28th July, 2016 Beachy Head Fine and sunny morning W 1 increasing to 3

Back to the summer doldrums. We covered Birling lane and scrub opposite, Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge, Cliff Path.and Belle Tout wood. Met up with RE who also covered the Birling to Belle Tout loop and Belle Tout wood and RB who covered some of the headland sites. The following are our combined totals.
Just a few night migrants seen which included 2 Wheatears, 5 Sedge Warblers but only 5 Willow Warblers.
Again no overhead migration seen with our last Swifts logged were on the 22nd July.
Fairly good show of butterflies with good numbers of Chalkhill Blues and an influx in Cow Gap of Small Whites.

Gannet 40 feeding off Birling
Common Buzzard 1
Rock Pipit 1
Meadow Pipit 30 which included good numbers of young birds
Wheatear 2 (per RE)
Sedge Warbler 5
Lesser Whitethroat 2 (per RB)
Common Whitethroat 23
Chiffchaff 1
Willow Warbler 5
Raven 1
Linnet 70 (commonest passerine on the Head at the moment)
Corn Bunting 4

Brown Argus 1
Chalkhill Blue 50 (just 1 female seen)
Small Skipper 20
Comma 1 (Our first sighting this year)
Small White 60+ (Influx on the Cow Gap downland slope)
Marbled White 15
Gatekeeper 70
Meadow Brown 30
Red Admiral 6
Peacock 1

1stW Willow Warbler-Just 5 seen today

Our first Comma for this year, but not sure what the Bee is

 

Female Chalkhill Blue