Saturday 29 August 2015

29th August, 2015 Beachy Head Overcast but clear and warm SW to SE 1

We covered virtually all the sites on the headland including the Belle Tout loop, and we also did a raptor watch for around an hour during the late morning. Fewer migrants seen this morning although a female type Merlin flew over Birling (our first for this Autumn) but the highlight was a Honey Buzzard, seen on our raptor watch.

Honey Buzzard 1 (This was picked up during our raptor watch at 11.30 am, high over the top fields, after watching it for around 10 minutes it started to purposefully fly high south and headed out over the cliffs near Shooters Bottom and was lost to sight still going south out to sea).
Common Buzzard 3
Kestrel 2
Merlin 1 female/1stW Flew east over Birling chasing a few Goldfinches as it went.
Peregrine 1
Curlew 1
Sand Martin 50 E
Swallow 55 E
Yellow Wagtail 37
Grey Wagtail 1
Common Redstart 1
Whinchat 2
Stonechat c25
Wheatear 1
Song Thrush 1
Grassshopper Warbler 2 (1 Birling and 1 Belle Tout)
Sedge Warbler 1
Reed Warbler 2
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Common Whitethroat c60 (Approx. only 50% of yesterdays totals)
Blackcap 2
Willow Warbler just 3
Raven 2
Corn Bunting 6

Clouded Yellow 1+


Stonechat in a transitional plumage between Juv and 1st winter


Whinchat in Shooters Bottom


 Very poor record shots of the Honey Buzzard
very high in the sky as it flew south out to sea and seen from
the Old Trapping Area.