31st August, 2011. Beachy Head. Sunny & fine.Wind very light

RDME. SM. PF & JAGD were ringing in Whitbread Hollow and the following are their sightings with birds ringed in brackets:

Sparrowhawk 2

Peregrine 1

Swallow 12

House Martin 500 (197)

Grasshopper Warbler 1 (1)

Lesser Whitethroat 4 (3)

Common Whitethroat 75 (25)

Garden Warbler 3 (3)

Blackcap 200 (84)

Chiffchaff 15 (9)

Willow Warbler 15 (7)

RedAdmiral 2

Small Copper 4

The Wryneck was again reported from Shooters Bottom for yesterday and today.

More images of the Honey Buzzards seen on the 27th taken by RKH.

Bloody-nosed Beetle (they keep doing it!!) taken on the 29th by RKH.

30th August, 2011.Beachy Head. Overcast, cool NW 1

Birded the usual sites on the Headland and met up with RB.

Fulmar 1

Sprrowhawk 1

Peregrine 1

Swift 2

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Sand Martin 20

Swallow 300

House Martin 30

Whinchat 2

Stonechat 10

Wheatear 1

Common Whitethroat 12

Garden Warbler 1

Blackcap 10

Willow Warbler 23

Goldcrest 1 (first for the Autumn).

Spotted Flycatcher 4

Corn Bunting 1

Hummingbird Hawk Moth 1

Two of the four Spotted Flycatchers seen at Belle Tout

29th August, 2011. Beachy Head. Sunny periods NW3

Visited the Headland and birded virtually all the usual sites including the rough field. Met up with most of the locals.

RDME & JAGD were ringing in Whitbread Hollow and had large numbers of Common Whitethroats & Blackcaps.

The following are our combined totals with birds ringed in brackets:

Common Buzzard 1

Sparrowhawk 2-4

Kestrel 1

Hobby 1 Shooters Bottom (PN)

Peregrine 2

Swift 1

Wryneck 1 again in Shooters Bottom.

Sand Martin 105 W

Swallow 130

House Martin 10

Tree Pipit 3

Yellow Wagtail 6 W

Grey Wagtail 3 W

Common Redstart 3

Whinchat 3

Wheatear 12

Grasshopper Warbler 1

Sedge Warbler 1 (1)

Reed Warbler 8 (3)

Lesser Whitethroat 3 (1)

Common Whitethroat 135 (22)

Garden Warbler 4 (4)

Blackcap 400 (119)

Chiffchaff 7 (7)

Willow Warbler 30 (5)

Pied Flycatcher 1

Raven 2

Chalk Hill Blue 2

Small Heath 2

Small Copper 1

Painted Lady 1

Red Admiral 3

Meadow Brown 15

Migrant Hawker 1

Hummingbird Hawk Moth 1

Autumn Ladies Tresses Still good numbers at Birling and also 2 sites in Whitbread Hollow.

Wheatear - Our first bird of the day.

Willow Warbler eyeing up breakfast on Icky Ridge.

Pied Flycatcher in the Hotel Garden.

Male Wheatear above Belle Tout wood

Whinchat at Belle Tout

Maybe the last of this years Autumn Ladies Tresses.

Meadow Brown

Small Heath

He thinks I can't see him!!

Pete contemplating life, after Arsenal's 8-2 defeat by Man Utd.

Crimson Speckled - Utetheisa pulchella.

above Belle Tout wood on the 21st August, taken

by Tony Cook.

Its a migrant from the Mediterranean and North Africa, with

around 100 records in the UK during the last century.

28th August, 2011 Beachy Head. Overcast with sunny periods & cool. Wind W. 4-5

Back to the old routine, birding most of the sites on the Head and walked the rough field. Met up with many of the regular birders:

Shag 4 immatures of Birling.

Sparrowhawk 2

Kestrel 1

Peregrine 1

Wryneck 1 in Shooters Bottom

Skylark 25 in rough field.

Sand Martin 2

Swallow 30

Yellow Wagtail 62 passing over the Top Fields.

Whinchat 2

Wheatear 15

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 12

Blackcap 3

Willow Warbler 3

Raven 1

Corn Bunting 2

Chalk Hill Blue 2

Small Heath 2

Silver Spotted Skipper 2

Painted Lady 1

Wheatear in Shooters Bottom

Wryneck in Shooters Bottom

Silver Spotted Skipper near Belle Tout wood.

Pictures of 2 Honey Buzzards ( adult male & female)

taken over the Hotel Garden on the 27th by Matt Eade.

27th August, 2011 Beachy Head Cloud 2/8ths very bright. Wind NW to W force 3 gusting to 4

RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow with birds ringed included in brackets.

RHC, GG & ME were raptor watching and between them recorded 3 Honey Buzzards.

2 Pied Flycatchers were also seen in the Hotel Garden.

Honey Buzzard 3

Common Buzzard 1

Red Kite 1

Sparrowhawk 1

Redstart 1male

Grasshopper Warbler 1 (1)

Sedge Warbler 2 (1)

Reed Warbler 10 (6)

Lesser Whitethroat 4 (2)

Common Whitethroat 100 (23)

Garden Warbler 5 (4)

Blackcap 50 (29)

Chiffchaff 1 (1)

Willow Warbler 2 (2)

Small Copper 1

Small Heath 1

Clouded Yellow 1

Common Shrew 1 found dead

19th August, 2011 to 24th August, 2011 Beachy Head

Whilst we have been away, Bob & Richard have kindly sent me their observations and ringing data, and I have included them in the following summary, with the birds ringed in brackets:

19th August, 2011. Cloud 6/8ths at dawn becoming bright sunny & warm. Wind NW 3 to 2.

RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow:

Tawny Owl 2

Redstart 1

Song Thrush 1 (Extremely scarce in both the Hollow & on the Headland)

Grasshopper Warbler 2 (2)

Sedge Warbler 2 (2)

Reed Warbler 4 (2)

Lesser Whitethroat 5 (1)

Common Whitethroat 75 (27)

Garden Warbler 4 (2)

Blackcap 10 (6)

Chiffchaff 1 (1)

Willow Warbler 6

Red Admiral 1

Bat sp. 1

Bob has commented that he had a good many re-traps today from the 17th which suggests that although departures have taken place, only a few new arrivals.

20th August, 2011. Cloud 5/8ths to 8/8ths. Wind W. to NW 0 to 2.Humid & warm.

RDME was again ringing in Whitbread Hollow:

Tawny Owl 1

Greater Spotted Woodpecker 1

Grasshopper Warbler 1(1)

Reed Warbler 12 (7)

Lesser Whitethroat 3 (3)

Common Whitethroat 70 (39)

Garden Warbler 4 (4)

Blackcap 25 (16)

Willow Warbler 12 (9)

Red Admiral 1

Poplar Hawk Moth 1

21 August, 2011. 3/8ths cloud to 8/8ths cloud, light S becoming 3 to 4

RDME's sightings and ringing from Whitbread Hollow:

RJF & JK did most of the birding sites on the Headland, and the following are combined totals:

Sparrowhawk 1

Marsh Harrier 1 over the top fields.

Quail 1 flushed from the cliff Path .RJF & JK

Tawny Owl 1

Sand Martin 30+

Swallow 80+

House Martin 110

Tree Pipit 2

Yellow Wagtail 12

Redstart 4

Whinchat 5

Wheatear 8

Sedge Warbler 3 (1)

Reed Warbler 17 (7)

Lesser Whitethroat 4 (1)

Common Whitethroat 89 (7)

Garden Warbler 3 (1)

Blackcap 33 (19)

Willow Warbler 13

Whinchat taken by RJF

Redstart taken by RJF

Lesser Whitethroat taken by RJF.

24th August, 2011. 8/8ths cloud cover becoming 5/8ths. Wind W3 becoming 4 later.

RDME & SM were ringing in Whitbread Hollow:

Grasshopper Warbler 4 (3)

Reed Warbler 6+(6)

Lesser Whitethroat 2+(2)

Common Whitethroat 100 (33)

Garden Warbler 6+(6)

Blackcap 125 (42)

Willow Warbler 20 (13)

17th August, 2011. Beachy Head Sunny periods & warm. Wind light & variable

We covered most of the birding sites on the Head including the rough field. We met up with RB & RKH in Shooters Bottom:

RDME, PF & JAGD were ringing in Whitbread Hollow and the following are combined totals with birds ringed in brackets:

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 3

Curlew 1 E over Shooters Bottom.

Tree Creeper 1 (1)

Robin 25

Common Redstart 7 (1)

Wheatear 13

Reed Warbler 31 (17)

Lesser Whitethroat 17 (8)

Common Whitethroat 400 (89)

Garden Warbler 10+ (8)

Blackcap 53 (19)

Chiffchaff 1

Willow Warbler 87 (31)

Spotted Flycatcher 2

One of the thirteen Wheatears seen on the Headland today.

Spotted Flycatcher in Shooters Bottom

Common Whitethroat in Shooters Bottom. Large numbers

were present in Whitbread Hollow today.

Historical pictures of the cliff erosion at Birling Gap

from the National Trust archives.

1907- Shows the coast guard cottages and out buildings enclosed

in a wall, in the foreground hut & railings leading to steps to the beach.

1925-The coastguard outbuilding much nearer the cliff edge with the

surrounding wall already beginning to disappear. The railings now gone,

and the hut much closer to the edge.

1934-The coastguard outbuildings and wall now gone, but still a large

open area in front of the hotel, and the coastguard cottages still not

threatened.

1970-Hotel and garage in front now showing and the

coast guard cottages much closer to the cliff edge. The hut

has now disappeared and new steps can be seen.

2010-Some of the coast guard cottages have now been

demolished and the garage in front of the hotel has also gone.

More new steps to the beach have been erected.