21st July, 2016 Beachy Head Overcast becoming sunny NW 1

A cooler morning but still nice and calm. We covered Birling lane and scrub, Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge, Cliff Path and Belle Tout wood. Met up with RE who had visited Whitbread Hollow. Surprising with the calm conditions no Willow Warblers were seen. Both Reed and Sedge Warblers were present at Birling where an adult type Cuckoo was seen twice in flight. Common Whitethroat numbers now very depleted. No overhead passage was recorded.
Late news from LP for the 19th was a juv. Yellow-legged Gull and 3 Mediterranean Gulls E and the 20th with a Cuckoo in Hodcombe (possibly the same bird seen today at Birling).

Kestrel 1
Cuckoo 1 adult type at Birling
Rock Pipit 1
Stonechat 10
Song Thrush 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Reed Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat just 9 recorded on the Headland
Blackcap 1
Raven 1
Greenfinch 2
Bullfinch 1 in the Hollow

Butterflies: Reasonable numbers of some common butterflies but still very few of others:
Chalk Hill Blue 2
Small Copper 1
Small Skipper 30
Marbled White 25
Gatekeeper 60
Meadow Brown 40
Red Admiral 6

Just 9 Common Whitethroats were seen this morning

Distant Reed Warbler at Birling

Small Copper

Six Red Admirals were seen today