decreasing to 1-2

We met up with JK at Birling and covered Birling lane and area, the Belle Tout loop and wood, and The Old Trapping area. We then did a 90 minute raptor watch and we were joined by several other observers. RKH, RES, covered Shooters Bottom and Birling area including the sewage plant. Tony Cook covered a number of sites on the Head including the Hotel Garden. Bob, Sarah and Martin were ringing in Whitbread Hollow.

A reasonable fall of common migrants chiefly Common Whitethroats and Blackcaps with a fair selection of other migrants. Diurnal migration was mainly concentrated with Yellow Wagtails, and Sand Martins.

The following are the combined totals of the main observers, with as usual birds ringed are included in these totals and are shown in brackets.

Grey Heron 1
Sparrowhawk 2
Common Buzzard 4
Kestrel 2
Hobby 1 S out to sea at 07.40
Collared Dove 2 Birling and the flew off W.
Tawny Owl
Swift 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Sand Martin c150 W
Swallow c250
Tree Pipit 3
Flava Wagtail 90 with at least 50 moved W.
Common Redstart 2
Whinchat 5
Wheatear 8
Grasshopper Warbler 2 (1)
Sedge Warbler 1 (1)
Reed Warbler 3
Lesser Whitethroat 9 (2)
Common Whitethroat 80 (16)
Garden Warbler 4 (3)
Blackcap 130 (34)
Chiffchaff 3 (1)
Willow Warbler 23
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Linnet Flock c80

Clouded Yellow 9
Adonis Blue 1

 

Male Wheatear at Birling

 

(taken by David Cooper)

A nicely marked Grasshopper Warbler in the Belle Tout Gully

 

Willow Warbler in Belle Tout Gully

(taken by D.Cooper)

Whinchat in the Old Trapping Area

Collared Dove - 2 seen at Birling departed West.

A blog tick pic.

Bumblebee Mimic Hoverfly - female Volucella zonaria

DC returning from photographing the Grasshopper Warbler.