Another New Year, and the start of my 57th year watching at Beachy. It has become quite a tradition for us to start the New Year with a visit to Beachy, and this year was no different. We carried out a short sea-watch from 08.10 to 08.50 although the sea was quite calm and the promise SE breeze was the usual ENE breeze and therefore needless to say very little moving. We then walked the Birling loop, Belle Tout wood and with the light winds we walked through the rough field to ascertain the numbers of birds wintering in this large field. Highlight was 4 Dartford Warblers including a party of 3 and a single bird which I watched from close quarters for around 5 minutes feeding fairly low in the gorse.
Red-throated Diver 5 (3 E and 2 W)
Great-crested Grebe 2 (1E)
Fulmar 5
Gannet 6
Brent Goose 4E
Shelduck 1E
Kestrel 1
Red-legged Partridge 9 in rough field
Common Gull 20E
Stock Dove 2
Skylark c100+ in rough field
Rock Pipit 1
Stonechat 3
Song Thrush 1
Dartford Warbler 4
Goldfinch Flock of 50 in rough field
Reed Bunting 1 in rough field
Corn Bunting 15 with 2 singing.
Dartford Warbler which I watched for several minutes, as it was
searching for food low down in the gorse.
Female and Male Stonechats in the rough field
