First visit for over a month. Because of the road re-surfacing and the road closed, we just covered Birling lane, Birling loop and Belle Tout wood. Reasonable movement of Linnets and Goldfinches also 40 Pied Wagtails W, 8 Skylarks W, 10 Meadow Pipits W, and one party of 30 Siskins W. A Firecrest and 15 Corn Buntings were seen along Birling lane and a Yellow-browed warbler was heard calling in the scrub below B/T lighthouse ( probably the same bird reported on the SOS web-site at 10am above Belle Tout wood).
22nd October, 2016 Fine warm sunny with light breeze N-NE
We met up with Simon L. and covered Birling lane and Birling loop including Belle Tout wood. We then drove around to the Beachy Head Hotel and covered Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden, and Icky Ridge.
Common Buzzard 1
Kestrel 1
Merlin 1 female/imm type
Skylark 6W
Swallow 12
House Martin c40
Robin 10
Fieldfare 1
Redwing 3
Dartford Warbler 3 (2 males above B/T wood and 1 Hotel Garden)
Chiffchaff 7
Raven 2
Brambling 1 W
Greenfinch 1 W
Goldfinch 70 W
Linnet 100 W
Reed Bunting 4 W
Corn Bunting 15
Speckled Wood 1
Small White 2
Common Darter 15
Migrant Hawker 1
Weasel 1
Exmoor ponies back at Beachy
Female Reed Bunting at Birling
We don't get too many chances to photograph Reed Buntings
at Beachy, as they usually pass over on migration
Adult male Dartford Warbler near Birling Gap
Common Darter at Belle Tout wood
Male type Dartford Warbler in the Hotel Garden
23rd October, 2016 Overcast with early mist and cold becoming brighter E 4
Much colder overcast morning and at Birling we met up with RE and SL. and we walked Birling lane together. We then left them who covered the Birling loop and we drove around and covered The Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden and Icky Ridge and we then drove back to cover Belle Tout wood. Another
reasonable passage of finches etc but the bushes were extremely quiet which was disappointing with a good
east wind blowing.
Grey Heron 1 in over Birling
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 1
Skylark 40 (8 W)
Swallow 2
House Martin 6
Pied Wagtail 30 E
Redwing 1
Chiffchaff 4
Goldcrest 6
Raven 2
Starling 200
Brambling 2 E
Goldfinch c300 E
Siskin 2 E
Linnet c150 E
Yellowhammer 1
Corn Bunting 10
