Sunday 20 August 2017

16th August, 2017 & 20th August, 2017. Beachy Head & Woods Mill

16th August, 2017
RE was ringing in Whitbread Hollow and LP visited the Headland.

Tawny Owl 1
Tree Pipit 1
Nightingale 2 new birds trapped
Common Redstart 2
Whinchat 1
Wheatear 8
Song Thrush 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1 Headland
Sedge Warbler 1
Common Whitethroat 118 (38 Headland & 80 Hollow)
Garden Warbler 26 (25 Hollow & 1 Shooters Bottom)
Blackcap 40 Hollow
Willow Warbler 49 (25 Headland & 24 Hollow)

Woods Mill N.R.
We visited here and met SL and we were hoping to see Willow Emerald Damselfly as several were seen here yesterday, but unfortunately none showed whilst we were looking. A decent number of
dragonflies. were seen including Brown Hawker, Southern Hawkers, Emperor, and many Ruddy Darters. The highlight was while Simon was showing us where he had seen a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker recently, much to our surprise one came flying along. Probably the first I have seen for around 10 years.

Southern Hawker  at Woods Mill

20th August, 2017 Beachy Head Fine sunny W 1-2

Just received this picture taken around 1960 by my brother
Barry Cooper. It shows myself, the late Sid Greenwood
and Tony Quinn. The three of us and my brother used to
watch and ring together at Beachy.

We covered most of the usual sites on the Headland with RE and MB ringing in Whitbread Hollow and KG also was birding in the Hollow area.

An early small influx of Willow Warblers at Birling, and these quickly moved inland and by 08.00 most had gone, otherwise reasonable numbers of Sylvia warblers were present in the Hollow. Little in the way of diurnal passage with 2 Swifts W, 13 Yellow Wagtails W over the headland, and 4 Tree Pipits overhead in the Hollow area.

Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1
Tawny Owl 2 Hollow
Swift 2 over the cliffs at Birling
Green Woodpecker 1
Sand Martin 1
Swallow 20
Tree Pipit 4
Yellow Wagtail 17 (13 W)
Pied Wagtail 5
Nightingale 1 heard in Whitbread Hollow
Stonechat c20 on headland
Wheatear 8
Song Thrush 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Reed Warbler c20 Whitbread Hollow
Common Whitethroat 71 (50 Hollow and 21 Headland)
Garden Warbler 6 Hollow
Blackcap 40 Hollow
Willow Warbler 50 (40 Headland early morning & 10 Hollow)
Corn Bunting Party of 7 at Birling in the bushes



Good selection of  butterflies seen today including Brown Argus, Clouded Yellow and 4 Painted Ladies. Also 1 Stoat seen in Whitbread Hollow.





Some of today's Willow Warblers at Birling which quickly
moved off inland.