10th July, 2011. Beachy Head. Calm & Sunny.

Just a brief sea-watch before birding on the Headland:

Sparrowhawk 1

Black Headed Gull c20

Med. Gull 1 ad s/p W.

Herring Gull 150 including our first juv. of the year.

Sand Martin 12 W

Swallow 6

Meadow Pipit c50 in the area.

Pied Wagtail 5

Whitethroat 20

Starling 400.

A very dark male Stonechat.

Juvenile Herring Gull for comparison with the

Yellow Legged Gulls photographed yesterday.

Juvenile Pied Wagtail, showing its black rump.

9th July, 2011. Beachy Head W 4

Sea-watched 07.15-08.15 and then birded virtually the whole area including the rough field, Cow Gap, Hollow & Gully.

4 Whimbrel 4 W

Lesser Black Back Gull 30

Yellow Legged Gull 4 juvs.

Quail 1 flushed from rough field opposite B/T wood.

Swallow 6

Starling 400

Chalk Hill Blue c15

Tachina grossa 4

Dark Green Frittillary

Chalk Hill Blue

Juvenile Yellow Legged Gull at Birling

8th July, 2011 Birling Gap Squally showers SW3

Sea-watch: 6.45pm to 9.00pm:

Manx Shearwater 3 W

Gannet c100 W

Scoter 8 (5 E & 3 W)

Med. Gull 1 ad s/p W

Sandwich Tern 1 W

Guillemot 1 W

Auk Sp.2 W

3rd July, 2011. Beachy Head. Fine clear & calm.

Sea-watch from 06.45-07.45 and then covered a number of sites on the Headland:

Little Egret 1 W

Common Scoter 5 E

Kestrel 1 W

Med Gull 4 s/p adults W.

Black Headed Gull 20 W

Sandwich Tern 11 E

Auk sp. 2

Swift 4 W

Pied Wagtail 4 E

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 20

Willow Warbler 2 adults in moult.

Raven 1 juv.

Corn Bunting 1 singing

Fox 1

Grey Seal 1 off Birling

Further pictures of the male Stonechat with the large

white rump breeding at Birling, perhaps a genuine rubicola.

Fox at Birling

Marbled Whites at Birling

Tachina grossa at Belle Tout

2nd July, 2011. Beachy Head Clear & calm SE 1

The four of us visited Beachy and carried out a sea-watch from 06.45 to 07.45. We then covered most of the area on the Headland including the rough field. Excellent numbers of Butterflies seen. The following were recorded:

Fulmar 6

Gannet 50

Common Scoter 4 E

Common Buzzard 1

Bonxie 1 E

Med. Gull 1 s/p ad. W.

Herring Gull 250 resting in the rough field.

Sandwich Tern 11 E

Common Tern 1 E

Auk sp. 1 E

Cuckoo 1 adult near Birling flew off high to the South.

Swift 3 W. along the cliffs

Sand Martin 1

Swallow 6

Stonechat a male with a large white rump and by its behaviour was breeding nearby.

Lesser Whitethroat 1 singing in Shooters Bottom

Common Whitethroat 12

Blackcap 2-3

Starling Flock of 350 in the Top Fields were all virtually juveniles.

Corn Bunting 1 singing

Marbled White 60+

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Common Blue 2

Small Heath 15

Small Copper 5

Large Skipper 3

Small Skipper 10

White Lettered Hairstreak 1 nectaring in the clump just West of B/T wood.

Dark Green Fritillary 40+

Comma 1

Small White 12

Large White 3

Red Admiral 1

Meadow Brown 40

Gatekeeper 4

Male Stonechat, which had a large white rump, and by its behaviour

had young in a nearby nest.

Whitethroat

Bonxie past Birling a strange early July record.

White Lettered Hairstreak, nectaring and probably the best butterfly

we regularly see on the Headland.

Dark Green Fritillary - At least 40 were seen today.

Marbled White - large numbers present today on the Headland.

Large Skipper

Small Skipper

Silver Y moth, which was half in the sun.

Dandelion seedhead

Pyramidal orchids in the Old Trapping Area.

Thyme

Marsh Harrier arriving in off the sea opposite the Beachy

Head Hotel on the 10th May. (RKH)

Longhorn Micromoth (Nemophora degeerella) at Belle Tout

Wood on the 14th May (RKH)

Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica) at Belle Tout

Wood on the 11th May (RKH)

19th June 2011 Birling Seawatch 7am-9am 4.30pm-5.30pm WNW5-6 Clear

Manx Shearwater 7E, 5W

Whimbrel 4W

Guillemot 1E, 1 on sea

Sandwich Tern c.10

Crossbill 3W ex.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth 1

Dark Green Fritillary 10

Marbled White 5

RHC had a Serin briefly in Hodcombe and a fly over Red Kite heading East.

Seaford Head from Birling Gap

A Skylark's nest

Snapdragons

18th June 2011 Birling Gap Seawatch WSW6 7am - 7pm

Gannet c.150

Manx Shearwater 6E, 7W

Scoter 10E

Peregrine 1

Sparrowhawk 1

Auk sp. 4E

Sandwich Tern c.45E, c.15W

Commic Tern 1W

Mediterranean Gull 12E (11ad 1 2s)

Arctic Skua 3E

Bonxie 6E

RHC had a female Serin in Hodcombe during the early part of the week.

PN & MN had 25 Dark Green Fritillaries & 7 Marbled White butterflies also during the early part of the week.