Sunday 19 June 2011

19th June 2011 Birling Seawatch 7am-9am 4.30pm-5.30pm WNW5-6 Clear

Manx Shearwater 7E, 5W
Whimbrel 4W
Guillemot 1E, 1 on sea
Sandwich Tern c.10
Crossbill 3W ex.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth 1
Dark Green Fritillary 10
Marbled White 5

RHC had a Serin briefly in Hodcombe and a fly over Red Kite heading East.

Seaford Head from Birling Gap

A Skylark's nest

Snapdragons

Saturday 18 June 2011

18th June 2011 Birling Gap Seawatch WSW6 7am - 7pm

Gannet c.150

Manx Shearwater 6E, 7W

Scoter 10E

Peregrine 1

Sparrowhawk 1

Auk sp. 4E

Sandwich Tern c.45E, c.15W

Commic Tern 1W

Mediterranean Gull 12E (11ad 1 2s)

Arctic Skua 3E

Bonxie 6E


RHC had a female Serin in Hodcombe during the early part of the week.


PN & MN had 25 Dark Green Fritillaries & 7 Marbled White butterflies also during the early part of the week.

Sunday 12 June 2011

12th June, 2011 Beachy Head Overcast, cool W1-2 to S 3-4

Sea-watched from 06.45-07.40 & 10.10-10.30. We also walked the lane at Birling and the cliff path and looked over the Hollow. The following were seen:

Gannet 28 E
Common Scoter 39 (36 E & 3 on the sea).
Sparrow Hawk 1
Peregrine 1
Arctic Skua 1 d/p offshore chasing Kittiwakes at Birling.
Med. Gull 2 E (both 2nd Summer birds).
Sandwich Tern 6 E
Commic Tern 25 E (all appeared to be Arctics).
Lesser Whitethroat A new arrival seen at the top of the lane at Birling was in full song and often singing from the tops of the bushes, which the local breeding birds very rarely do. It lacked the usual dark ear-coverts (see pictures below), had a brownish back and the iris appeared pale grey.

Fox 1
Hare 1



Lesser Whitethroat at Birling




Hare one minute, gone the next!!

Saturday 11 June 2011

11th June, 2011 Beachy Head. Clear & sunny NW1 to SW1

Sea-watched from 06.50 - 07.30 and then covered all the usual sites on the Head.

Fulmar 6
Gannet 2 E
Grey Heron 1 off Birling.
Common Scoter 18 (11 E & 7 on the sea).
Sparrow Hawk 1
Auk sp. 1 E
Swift 2
Swallow 4
Lesser Whitethroat 2 singing
Common Whitethroat 15
Willow Warbler 2
Corn Bunting 1 singing

RHC had 2 Bee-Eaters flying over Hodcombe calling in the early part of this week.

Speckled Wood 4
Marbled White 1
Common Blue 8
Adonis Blue 3
Small Heath 15
Large Skipper 1
Small Skipper 1
Dark Green Fritillary 7
Meadow Brown 15

Bee Orchid 1
Lizard Orchid 1

Fox 4
Hare 2


Dark Green Fritillary

Large Skipper


My annual picture of the Lizard Orchid

Wednesday 8 June 2011

7th June, 2011 Beachy Head

PN & MN had 1-2 Quail calling late afternoon from the field opposite the cliff edge car park just East of the old Belle Tout lighthouse.

Sunday 5 June 2011

4th June,2011. Beachy Head Overcast then suuny NNE 5.

Lapwing 2
Collared Dove 1
Swift 5 arriving
House Martin 3 arriving
Swallow 10
Stonechat 8
Reed Warbler h singing
Whitethroat 15
Lesser Whitethroat 7 singing males
Blackcap 1 male
Chiffchaff 2h
Crossbill 7W then N ex. landed briefly in Belle Tout Wood
Linnet 15
Goldfinch 8
Corn Bunting 1

Dark-green Fritillary 1
Small Tortoiseshell 2
Meadow Brown 1
Speckled Wood 6
Large Skipper 6
Small Heath 5

Common Swift arriving over Birling Gap.


Dark Green Fritillary


Bee Orchid