27th June, 2017 Beachy Head Overcast, dull E 4-5

Arrived at Birling to find a dull overcast day with a cool E wind. We covered Birling lane and the scrub opposite, Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden and Icky Ridge. Unfortunately not really suitable for butterflies today and the stiff breeze made birding difficult. Virtually the first birds seen were 3 Sand Martins going E perhaps an early start to the Autumn passage, also 4 Swifts E but otherwise the area was very quiet apart for Goldfinches and Linnets. A Lesser Whitethroat was present in the same area in Shooters Bottom  where one summered last year. A surprised was a Heron which flew out of the set-a-side field at Birling, I wonder what it was hoping to feed on in this field.

    Some late news: Adult male Wheatear in Hodcombe mid-June
   (RHC) and adult  Cuckoo in Shooters Bottom yesterday. (RAB).

Swallow over Birling

Heron leaving the set-a-side field

Adult male Peregrine on the hunt

 (taken by Richard Butler)

Adult Cuckoo in Shooters Bottom an out going migrant and also

our first Cuckoo at Beachy this year.