Saturday 29 August 2009

Beachy Head, 29th August, 2009



Looking East from above Belle Toute wood.

Wheatear above Belle Toute wood taken by David Cooper.

Reed Warbler in the Hotel Garden taken by David Cooper.



Three images of the Pied Flycatcher in the Old Trapping Area.



Three images of Sedge Warblers.

Common Whitethroat in the Old Trapping Area.

Greater Spotted Woodpecker at Birling.

Arrived with DC at Birling at 06.25 hrs and were joined by RDME & JK. Weather was fine and clear, but cool and almost calm which was a relief after the strong winds of the last few days. Good numbers of very active Willow Warblers were seen up the lane and 2 small parties of Collared Doves flew west over Birling. After doing Birling we drove towards Shooters Bottom to find large numbers of Wheatears present on the fences and in the fields. Shooters Bottom was quiet but a single Pied Flycatcher in the Old Trapping Area and 2 in the Hotel Garden performed well for us and our cameras. Met up with various birders at the Old Trapping Area. RHC commented that he had also seen good numbers of Wheatears on his walk along the cliff edge and Liz had seen around 50 on her cycle ride around Cornish Farm. Cow Gap area produced 2 Grasshopper Warblers and another 2 Redstarts and a Common Buzzard with very large pale tail coverts was present over the top fields. We walked above Belle Toute wood and saw another 50 Wheatears here, and RDME had seen earlier 10 Whinchats in this area as well. Migrants seen as follows:

Common Buzzard 1
Collared Dove 7 W
Swift 2
Greater Spotted Woodpecker 2
Sand Martin 7
Swallow 20
Tree Pipit 4
Yellow Wagtail 8
Grey Wagtail 2
Common Redstart 3
Whinchat 11
Wheatear 120 + 40+ seen by RHC & EHC.
Grasshopper Warbler 2 Cow Gap
Sedge Warbler 8
Reed Warbler 1-2
Lesser Whitethroat 4
Common Whitethroat 25
Willow Warbler 50
Pied Flycatcher 3