Thursday 16 June 2016

16th June, 2016 Beachy Head Overcast cool and dry S 2-3

With the wind switching to S, we decided to visit Beachy on the off-chance. We sea-watched from 07.10-07.55 and then covered Birling lane, Belle Tout wood, Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge and the Cliff Path. No sign of any shearwaters on the sea-watch and the area was very quiet although a Lesser Whitethroat singing in Shooters Bottom and an adult Cuckoo also in Shooters Bottom were new arrivals.

Gannet 30 E
Common Scoter 50 E
Peregrine 1 (carrying a large prey, possibly a young rabbit??)
Kittiwake 60 E
Sandwich Tern 1 E
Cuckoo 1 ad Shooters Bottom (possible first sign of early Autumn returning migration exodus)
Swift just 1
Swallow 8
Song Thrush 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1 singing Shooters Bottom
Common Whitethroat 10 (very little singing most were collecting food)
Blackcap 4 singing
Chiffchaff 2 singing
Raven 1
Greenfinch 1 ad. male
Goldfinch Several very juvenile birds seen
Corn Bunting 3

I have just posted our trip report with photographs to Western Australia to the following blog:
http://jfcbirdingtrips.blogspot.co.uk/ for anyone who may be interested.



Adult Cuckoo in Shooters Bottom


Just one Swift seen today



Bee Orchids now fully out in bloom.