25th October 2014 Beachy Head W1 Overcast

We met up with RJF & JWK at Birling and covered the lane, the Belle Tout loop and the Old Trapping Area where we saw ASC and GB who had covered the Hotel Garden and Shooters Bottom. RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow. RJF visited Crowlink in the afternoon. A good diurnal passage was dominated by Goldfinches  and a fair number of Skylarks, Bramblings and Reed Buntings moving west with a single calling Woodlark seen flying north over Belle Tout wood early in the afternoon. A total of four Dartford Warblers was a good count and Chiffchaff numbers chiefly in Whitbread Hollow remain strong for late October. The male Red-breasted Flycatcher remained performing well in the Old Trapping Area attracting twitchers from afar. Combined totals including birds trapped in brackets.

Common Buzzard 1
Merlin 2
Kestrel 2
Tawny Owl 3

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Wood Pigeon 330 S (including a leucistic individual)
Stock Dove 150 S
Swallow 26
House Martin 1
Skylark 65 W
Woodlark 1 N over Belle Tout at 2.15pm

Song Thrush 2

Blackbird 15
Ring Ouzel 2
Meadow Pipit 70 W
alba Wagtail 13 W
Black Redstart 1 Crowlink
Starling 20 W
Dartford Warbler 4

Blackcap 6 (2)
Chiffchaff 42 (20)
Goldcrest 12 (2)
Firecrest 1
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1 adult male
Wren 20 (4)

Robin 25

Raven 2
Jay 14 (including 12 W)
Siskin 10
Goldfinch 1,170 W
Greenfinch 6
Brambling 33
Bullfinch 3
Reed Bunting 25 chiefly W

Corn Bunting 2 singing

Red Admiral 6

Old Trapping Area twitch

Dartford Warbler at Belle Tout

Adult male Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Old Trapping Area

Jay moving over Belle Tout

 

 

Adult male Red-breasted Flycatcher performing well.