16th October, 2011 Beachy Head Cold at first becoming fine warm & sunny Wind light & variable

DC and myself covered most of the Headland included the Cliff Path and even ventured down into Cow Gap to look at a raptor sat on the cliff edge. A number of other observers were also covering the Headland sites and several looked for the Isabelline Wheatear on Crowlink.

RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow. The following are the combined totals from most of the observers with birds ringed in brackets:

Little Egret 1

Grey Heron 1 W out to sea

Sparrowhawk 1

Peregrine 4

Tawny Owl 2

Short Eared Owl 2 (1 Shooters Bottom & 1 over Birling)

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Woodlark 2 on Crowlink

Swallow 10

House Martin 3

Alba Wagtail 50 E

Common Redstart 1 (Went Hill)

Whinchat 1

Wheatear 10

Ring Ouzel 3

Blackbird 15

Song Thrush 4

Reed Warbler 1 (Shooters Bottom)

Blackcap 12 (6)

Chiffchaff 30 (5)

Goldcrest 12

Firecrest 1

Long Tailed Tit 3

Tree Creeper 1 (B/T wood)

Raven 1

Linnet 80 W

Lesser Redpoll 200 (52) + 6 W including a Mealy type with a large white rump.

Common Crossbill 1 E

Bullfinch 1

Reed Bunting 1 W

Clouded Yellow 2 (including 1 helice form)

Red Admiral 10

A tester on your raptor i/d skills.

A late Reed Warbler in Shooters Bottom.

If only it had been a Blyth's !!!

Clouded Yellow in Cow Gap

Another Clouded Yellow of the helice form in the Hollow.

Linnet in the rough field.

Sorry if I woke you.

The raptor was a 2nd plumage Goshawk, which unfortunately was a falconer's escape bird.