6th April, 2018 Beachy Head Sunny but cold E-SE 5

Another cold sunny morning with an E-SE wind. We joined a number of birders, KG, RAB, RE, RKH, RS and KH. and sea-watched from 06.10 to 10.45 and Doreen did an excellent job collating the numbers. Another good movement of Common Scoters with fair numbers of both Commic and Sandwich Terns.
RE covered Birling lane, Belle Tout wood and Cornish farm track, and with RKH, RS, and KH, we covered Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area and Hotel Garden. A new Black Redstart was present at Birling lane and 2 White Wagtails were present in a newly ploughed field.

Red-throated Diver 18 E
Black-necked Grebe 2 E (per RAB)
Gannet 128 E
Brent Goose 15 E
Shelduck 9 E
Gadwall 2 E
Teal 17 E
Mallard 4 E
Shoveler 28 E
Common Scoter 1,929 E
Velvet Scoter 6 E
Red-breasted Merganser 6 E
Peregrine 1
Redshank 1
Arctic Skua 4 E
Mediterranean Gull 5 E
Little Gull 13 E (per KG)
Black-headed Gull 6 E
Herring Gull c400 in ploughed field
Kittiwake c100 E
Sandwich Tern 315 E
Commic Tern 331 E
Auk Sp. 155+ E
Guillemot 2
Green Woodpecker 1 B/T area
Rock Pipit 1 Birling
White Wagtail 2 in newly ploughed field
Black Redstart 1 female type Birling lane

During the evening KG did a further sea-watch from 16.30-19.00 and recorded the following:

Red-throated Diver 57 E
Manx Shearwater 1 E
Gannet 62 E
Common Scoter 73 E
Oystercatcher 10
Curlew 1
Arctic Skua 7 E
Mediterranean Gull 4 E
Little Gull 97 E
Sandwich Tern 387 E
Commic Tern 176 E

One of the two White Wagtails in a newly ploughed field.