Sunday 31 August 2014

31 Aug 2014 Beachy Head Fine sunny and warm becoming cloudy pm. NW-W 1-2 increasing to 2-3

We met up with JK and covered all the main sites on the Headland. Also met up with GG and ASC who had covered a number of sites. RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow.
Good fall of Willow Warblers at Birling and Blackcaps in the Hollow. Reasonable totals of Common Redstarts, Wheatears, Reed Warblers and Whinchats. Good diurnal migration between 07.00-09.00 with the majority moving west, which included over 200 Yellow Wagtails, 16 Tree Pipits, and good numbers of hirundines. In fact it was like old Beachy, when falls of this size were regular on the Headland 30+ years ago.

The following totals are the combined totals of the observers with birds ringed are shown in brackets:

Little Egret 2
Sparrowhawk 5 (which included 3 together soaring over the cliffs at Birling)
Common Buzzard 1
Kestrel 2
Hobby 1
Collared Dove 1 W over Birling
Tawny Owl 2
Swift 9
Great-spotted Woodpecker 2
Sand Martin c150 W
Swallow c2,000 (c1,500 W)
House Martin c150 W
Tree Pipit 16 chiefly W
Yellow Wagtail 241 chiefly W
Grey Wagtail 1 W
Robin 20 (5)
Common Redstart 13
Whinchat 11
Wheatear 19
Sedge Warbler 2 (2)
Reed Warbler 14 (7)
Lesser Whitethroat 3 (1)
Common Whitethroat 56 (7)
Garden Warbler 5 (4)
Blackcap c480 (93)
Chiffchaff 4 (3)
Willow Warbler 134 (15)
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Pied Flycatcher 1
Raven 4
Goldfinch 20 W
Corn Bunting 12 ( party of 12 in one bush at the top of the lane at Birling and departed W)

Clouded Yellow 2
Migrant Hawker c20


Whinchat near Birling



 

 

Large numbers of Yellow Wagtails present today.


Good fall of Willow Warblers during the early morning at Birling.


Wheatear at Belle Tout

 

Reed Warbler at Shooters Bottom

 

Sparrowhawk hunting in the Old Trapping Area.

 

Swift over the Old Trapping Area.



A 1921 Grand Prix Morgan 3 wheeler car part of a small
rally of Morgan cars at Beachy today.