Saturday 1 August 2015

1st August, 2015 Beachy Head Fine sunny and warm. Light and variable wind

We covered all the main birding sites on the Headland. Just a handful of night migrants in the bushes and virtually no diurnal migration recorded. Highlights were a Nightingale which showed well and a Whinchat.

Cormorant 14 in two parties of 9 and 5
Kestrel 2
Shelduck 1 juv. W
Sand Martin 6 E
Swallow 40
Nightingale 1 adult type showed well in Shooters Bottom
Whinchat 1
Stonechat 12
Sedge Warbler 4
Reed Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat 35
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 8
Goldfinch c50
Siskin 1 W
Linnet 40
Corn Bunting 3 singing

Small numbers of the common downland butterflies were seen, which included the odd Marbled Whites, 3 Painted Ladies and 2 Dark Green Fritillaries. Reasonable numbers of Chalkhill Blues now being seen also a Small Heath and 3 Silver Spotted Skippers.

Blue Moon - 31st July, 2015.
A blue moon is generally understood to be second full moon in a month, a phenomenon that won’t happen again until 2018, and the last one was in 2012. Therefore there is usually 12 full moons in a year, but this year there will be 13. It will only appear blue in exceptional circumstances.


Full moon taken at 05.00 am this morning

 

Moon taken at 5.20 am as it was getting light.
Not sure what the bird is??


Party of 9 Cormorants off Birling


Willow Warbler at Birling

 


 
Common Nightingale in Shooters Bottom



Silver Spotted Skipper at Belle Tout