7 August 2013 Beachy Head Overcast cool with showers NNE 4-5

Cool breezy morning saw a decline in the numbers of night migrants logged although a trickle of Sand Martins coasting E and 2 female type Crossbills E, unfortunately without any wing-bars. We covered virtually all the usual sites on the Headland including the Cliff Path.

Sparrowhawk 1 male

Hobby 1 over Belle Tout wood

Peregrine 1

Curlew 1 came in off the sea and moved E over the Top Fields.

Sand Martin 51 coasted E

Swallow 10

Common Whitethroat 20

Willow Warbler 16

Raven 2

Crossbill 2 female types over the Hotel Garden at 08.40

Hobby over Belle Tout wood

6 August 2013 Beachy Head Fine becoming warm N 3-4

Our best fall of Willow Warblers was recorded today for this Autumn, together with a small selection of other common night migrants. Met up with Bob and Ron and between us we covered virtually all the sites including the Cliff Path and Whitbread Hollow.
Also a nice showing of butterlies etc.

Fulmar 4
Hobby 1 over Belle Tout wood
Peregrine 2
Swift 15
Swallow 12
Sand Martin 1
Yellow Wagtail 1
Stonechat 6 (Including the pair of Continental birds with 1 young in Shooters Bottom still)
Wheatear 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Sedge Warbler 4
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Common Whitethroat 40
Garden Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 2
Willow Warbler 100
Spotted Flycatcher 1 still in juvenile plumage.
Linnet 40
Bullfinch 1
Corn Bunting 1

Good numbers of common downland butterflies ie Meadow Browns, Small Skippers, Gatekeepers etc.
Peacock 8
Chalk Hill Blue 100+
Small Blue 1
Small Copper 5
Marbled White 6
Silver-spotted Skipper 10 (including 1 along the Cliff Path)
Dark Green Fritillary 5
Painted Lady 7
Also at least 50 Silver Y moths.

Fall of 100 Willow Warblers on the Head today.

Lesser Whitethroat in the Old Trapping Area, taken by Ron Knight

Sedge Warbler in Shooters Bottom, taken by Ron Knight

Wheatear at the Old Trapping Area taken by Ron Knight

Small Blue at Shooters Bottom taken by Ron Knight

Marbled Whites are coming to the end of their flying season.

A faded Dark Green Fritillary

Taken by Ron Knight

 

Ten Silver-spotted Skippers seen today

4th August 2013 Beachy SW1 Clear

Nice near-calm conditions at dawn produced a small but varied fall of migrants albeit somewhat patchy. In the hollow RDME only recorded a single Whitethroat but conversely recorded three-quarters of the Willow Warblers seen on the headland. We met RKH and PN was also walking the top. Crossbills made an overdue first appearance of the autumn, but as they seldom land at Beachy, it is perhaps just as well that no trumpeters were heard amongst the two overflying flocks. Birds ringed in Whitbread Hollow appear in brackets:

Buzzard 2+
Sparrowhawk 1
Hobby 1
Cuckoo 1
Swift 25
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Sand Martin 15
Nightingale 2
Black Redstart 1
Song Thrush 2 (1)
Blackcap 14 (3)
Whitethroat 55
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Sedge Warbler 2 (1)
Reed Warbler 5 (3)
Willow Warbler 40 (14)
Chiffchaff 1
Raven 2+
Crossbill 5 NW over the hollow during the morning and 3 WNW over the Old Trapping Area at 2.40pm including one male

Comma 2
Peacock c.15
Painted Lady c.15
Red Admiral c.5
Silver-spotted Skipper c.15
Chalk hill Blue c.200

Nightingale in Chat Vale

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker above the Lighthouse

Willow Warbler in the Hotel Garden

Painted Lady in the Hotel Garden

Peacock in the Hotel Garden



3rd August 2013 Beachy WSW5 Clear

With the wind stronger than forecast the sea held some promise but and hour produced typically scant reward. Whitbread Hollow and Cow Gap were relatively sheltered but eerily quiet with virtually no migrants evident. After another quiet seawatch the best was saved to last when an adult Hobby was seen hunting over the fields at Birling Gap before departing west.

Gannet 53E, 12W
Manx Shearwater 1W at 7.50am, 1E at 8.10am
Scoter 26E
Hobby 1 adult 
Mediterranean Gull 1E, 3 feeding offshore including 2 juveniles
Sandwich Tern 4E, 1W
Swallow 2
Whitethroat 3
Blackcap 2
Starling c.300

Painted Lady c.10
Chalk hill Blue c.50

Blackcap in Cow Gap



2nd August 2013 Whitbread Hollow cloud variable 1/8 – 6/8, thunderstorm but no rain early on. Very light SW wind, very humid.

RDME went ringing in the hollow where there had been a small arrival of migrants that included the first Nightingale of the Autumn. PN visited the top seeing a Hobby and two Clouded Yellows. Birds ringed in brackets.

 

Hobby 1
Swift 50
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2

Nightingale 1 (1)

Song Thrush 2 (1)

Reed Warbler 3 (3)

Whitethroat 1 (1)

Blackcap 10 (3)

Chiffchaff 1 (1)

Willow Warbler 15 (7)

Bullfinch 2

 

Small Copper 1

Chalk hill Blue 30

Common Blue 2

Comma 1

Dark Green Fritillary 1
Clouded Yellow 2

1st August 2013 Beachy E 3/4, cloud 0/8, very warm

RDME covered Birling lane, up to Belle Tout lighthouse through Belle Tout Wood and paid a brief visit to Whitbread Hollow. It proved very quiet with a dearth of migrants and not a single Willow Warbler was seen.

Shelduck 14 (on sea)

Peregrine 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Song Thrush 1

Stonechat 6 (family party of 5)

Whitethroat 6

Corn Bunting 1

28th July 2013 Beachy SW4 Clear with 3/8 cloud

After a 30 minute seawatch we covered most of the areas of the top of the headland where it was apparent that only a few migrants were present although the brisk wind made for difficult conditions at most sites. We met RK in a sheltered Belle Tout wood who had also seen little in the way of migrants just as with his previous three visits to the headland in the last week. Bob, Sarah, Martin and Paul fared better ringing in the hollow where clearly there were a few more migrants present that included quality in the form of an early Pied Flycatcher that interestingly still retained the last remnants of juvenile plumage. Birds ringed in brackets:

Scoter 35E, 10W
Buzzard 1
Mediterranean Gull 2E juveniles
Guillemot 2E
Kittiwake c.100W
Sandwich Tern 1W
Tawny Owl 1 Hollow
Swift 10
Swallow 10
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Reed Warbler 1 (1)
Blackcap 16 (6 including one ringed in 2007 and one in 2010)
Whitethroat 7 (3)
Chiffchaff 2 (1)
Willow Warbler 23 (5)
Pied Flycatcher 1 (1)
Raven 3

Common Blue 1
Chalk Hill Blue 20
Essex Skipper 2
Small Copper 1
Red Admiral 1

Pied Flycatcher retaining juvenile plumage trapped in Whitbread Hollow (Sarah McKenzie)

RDME kindly comments 'Note the dark tipped feathers on the mantle/back/scapulars and coverts that are the last remnants of juvenile plumage. According to our computerised ringing records (that go back to 1985) this is the earliest of 35 Pied Flycatchers. The only other July one was on the 29th'.