Saturday 3 May 2014

3 May 2014 Beachy Head Early morning frost becoming fine and sunny NE 3-4 to SE 1-2


With a cold NE wind we checked Shooters Bottom and then went and covered Whitbread Hollow, Cow Gap and the Gully. We then drove back onto the Head and birded the Hotel Garden, Old Trapping Area and Belle Tout wood.
Yet another quiet morning for migrants with a Hobby in Cow Gap being the highlight, but some nice butterflies (12 species) on the wing today.

Grey Heron 1 on beach off Cow Gap
Common Buzzard 2
Hobby 1 flew through Cow Gap
Peregrine 1
Herring Gull c500 feeding on star fish off Cow Gap
Swallow 22
Wheatear 4
Reed Warbler 1 singing in the Gully
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Common Whitethroat 22 mostly singing males and holding territory
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 4 singing males
Chiffchaff 10
Goldfinch 8
Linnet only 15
Corn Bunting 2

Peacock 1
Small Tortoiseshell 2
Orange Tip 2
Wall 6
Common Blue 1 (Our first for the year)
Small Copper 4
Green-veined White 9
Small White 4
Speckled Wood 5
Dingy Skipper 2 (Our first for the year)
Grizzled Skipper 1
Green Hairstreak 1

 

Lesser Whitethroat in Cow Gap


Small Copper in Cow Gap


Dingy Skipper in Cow Gap

 

Grizzled Skipper in Cow Gap

 

Common Blue in Cow Gap

 

Orange Tip in Whitbread Hollow

 


Green Hairstreak in the Hotel Garden


Green-veined White at Belle Tout


An old friend which is occasionally seen in the Hotel Garden
over several years now.