8th May, 2016 Beachy Head Sunny warm hazy E3-4

We joined Bob Edgar and sea-watched from 05.40-09.10 and also Bob Smith and Roger Charlwood joined us. A further sea-watch from 10.25-11.20 after receiving a call from Matt concerning a possible Whiskered Tern with a Commic past Splash Point at 10.07 but we were unable to connect with this off Birling. Many thanks for the call Matt.
Highlight of the sea-watch was a superb pack of 6 close Pomarine Skuas.
We also covered Shooters Bottom and the Old Trapping Area but little evidence of any new arrivals other than a Cuckoo seen at the sea-watch site.

Gannet 56 E
Little Egret 1 off Birling
Brent Goose 9 landed on the sea and then E
Shelduck 2 prospecting at Birling
Common Scoter 72 E
Red-breasted Merganser 1 drake E
Sanderling 3 E
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 E
Whimbrel 16 E and 3 in
Pomarine Skua 8 E (6 @ 07.10 @ 2 @ 08.00)
Arctic Skua 4 E
Sandwich Tern 9 E
Commic Tern 16 E
Cuckoo 1 at Birling sea-watch site
Swallow 10 in off the sea
Song Thrush 1
Goldcrest 1
Raven 1

Orange Tip Butterfly 1 Belle Tout wood (per RES)

Nine Brents on the sea off Birling before departing E

 

 Arctic Skua going past Birling

Song Thrush at Shooters Bottom.

Why couldn't it have been a Wood Thrush!!