3rd April, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny with sea-mist becoming warm Wind 0-1

We sea-watched from 07.05 - 08.05 and then met up with PN and covered the whole of the Headland sites including the field and Cliff Path. Small fall of common migrants:

Great Crested Grebe 2 on the sea

Gannet 13 E

Brent Goose 70 E

Wigeon 2 E

Common Scoter 9 E

Curlew 1 E

Common Snipe 1 flushed from Old Trapping Area.

Mediterranean Gull 2 E

Sandwich Tern 16 E

Commic Tern 1 E

Tawny Owl 1 calling

Stonechat 4

Black Redstart 2 at Hodcombe

Wheatear 25

Song Thrush 2

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 20

Willow Warbler 18

Tree Creeper 1

Some of today's 23 Wheatears on the Head

2nd April, 2012 Beachy Head cloud cover 1/8th Light NW

RDME covered the Lane, Birling to Belle Tout, the track to Cornish, back through the Wood, back to Birling.
Met up with RHC briefly:

Tawny Owl calling
Swallow 1 N over Birling (Our first for the year).
Black Redstart 1 heard singing at Birling
Stonechat 2
Tree Creeper 1
Linnet 12

1st April, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny, very clear & cool. N 0-1

A very short sea-watch from 07.15-07.45 in very clear sunny conditions. We then covered virtually the whole of the Headland including the field and Cliff Path:

Gannet 7 E
Brent Goose 8 E
Common Buzzard 1
Peregrine 1 flying very low down over the sea.
Sandwich Tern 2
Auk Sp. 2
Short Eared Owl 1 flushed from the cliff Gully behind B/T wood.
Stonechat 4
Wheatear 10
Blackcap 1 female
Chiffchaff 3
Carrion Crow 4 in off the sea.
Raven 1
Linnet 50

Record shots of today's Short Eared Owl.

One of today's 10 Wheatears 

Male Chaffinch posing nicely for the camera in Shooters Bottom

31st March, 2012 Beachy Head Light cloud misty at sea cool NE 0-2

Sea-watched from 07.10-08.10. Met up with PN and we covered the whole of the Headland including the field and Cliff Path. Briefly met up with RHC at Birling:

Red Throated Diver 3 E

Gannet 13 E

Grey-lag Goose 6 flew E over the Head and then veered off N. 

Brent Goose 20 E

Shelduck 4 E

Common Scoter 10 E

Red Breasted Merganser 1 W

Sparrowhawk 3 

Kestrel 1 W out to sea

Peregrine 1

Whimbrel 1 E (our first for the year)

Curlew 4 E

Arctic Skua 1 adult d/p E

Sandwich Tern 6 lingering off Birling

Auk Sp. 21 E & 3 W

Stonechat 6

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 8

Willow Warbler 4 (our first for the year)

Raven 2

Lesser Redpoll 1

Bottle Nosed Dolphin 2 off Birling

On the 29th March RHC had the following:

4 Red Kites (3 high over Hodcombe & 1 over Whitbread Hollow).

Black Redstart 1 female type in Hodcombe

Blackcap 2 in Hodcombe

Chiffchaff 15 in Hodcombe

Our first Willow Warbler for this year

Ringed Singing Chiffchaff along the Cliff Path

Female Sparrowhawk at Icky Ridge, one of three being seen today.

Six Grey-lags moving NE over the old Belle Tout lighthouse

30th March, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny, cool sea-haze.NE 2-3

We sea-watched from 07.20 - 08.20 and were joined by RDME. All the Headland sites were covered including the Cliff Path and RDME also covered the Hollow, Cow Gap and the Gully. With the cool NE wind  

both the sea and the area were very quiet:

Red Throated Diver 3 (1 E & 2 on the sea)

Gannet 26 E

Brent Goose 84 E

Peregrine 1

Oystercatcher 10 W some way out to sea and were probably moving

Black Headed Gull 50 E

Sandwich Tern 2 E

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Stonechat 3

Chiffchaff 6

Long Tailed Tit 1

Linnet 60

Lesser Redpoll 1 W

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Small Tortoiseshell along the Cliff Path

29th March, 2012 Beachy Head Fine & Sunny N 0 increasing to 3-4

RDME visited Birling lane, to Belle Tout lighthouse and back through the wood, Shooters Bottom and Whitbread Hollow RHC in Hodcombe: PN and MN also covered a number of sites around Birling.

Great Crested Grebe 1
Red Kite 4 (3 over Hodcombe & 1 over Whitbread Hollow)
Tawny Owl 2 heard calling
Sand Martin 1 in off the sea (our first for the year).
Black Redstart 1 female type Hodcombe
Wheatear 1
Stonechat 2
Blackcap 4
Chiffchaff 23 (15 in Hodcombe)
Lesser Redpoll 1

28th March, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny, clear becoming hot N 1-2

We sea-watched from 06.40-08.10 and we then covered virtually all the sites on the Headland including the field & Cliff Path:

Red Throated Diver 1 E

Gannet 17 E

Grey-lag Goose 2 in off the sea

Brent Goose 147 E

Shelduck 1 E

Teal 5 E

Common Scoter 18 E

Red Breasted Merganser 7 E

Kestrel 2

Curlew 7 E

Black Headed Gull 37 E

Sandwich Tern 1 E

Black Redstart 2 female types

Wheatear 2

Stonechat 10

Tree Creeper 2 B/T wood

Linnet 62

Corn Bunting 1

Beachy Head Lighthouse with the Peregrine Stack

Just 2 Wheatears seen today

Increase in Linnet numbers seen today

Pair of Tree Creepers still in Belle Tout wood