14th April, 2012 Beachy Head Fine, clear & cold NE 2

We sea-watched from 06.50-07.50 and we then covered all the areas on the Headland. Met up with RK in the wood:

Red Throated Diver 1 E

Gannet 32 E

Little Egret 1 W off Birling

Common Scoter 52 E

Red Breasted Merganser 3 E

Peregrine 2

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3 E

Arctic Skua 5 E 

Mediterranean Gull 2 E

Sandwich Tern 1 E & 9 W

Auk Sp. 5 E & 1 W

Swallow 16 chiefly in off the sea

White Wagtail 1 S over Belle Tout area

Common Redstart 2 males

Wheatear 6 (At least 3 were Greenlands)

Common Whitethroat 2 (Our first for the year)

Chiffchaff 2

Willow Warbler 1

Long Tailed Tit 2

Tree Creeper 1

Linnet 100 (25 in off the sea)

Corn Bunting 1 near Birling Sewage Farm.

Bottle Nosed Dolphin 2 off Birling

Roger & Liz had in Hodcombe 40 Willow Warblers on the 12th & 25 on the 13th April.

Meadow Pipit near Birling

Male Common Redstart in the Old Trapping Area.

Chiffchaff in Belle Tout wood.

Our first Whitethroat of the year

13th April, 2012 Beachy Head

RDME covered most of the sites on the Headland including the Cliff Path and also Whitbread Hollow. PN  covered the Headland including Shooters Bottom. RKH, RES & GG were also birding on the Headland. Good arrival of Willow Warblers with many quickly departing N along the lane at Birling:

Common Buzzard 2
Peregrine 1
Tawny Owl 1
Swallow 6
White Wagtail 1 at Birling
Common Redstart 1 in scrub near Hotel Garden.
Stonechat 7
Blackcap 5
Chiffchaff 16
Willow Warbler 125+, many moving N. up at Birling.
Long tailed Tit 2
Corn Bunting 1

12th April, 2012 Beachy Head

PN covered Birling lane & field, B/T Gully & wood, Shooters Bottom and the Old Trapping Area:

Swallow 4
Common Redstart 1 in the Old Trapping Area
Wheatear 2 at Birling
Blackcap 3 males
Chiffchaff 4
Willolw Warbler 60 (40 in Hodcombe)
Tree Creeper 1
Raven 2

10th April, 2012 Beachy Head Part Overcast, clear & cool WSW 4

We sea-watched from 06.30 - 09.00 and were joined by RDME & RHC. We then covered some of the sites on the Headland including the Cliff Path and met up with RB, RKH & RES in B/T wood:

Red Throated Diver 2 E

Great Crested Grebe 1 E

Gannet 54 E

Brent Goose 39 E

Common Scoter 30 E & 5 W

Curlew 7 W

Arctic Skua 1 d/p E

Bonxie 2 E

Mediterranean Gull 4 E

Sandwich Tern 34 E

Auk Sp. 2 E

Wheatear 2

Chiffchaff 5

Willow Warbler 2

Firecrest 1 B/T wood

Tree Creeper 2

Long Tailed Tit 2

Raven 1

RHC sea-watched on the 9th April from 07.15-08.45 and his highlights were:

Manx Shearwater 1

Arctic Skua 2 E

Bonxie 2 E

Mediterranean Gull 14 E

Firecrest in Belle Tout wood.

Male Blackbird with white feathers on the head in the Hotel Garden

8th April, 2012 Beachy Head Overcast, rain & sea-mist W1-2

We sea-watched with RHC in poor conditions from 07.00-08.15. After a break for the rain to ease, we covered the Birling Gap/Belle Tout areas and also the Old Trapping Area:

Brent Goose 49 E
Shelduck 3 W
Common Scoter 12 E
Peregrine 2
Curlew 1 E
Bonxie 1 E
Sandwich Tern 1 E
Meadow Pipit 16 in off the sea
Black Redstart 1 female type Birling
Wheatear 3
Willow Warbler 16
Long Tailed Tit 1
Tree Creeper 1
Siskin 2 W

RHC also had 2 Black Redstarts at Hodcombe on the 3/4

7th April, 2012 Beachy Head Overcast cool & clear NE 1-2

We sea-watched from 07.00-08.05 and then covered all the Headland sites including the field and Cliff Path. Met up briefly with RDME who also had covered many of the sites including Whitbread Hollow/Cow Gap area. Another small fall of migrants recorded:

Red Throated Diver 1 E

Gannet 4 E

Brent Goose 35 E

Shelduck 2 E

Common Scoter 15 E & 6 W

Common Snipe 1 flushed from field.

Mediterranean Gull 2 E

Tawny Owl 1 calling

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Whitbread Hollow

Swallow 4

Common Redstart 1 male (our first for the year)

Stonechat 12

Wheatear 3

Ring Ouzel 1 male (our first for the year)

Song Thrush 3

Blackcap 3

Chiffchaff 12

Willow Warbler 23

Carrion Crow 1 in off the sea

Raven 1

Linnet 70 (19 W)

Corn Bunting 1 left the field and departed high E until out of sight.

Chiffchaff at Birling

Willow Warbler at Belle Tout

Meadow Pipit at Birling

Greater Black Back Gull with ring no. JA551 on Birling beach

Third-summer Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull L.f. intermedius at Birling

The extensive dark subterminal band to the bill ages this individual as did its dark-stained central tail feathers that were best appreciated in flight but just discernible here.

Stonechat at Birling

Stonechat at Belle Tout

Cowslips now in flower

4th April, 2012 Beachy Head Sunny, cool and very clear W 2-3

We joined RDME at the sea-watch between 06.45-07.45 and then covered a number of sites on the Headland including the Cliff Path and met up with RB at Belle Tout. RDME also covered Whitbread Hollow. Generally very quiet:

Red Throated Diver 2 E
Gannet 26 E & 2 W
Brent Goose 13 E
Common Scoter 7 E & 1 W
Mediterranean Gull 2 E
Sandwich Tern 1 E
Auk Sp. 6 E
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Stonechat 3
Blackcap 2
Chiffchaff 5
Raven 3