23 Sept 2014 Beachy Head Early haze becoming light overcast and warm. Wind O at first becoming W 0-1

Another fine morning, and we covered all the main sites on the Head including Icky Ridge and the Birling to Belle Tout loop. LP also covered the Shooters Bottom area. Bob and Paul were ringing in Whitbread Hollow and had good numbers of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.
Less night migrant activity and variety with a single Ring Ouzel being the highlight. Good numbers of Meadow Pipits were grounded with c400 seen although if the fields were checked this number would increase. Diurnal migration was chiefly restricted to hirundines with only small numbers of Pipits etc. Another 2 Jays moved East.
Combined totals with birds ringed are shown in brackets:

Little Egret 1 off Birling
Brent Goose 17 on the sea off Birling
Shoveler 1 female with the Brent Geese
Common Buzzard 1
Sparrowhawk 4
Kestrel 5
Merlin 1
Peregrine 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Skylark 4 high W and 25 E
Swallow c500 chiefly E
House Martin c800 feeding and drifting E
Tree Pipit 2 E
Meadow Pipit 450 (400 on the ground and 50 E)
Yellow Wagtail 3 E
Common Redstart 1
Wheatear 10
Ring Ouzel 1
Blackbird 12
Song Thrush 3
Sedge Warbler 1 (1)
Reed Warbler 4 (3)
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Blackcap 37 on the Head and Estimated 750 (121) in the Hollow.
Chiffchaff 200 (32)
Long-tailed Tit 2 (2)
Chaffinch 25 E
Bullfinch 2
Jay 2 E over the Old Trapping Area.

 

Two Jays moving E over the Old Trapping Area.

Chiffchaff in the Hotel garden.

Wheatear at Birling