23rd October 2014 Beachy Head Overcast mild W3 to W/NW 3/4 occasionally 5

I covered the top of the headland where the Red-breasted Flycatcher was still performing to its admirers albeit proving more elusive today in the windier conditions. There was a light westerly overhead passage that most notably included 20 Greenfinches following on from a number of lean autumns for them. KG added to the Ring Ouzel tally and saw a dozen Bramblings. RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow where double-figure numbers of both Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were trapped (numbers trapped appear in brackets below).

 

Brent Goose 1 W

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 2

Tawny Owl 3

Skylark 40 (including 4 W)

Swallow 40 and 2 E

House Martin 10

Meadow Pipit 75 W

alba Wag 1 W

Robins c.15 - an increase in the Hollow

Ring Ouzel 15

Blackbird 6

Song Thrush 2 (2 – 1 continental)

Blackcap 25 (11)

Chiffchaff 45 (36)

Goldcrest 10

Firecrest 1 (1)

Red-breasted Flycatcher 1 adult male

Long-tailed Tit 7 (2)

Jay 3

Raven 3
Brambling 12

Chaffinch 10

Greenfinch 20 W

Goldfinch 180 W

Bullfinch 2

Wrens 6+ (3) - an increase in the Hollow

 

Red Admiral 1

 

 Adult male Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Old Trapping Area

22nd October 2014 Beachy Head NW4-5 cold at first

A good number of observers were on the headland today looking for the Yellow-browed Warbler that wasn't in evidence. There was a movement of Wood Pigeons and another good count of Stock Doves, a light overhead passage of Finches and an assortment of other migrants but these were eclipsed by the discovery of an adult male Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Old Trapping Area by ASC. Fortunately it remained faithful to the small clump of hawthorns much to the delight of its ever-increasing crowd of admirers.

Sparrowhawk 1
Peregrine 2
Kestrel 2
Wood Pigeon 3,600+
Stock Dove 400
Short-eared Owl 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Swallow 5
House Martin 2 W
Skylark 3 W
Ring Ouzel 4
Mistle Thrush 2
Redwing 1 W
Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 4
Goldcrest 4
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1 adult male
House Sparrow 2 in Whitbread Hollow
Bullfinch 4
Chaffinch 30 W
Brambling 3 W
Siskin 6 W
Goldfinch 400+ W
Linnet 50
Reed Bunting 1 W
Jay 1

Adult male Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Old Trapping Area

the 22nd Red-breasted Flycatcher to have been seen at Beachy

(taken by Roger Haggar)

Short-eared Owl over the Old Trapping Area.



21 Oct 2014 Beachy Head Stormy conditions and very windy NW

Just a brief entry as NT visited several sites on the Headland although the windy conditions made birding very difficult he was able to locate one of the Yellow-browed Warblers in Belle Tout wood which he first heard calling and after a while he found it in a beech tree where it showed well for several minutes.

20th October 2014 Beachy Head 7/8 at dawn quickly clearing to sunny and warm, wind W4

RDME made a fairly brief visit covering Shooters Bottom, Whitbread Hollow, Cow Gap and Belle Tout Wood. LP covered Shooters Bottom and Belle Tout Wood. SL arrived at Birling at 10.10 and covered Belle Tout and shooters leaving at 15.30 meeting both GG and DB. A very good count of overflying Stock Doves were recorded with a decent variety of other diurnal migrants noted but the obvious highlight were 2 Yellow-browed Warblers being present in Belle Tout Wood although they became more elusive as the day went on.

Common Buzzard 2

Sparrowhawk 2

Peregrine 2 including one dashing into a Wood Pigeon flock without success

Kestrel 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Stock Dove 500 W

Woodpigeon 400 + W

Swallow 8 W

Skylark 20 SE

alba wag 2

Mistle Thrush 1 W

Ring Ouzel 21

Blackbird 30

Song Thrush 2

Dartford Warbler 1 juvenile

Blackcap 2

Chiffchaff 8

Yellow-browed Warbler 2

Goldcrest 8

Brambling 1 W

Goldfinch 300 mainly W

Linnet 50 W

Yellowhammer 1

Corn Bunting 4

Reed Bunting 2+ (1 W)

Raven 1

Red Admiral 1

Yellow-browed Warbler in Belle Tout Wood (Laurence Pitcher)

Stock Doves moving west over Beachy Head (Laurence Pitcher)

18 October 2014 Beachy Head Fine warm but breezy S 5

We met up with RJF and JK at Birling and covered all the main sites on the Headland meeting up with RKH, RES and RK during the morning. RJF also visited Crowlink  Still good numbers of Ring Ouzels present with a late Hobby seen at Crowlink.
NT visited Belle Tout area late in the afternoon and had a Firecrest and 2 Ring Ouzels in the scrub by the western side of Belle Tout wood.

Kestrel 3
Merlin 1
Hobby 1 Crowlink
Peregrine 1
Great Black-backed Gull 800 at Crowlink (Our largest number recorded on a day-previous largest day record was on the 8/10/2000 when 600 were logged).
Skylark 30
Swallow 75
House Martin 1
Alba Wagtail 12 E
Wheatear 1
Ring Ouzel 30+
Blackbird 8
Song Thrush 1
Chiffchaff 5
Firecrest 1
Jay 4
Goldfinch 150
Linnet 400 in the top fields

Clouded Yellow 1

17 Oct 2014 Beachy Head Overcast mild SW 4

Our first visit for almost 3 weeks, great to be out birding again. We covered all the main sites on the Headland including Icky Ridge and the Cliff Path. We also met up with SL who birded the Birling to Shooters bottom area and also walked towards Crowlink. Diurnal migration was poor but still a number of migrants present on the Head with the highlights being 25 Ring Ouzels, 2 Dartford Warblers, juv.Merlin  and a Short-eared Owl.

Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1
Merlin 1 juv.
Peregrine 3
Curlew 2
Collared Dove 1
Short-eared Owl 1 (over fields near Shooters Bottom)
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Swallow 14
Meadow Pipit 50 W
Wheatear 4
Ring Ouzel 25 (5 Shooters Bottom, 8 Old Trapping Area, 4 Cow Gap, 8 B/T scrub)
Blackbird 6
Song Thrush 2
Dartford Warbler 2 Shooters Bottom
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 11
Jay 5 (1 E and party of 4 B/T area)
Raven 2 +
Goldfinch 200 (100 W)
Linnet 50
Yellowhammer 2
Corn Bunting 5

Clouded Yellow 2
Wall Brown 2
Migrant Hawker 5

Late news from yesterday (per the SOS web-site) was 26 Ring Ouzels and 2 Dartford Warblers.

Autumnal colours showing in Belle Tout wood

Short-eared Owl over Shooters Bottom

Some of today's Ring Ouzels in Shooters Bottom.

Confiding Dartford Warbler in Shooters Bottom.

The 2nd Dartford Warbler was not quite so confiding.

A late Wall Brown along the Cliff Path

15 Oct 2014 Beachy Head Cloud 6/8 rapidly clearing but then becoming 7/8 Wind N2 to 1 then S 3 to 4 later

RDME was ringing in Whitbread Hollow and also briefly visited Belle Tout wood. SL covered Crowlink, Birling to Belle Tout loop, Belle Tout wood and Shooters Bottom. RKH, RES and KH covered the usual birding sites on the Headland. Small numbers of night migrants which included 16 Ring Ouzels and 1 Dartford Warbler. Reasonable easterly diurnal passage with 1,000 Goldfinches, 200 Linnets with 5 Jays west.

Following are the combined totals with birds ringed are shown in brackets:

Sparrowhawk 2
Common Buzzard 1
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 2-4
Tawny Owl 3
Swallow 200
House Martin 170
Alba Wagtail 4
Robin 10+ (5)
Wheatear 1
Ring Ouzel  16 spread all over the Head including Crowlink and the Hollow
Mistle Thrush 3
Song Thrush 5 (2 trapped of which 1 was a continental race).
Dartford Warbler 1
Blackcap 7+ (5)
Chiffchaff 43 (21)
Goldcrest 5 (2)
Jay 5 W
Brambling 5
Goldfinch c1,000 E
Linnet 200 E
Reed Bunting 4
Corn Bunting 11

Red Admiral 3