RJF spent 9 hours on the Headland. He parked at Birling, and then walked to Cow Gap, Whitbread Hollow, and then back through the Rides, and Frost Hill covering the various Headland sites.
During the late afternoon a Harrier was seen hunting over the rough field at Belle Tout. It was well photographed and proved to be a 2nd cal.yr. coloured ringed female Pallid Harrier. It was ringed as a chick in June, 2018 near Oulu Finland with both parents being Pallid Harriers ruling out hybrids.
Little Egret 5
Sparrow Hawk 5 in the whole area
Common Buzzard 3+hybrids
Pallid Harrier 1 rough field at Belle Tout.
Peregrine 2
Swift 3
Sand Martin 1
Swallow c1,000
House Martin c2,000
Meadow Pipit c60 Top fields
Yellow Wagtail c11 Top fields
Common Redstart 2
Whinchat 5 Whole area
Stonechat 26 Whole area
Wheatear 4 Whole area
Grasshopper Warbler 2 Cow Gap
Sedge Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Common Whitethroat 46 Whole area
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 32 Whole area
Chiffchaff 9 Whole area
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Long-tailed Tit 8
Blue Tit 40+ Whole area
Great Tit 10+ Whole area
Coal Tit 1 briefly in the Old Trapping Area (not I/d to race) (LP)
18th September, 2019
We spent virtually all morning looking for and watching the Pallid Harrier at close range. We also covered Shooters Bottom but did not see a single migrant. LP, RKH,KH,RES,RE were also watching the Pallid Harrier. RE also covered Birling lane, Cornish Farm track. Other than the Harrier, very few other migrants were seen and the hirundine passage was much lighter today.
Gannet 100 feeding off Birling
Pallid Harrier 1x2ndcal yr. coloured ringed female present on the Headland, before mid-morning flying low over the cliffs heading S.
Sparrowhawk 1 Shooters Bottom
Green Woodpecker 1 flying over the Headland.
Swallow and House Martin-No estimates made, although smaller numbers were present today
Meadow Pipit c250 fields near Cornish Farm.
Yellow Wagtail 2 flyover the Headland
Pied Wagtail 4
Wheatear 1
Common Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 6 Headland
Firecrest 1 Birling
Blue Tit Single flock of 17 departed high E calling a lot from the Old Trapping Area.
Long-tailed Blue 1 on the tide line on Birling beach and then promptly lost to view. (LP)
Pictures taken in early morning light to mid-morning in sunny light.
2nd cal.yr Pallid Harrier on the Headland
