A cold north-easterly wind combined with clear conditions rarely does us any favours in the Spring so it was no surprise that effectively no migrants were seen today. A fifteen minute sea-watch proved deadly quiet so we covered Birling, Belle Tout and the top fields. A Yellowhammer dropped into the scrub at the top of Birling Lane being a formerly favoured area for the species, a Redwing was seen on the eastern side of Belle Tout Wood and the Black Redstart was still at the Old Lighthouse but the only diurnal migration was limited to a tight flock of 12 Chaffinches flying over heading east.
Grey Heron 1W
Buzzard 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Auk sp. 1W
Redwing 1
Stonechat 14
Black Redstart 1
Meadow Pipit 2N, 15
Chaffinch 14E
Yellowhammer 1
Reed Bunting 3
Male Reed Bunting at Belle Tout
Carrion Crow over the Old Belle Tout Lighthouse
Carrion Crows with predominantly white flight feathers were once a feature of birding at Beachy but have been encountered far less frequently in recent years.
