19 Sept 2014 Beachy Head Cloud 7/8 to 4/8 to 1/8, E 2 or 3 later 4. Misty then clearing then thick fog. Very warm from dawn

RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow and had a small fall of migrants, NP covered Shooters Bottom and at both sites our first Ring Ouzels of the Autumn were see. Meadow Pipits and Swallows were moving E and a party of 12 Siskins, our first also for the Autumn also moved E.
Birds ringed are shown in brackets:

Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Common Redstart 2
Ring Ouzel 2
Song Thrush 1 (1 Continental race)
Reed Warbler 1 (1)
Common Whitethroat 3
Blackcap 50 (22)
Chiffchaff 50 (5)
Goldcrest 2 (1)
Spotted Flycatcher 2
Siskin 12 E
Jay 1
Raven 1

17 Sept 2014 Beachy Head Overcast at first becoming sunny. NE 5 gusting to 6

Arriving at Birling to a strong NE breeze which made birding difficult. Covered Birling lane, Shooters Bottom, The Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge and finished in Belle Tout wood, meeting up with LP and NP in Shooters Bottom. LP also covered Sardine Valley.
Just a few migrants were seen in the area, and the strong breeze kept diurnal migration to a minimum with only small numbers of hirundines and 60 Meadow Pipits all moving E.

Grey Heron 1
Sparrowhawk 2
Merlin 1
Kestrel 3
Golden Plover 1
Sand Martin 2 E
Swallow 250 E
House Martin 150 E
Tree Pipit 1
Meadow Pipit 60 E
Grey Wagtail 1 W
Pied Wagtail 2 W
Common Redstart 1
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 4
Sedge Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat 4
Blackcap 3
Chiffchaff 3
Goldcrest 1

Late news for yesterday: LP visited Shooters Bottom area during the evening and saw 2 juv. Yellow-legged Gulls on the cliff edge above Shooters Bottom, also a female type Merlin.

(taken by Laurence Pitcher)

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on cliff top above Shooters Bottom.

16 Sept 2014 Beachy Head Overcast at first becoming fine sunny and warm NE to E 2 increasing to 4

RDME went ringing in Whitbread Hollow, and Blackcap numbers were good but otherwise just small numbers of Chiffchaffs and odd other migrants recorded. Small party of Long-tailed Tits which included one re-trap, first ringed two years ago.
Birds ringed are shown in brackets:

Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1
Tawny Owl 1
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Reed Warbler 3 (3)
Common Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 150 (67)
Chiffchaff 12 (5)
Goldcrest 1 (1)
Long-tailed Tit 6 (1)
Jay 2

Red Admiral 1
Common Blue 2
Southern Hawker 1

Late News for yesterday: Short-eared Owl flew E over Shooters Bottom.

Probable Ichneumon amblyteles armatorius in Shooters Bottom.

taken on the 14th.

(i/d by RKH)

14 Sept 2014 Beachy Head Overcast and warm E 3

We met up with RJF and JK at Birling and covered all the main sites on the Headland also meeting up with SL, ASC and GB. who were also birding the Headland.
Again just a thin scattering of night migrants although a good passage of Meadow Pipits E with Yellow and Grey Wagtails as well as hirundines with the highlights being a juv. Honey Buzzard and a Short-eared Owl.
The following is the combined totals of the above observers:

Little Egret 1
Honey Buzzard 1 juv. W and then inland.
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 4+
Hobby 1
Peregrine 2
Short-eared Owl 1 Shooters Bottom departed E @ approx.10.30.
Great-spotted Woodpecker 2
Sand Martin 11 E
Swallow c350 E
House Martin c500 E
Tree Pipit 2 W
Meadow Pipit c300 E
Yellow Wagtail 65
Grey Wagtail 9
Pied Wagtail 3 E
Whinchat 4
Wheatear 11
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat 6
Chiffchaff 9
Willow Warbler 1
Firecrest 1 Shooters Bottom
Raven 2
Corn Bunting 3

(Both images taken by David Cooper)

Juv. Honey Buzzard over Shooters Bottom.

David's comments:

A rather large, full-bodied and broad-winged Honey Buzzard with a rather prominent 'sixth' primary so reminiscent of juvenile Oriental Honey Buzzards seen on Hegura-jima although the oval-shaped dark carpal patches quickly dispel such thoughts! From Common Buzzard the two very narrow dark inner tail bars are diagnostic as are the dark bars traversing the pale inner primaries, the pale greater coverts of its underwings forming a pale wing-band and the aforementioned oval-shaped dark carpal patches. The dark secondaries, extensively black primaries and yellow cere all help to age it as a juvenile.

13 Sept 2014 Beachy Head Fine warm and sunny NE 3

We covered all the main Headland sites, meeting up briefly with RB at Shooters Bottom. Again just small numbers of night migrants seen with the highlights being 3 Grasshopper Warblers and our first Firecrest of the Autumn.

Fulmar 1
Little Egret 3
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 4+
Peregrine 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker 2 (1 calling at Birling and 1 E over the cliffs at Shooters Bottom)
Sand Martin 6 E
Swallow 75 E
House Martin 1,100 E
Meadow Pipit 140 (including 60 E)
Yellow Wagtail 15 E
Grey Wagtail 3 E
Pied Wagtail 1 E
Common Redstart 1 female
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 7
Grasshopper Warbler 3
Common Whitethroat 20
Blackcap 6
Chiffchaff 8
Firecrest 1

Adonis Blue 1 male

Whinchat at Birling

Wheatear at Belle Tout

Good numbers of House Martins moving

Firecrest in Shooters Bottom.

Male Adonis Blue

12 Sept 2014 Beachy Head Some early morning mist becoming fine and warm. E 1-2 increasing to 2-3

We covered most of the Headland sites meeting up with RKH, RES and GG. RDME also covered the Birling lane and loop to Belle Tout and he then visited the Whitbread Hollow area.

Migrants were generally very thin on the ground and probably related to chiefly left-overs. Only small numbers of diurnal migrants were moving chiefly E.

LP visited the area on the 11th and recorded just small numbers of migrants including 4 Wheatears, 1 Common Redstart, 1 Whinchat, 15 Chiffchaffs and a scattering of Whitethroats and Blackcap. The overhead passage included 2,000 hirundines, chiefly House Martins, 100+ Meadow Pipits, 20 Yellow Wagtails and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Today's combined totals are as follows:

Sparrowhawk 2-3

Kestrel 4

Sand Martin 6 E

Swallow 300

House Martin 70 E

Meadow Pipit 30 E

Yellow Wagtail 4

Whinchat 1

Sedge Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 25

Blackcap 10

Chiffchaff 10

Goldcrest 1

Clouded Yellow 3

Comma 1

Whinchat at Birling

 

 Common Whitethroat in the Hotel Garden.

 

(taken by Laurence Pitcher)

Wheatear taken on the 11th.

(taken by Laurence Pitcher)

Chiffchaff taken on the 11th.

10 Sept 2014 Beachy Head Sunny at first becoming overcast E1-2

We covered Birling Lane, Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden and Icky Ridge, Belle Tout wood and partly walked through the rough field, meeting up with RKH, RES, KH, and LP.

Only a thin scattering of migrants on the Headland with no real quality, although a Short-eared Owl was reported on RBA. from Shooters Bottom.  An early movement E of Swallows and House Martins and a Golden Plover heard calling moved W.

Little Egret 1
Kestrel 1
Golden Plover calling moved W
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Sand Martin 4 E
Swallow c1,000 E between 07.00-09.00
House Martin c300 E between 07.00-09.00
Yellow Wagtail 10
Whinchat 5
Stonechat 20
Wheatear 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Common Whitethroat 20
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 25
Chiffchaff 7
Raven 1

Yellow Wagtails feeding on the cliff edge.

 

Greater-spotted Woodpecker in the Hotel Garden.