13th July, 2018 Beachy Head Light cloud cover warm E-SE 1-2

We covered Birling lane, Birling scrub, Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge and Belle Tout wood. We briefly met up with LP at Shooters Bottom.
Very few warblers present on the Headland, and only 2 Swifts and 6 Sand Martins flew over. A juvenile Cuckoo flew through Shooters Bottom, which proved to be our first Cuckoo for this year.

Common Buzzard 1
Peregrine 1
Cuckoo 1 juv. flew through Shooters Bottom
Swift 2
Sand Martin 6
Swallow 10
Meadow Pipit 12
Nightingale 1 1stW type Shooters Bottom
Song Thrush 1
Common Whitethroat 14 on the Headland
Raven 5 juveniles feeding on Birling beach at low tide
Linnet 50
Corn Bunting 3

Low numbers of common Butterflies seen during our visit which included several Chalk Hill Blues.

Late news for the 11th July, RB visited the Headland and although very quiet he did find a Whinchat in Shooters Bottom

Nightingale in Shooters Bottom 

Comma in Shooters Bottom

Gatekeeper-our commonest butterfly at the moment.

 

Male Chalk Hill Blue