Sunday 7 September 2014

7 Sept 2014. Beachy Head. Early mist becoming fine sunny and hot with virtually no wind.

We met up with JK at Birling and covered virtually all the main Headland sites including Birling and Belle Tout loop. Also met up with a number of the regular birders including RKH and RES. Bob and Paul were ringing in Whitbread Hollow and my good friend Tony Quinn lead a small party into Whitbread Hollow/Cow Gap area. Kris Gillam also visited a number of sites and saw a total of 3 different Wrynecks.

Fewer migrants seen on the Headland although an early morning passage of Swallows and House Martins, with small numbers of Yellow Wagtails and also 7 Grey Wagtails flew W. Blackcap numbers were again high in the Hollow with Wrynecks now numbered 4 with 2 seen together in Shooters Bottom, 1 again in Whitbread Hollow and 1 in Cow Gap. AQ found a Kingfisher on the eastern side of the Hollow which is just our 6th record since 1960 and the first since April, 1985!! The female Merlin again put in several appearances over the Top Fields.

The combined totals, with birds ringed are shown in brackets:

Little Egret 2-3
Sparrowhawk 5
Marsh Harrier 1 juv/female type over the Top Fields
Common Buzzard 4+ over the Top Fields W over the Top Fields.
Kestrel 3
Merlin 1 female
Hobby 1
Peregrine 1
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 feeding on playing field
Collared Dove 1 W over Birling
Kingfisher 1- our 6th record and the first since April. 1985.
Wryneck 4 (2 Shooters Bottom, 1 Hollow and 1 Cow Gap)
Swallow 400
Sand Martin 1
House Martin 500 W
Meadow Pipit 40
Tree Pipit 1
Rock Pipit 1
Yellow Wagtail 21
Grey Wagtail 7 W
Dunnock Small numbers seen to be moving with 2 flying off high with Tits.
Common Redstart 1 male
Whinchat 4
Wheatear 7
Song Thrush 1 (1)
Grasshopper Warbler 1 (1)
Sedge Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 3 (1)
Common Whitethroat 60 (12)
Garden Warbler 2 (2)
Blackcap estimated 1,000 in Whitbread Hollow (170)
Chiffchaff 22 (4)
Willow Warbler 18 (2)
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Chaffinch 27 E
Goldfinch 20
Linnet 15 W

Raven 2

Brown Argus 1
Comma 1
Chalkhill Blue 2
Red Admiral 3
Clouded Yellow 1



Pale Common Buzzard over the Top Fields.


At least 4 different Common Buzzards were soaring over the Top Fields.




A good day for Wrynecks with 4 being seen in the area.



(above 3 taken by David Cooper)
Sedge Warbler at Birling

(taken by David Cooper)
Comma at Belle Tout


A faded Brown Argus