Saturday 19 April 2014

18 and 19 April 2014 Beachy Head

18th April, 2014 

We started at Birling lane and also covered Birling to Belle Tout loop and then visited the Cliff Path. Briefly met up with RKH and RES who had covered most of the other sites on the Headland. Just small numbers of Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats:

Kestrel 1
Swallow 1
Whitethroat 5
Chiffchaff 5
Willow Warbler 10

Wall Brown 2

19th April, 2014
DC and BK visited all the sites on the Headland and then covered Whitbread Hollow, Cow Gap and the Gully. Again  poor numbers of night migrants seen although 7 Wheatears including two Greenland types were new arrivals. An afternoon sea-watch between 14.00-17.00 recorded a small movement:

Canada Goose 1 over Cow Gap
Whimbrel 1 on Birling lawn
Red-legged Partridge 2
Swallow 2
House Martin 2
Sand Martin 1
Wheatear 7 including 2 Greenland Wheatears
Blackcap 3
Whitethroat 9
Lesser Whitethroat h singing
Willow Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 3

Seawatch 2pm - 5pm E4

Red-throated Diver 1E
Gannet 4E
Little Egret 1E
Shag 1E
Merganser 6E
Scoter 7E
Arctic Skua 1E
Bonxie 1E at 14.40pm
Sandwich Tern 31E
Auk sp. 2E
Curlew 1E
Whimbrel 41E
Bar-tailed Godwit 18E

 
(taken by David Cooper)
Male Greenland Wheatear at Cornish Farm

(taken by David Cooper)
Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew and Whimbrel over Birling

(taken by David Cooper)
Shag passing Birling.

(taken by David Cooper)
Drake Red-breasted Mergansers passing Birling