23 Mar 2013 Beachy Head Early rain cold murky NE 4

Late start due to heavy early morning rain. Short sea-watch from 10.20-11.10.
Many hundreds of manics on the Head today for an endurance event. They all had the latest expensive gear on but they still couldn't run up the slopes. Belle Tout car park was taken over with toilets and large tents, cars parked everywhere.
Unable to make our usual walk, we covered Shooters Bottom and the Old Trapping area but not a single migrant seen.

Red-throated Diver 1 E
Gannet 14 E
White-fronted Goose 1 ad E with Brents. (Our first record since 2006).
Brent Goose 270 E
Scaup 1 drake E with Brents.
Common Scoter 3 E
Red-breasted Merganser 2 E

Grey Seal 1 off Birling with a large fish.

21 Mar 2013 Beachy Head Overcast, cold & clear E1 increasing to 4

We sea-watched from 06.15-09.15 and were joined by RHC for the last hour. Surprisingly, a reasonable movement especially Sandwich Terns for March. We then covered Birling lane, Belle Tout wood and Cornish Farm Track but by now the cold wind had increased and no sign of any migrants.

Red-throated Diver 15 E, 5 W and 2 on the sea.
Great Crested Grebe 2 E
Gannet 126 E (all adults).
Brent Goose 180 E
Shelduck 8 E
Shoveler 14 E
Common Scoter 94 E
Red-breasted Merganser 1 on the sea.
Common Buzzard 1 over Cornish Farm.
Mediterranean Gull 7 s/p ads E
Common Gull 250
Kittiwake 25 E
Sandwich Tern 142 E
Auk Sp. 314 E
Guillemot 3 on sea
Razorbill 1 on sea

19 Mar 2013 Sunny periods & mild. Calm becoming E 1

A quieter morning sea-watching from 06.15-08.00 and we were joined by RHC and briefly by RDME. Highlight was a close Black-throated Diver in almost s/p with 4 Red-throats.
We then walked the Birling Gap-Belle Tout loop covering also Cornish Farm Track and then the Old Trapping Area and the Hotel Garden. Just a slight hint of some arrivals which included 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Stonechats and an Alba Wagtail which flew high in off the sea.

Red-throated Diver 12 E & 1 on the sea
Black-throated Diver 1 in partial s/p E with 4 Red-throats.
Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea
Brent Goose 151 E
Shelduck 3 E
Common Scoter 7 E
Red-breasted Merganser 2 E
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 1
Curlew 1 E
Mediterranean Gull 2 on sea and then E
Black-headed Gull 50 on sea and then E
Common Gull 200 Birling area
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming B/T wood
Meadow Pipit 2
Rock Pipit 1
Alba/Pied Wagtail 1 alba high in off the sea & 1 Pied at Birling.
Stonechat 4
Song Thrush 1 in song
Chiffchaff 2
Raven 1
Corn Bunting 1 singing Cornish Farm Track.

18 Mar 2013 Beachy Head Overcast,sunny periods milder We

We sea-watched from 06.20-08.40 and was joined by RHC for the last hour. We then walked Birling lane, Birling loop to Belle Tout and onto the Cornish Farm Track returning back to Birling. Also called into Hodcombe. We failed to find any migrants in the areas we covered and again no diurnal migration recorded of migrants arriving on the sea-watch, even thou conditions were much nicer today.
Liz recorded a male Wheatear on her cycle ride this morning beyond Cornish Farm.

Red-throated Diver 73 E
Black-throated Diver 1 in partial s/p E with R.T.Diver.
Great Crested Grebe 6 on the sea & 1 E.
Gannet 9 E
Brent Goose 91 E
Common Scoter 61 E
Curlew 1 E
Mediterranean Gull 5 ad s/p E.
Kittiwake 16 E
Stock Dove 1
Robin 5
Wheatear 1
Stonechat 3
Song Thrush 1
Corn Bunting 1 in song Cornish Farm Track.

17 Mar 2013 Sunny periods cold S to SE 3-4 to 6.

We sea-watched from 06.20-08.35 and then covered the Birling area and loop to Belle Tout. Pathway leading up to Cornish Farm and Shooters Bottom. No sign of any migrants at all on the Headland and no diurnal migrants seen arriving in off the sea.

Red-throated Diver 33 E
Great Crested Grebe 5 E 3 W & 1 on the sea
Gannet 43 E& 2 W
Brent Goose 217 E
Scoter 18 E
Red-breasted Merganser 13 E
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 1
Curlew 2 E
Mediterranean Gull 7 E
Little Gull 4 E
Lesser Black Back Gull 4 on beach
Kittiwake 60 E
Sandwich Tern 7 E
Rock Pipit 1
Robin 2
Stonechat 2
Blackbird 4
Song Thrush 2

16th Mar 2013 Beachy SW6 Overcast

After a morning of heavy rain and strong southwesterly winds we seawatched from 2pm to 4pm after the rain had stopped. The first two minutes appeared promising with our first Sandwich Tern of the year and a close adult Little Gull flying east and was followed by a steady trickle of more expected fare but including another 2 Sandwich Terns and 3 Eider. A walk of Birling, Belle Tout and Cornish Farm produced nothing more than a couple of Song Thrushes.

Red-throated Diver 21E
Great Crested Grebe 1 on sea
Gannet 13E, 2W
Fulmar c.35E
Brent Goose 4E
Eider 3E (2 drakes)
Scoter 7E
Peregrine 2
Kestrel 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1E, 3 in fields
Kittiwake c.50E
Mediterranean Gull 4E adults s/p
Little Gull 1E adult
Sandwich Tern 3E
Auk sp. 41E, 2W
Curlew 2E
Rock Pipit 2
Meadow Pipit 2
Song Thrush 2

Birling still looking wintry

the sun eventually broke through over Birling



15 Mar 2013 Beachy Head Overcast cold with rain SW 5-6

We sea-watched from 06.40-08.10 and just had time to visit Belle Tout wood before the onset of rain. Still snow-drifts along the side of the road and in the fields.

Red-throated Diver 18 E
Great-crested Grebe 1 E & 1 on the sea.
Gannet 7 E & 3 W
Brent Goose 950 E
Common Scoter 9 E
Curlew 1 E
Bonxie 1 E
Mediterranean Gull 3 E
Kittiwake 40 E
Auk Sp. 20 E
Razorbill 9 E