20th October, 2019 Beachy Head Sunny periods cold at first becoming mild. N 2 increasing to 3-4

A cold start around 5 degrees. We spent quite a long time at Birling lane observing the large diurnal migration and then covered Belle Tout wood where we met up with KG and AR who had covered all the sites from the Hotel Garden. ASC had also walked from the radio mast bushes to Belle Tout wood. LP was covering some of the sites on the Headland and then walked to Long Down from Belle Tout. PD also covered Birling lane and Shooters Bottom. RE and MB were ringing in Whitbread Hollow and MB also covered Francis Bottom and Cow Gap.
Highlights included our latest Quail which was flushed near Cornish Farm, also a late Lesser Whitethroat possibly belonging to an Eastern Blythi race, and our first Autumn records this year of Woodlark, Black Redstart and Cetti's Warbler, also odd Ring Ouzels, 3 Firecrests, with reasonable numbers of Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests in the Hollow
The wind backing to the N and with a cold early morning, this kick started a good morning of diurnal passage with the main passage between 07.40-09.40, although some passage was still going until 10.30 at least. When we arrived at Birling there were hundreds of Jackdaws all flying over the Headland, I estimated 1,000 birds, but there could have been many more.
Combined totals as far as possible:

Sparrow Hawk 1 Headland
Merlin 1 female W up Birling lane (JFC,DRC)
Red-legged partridge 2 Whitbread hollow area
Quail 1 flushed Cornish Farm (LP) Our latest record, previous latest 2/10/1977.
Golden Plover 1 calling over Headland
Stock Dove 1,220++ chiefly going E with one flock of 200 W (maybe returners). between 07.40-09.40, A record day count, with the previous largest day total for Beachy was 650 on the 5/11/2005. Other observers today on the Headland also recorded very good numbers in the high hundreds.
Wood Pigeon 170 ( 80E with Stock Dove parties).
Green Woodpecker 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker 2 (1W over Birling)
Woodlark 1 E over the Old Trapping Area @ 08.25 (ASC)
Skylark 2 SE
Swallow 40
House Martin c100 along the cliffs.
Meadow Pipit 30 W
Rock Pipit 1 Birling
Grey Wagtail 1 W
Pied Wagtail 66 (59E)
Wren 10 in the area
Black Redstart 1 Cornish Farm area
Stonechat 25 Whole area
Ring Ouzel 3 Shooters Bottom
Blackbird 10 Hollow
Song Thrush 4
Cetti's Warbler 1 female trapped Whitbread Hollow (RE, MB)
Lesser Whitethroat 1 (possible Blythi race) photo Long Down area (LP)
Blackcap 13 (12 Hollow)
Chiffchaff 46 (30 Hollow, 16 Headland)
Goldcrest 54 (50 Hollow, 4 Headland)
Firecrest 4 (1 Birling lane, 1 Hollow, 1 Shooters Bottom, 1 B/T wood)).
Long-tailed Tit 3
Magpie Flock of 29W high over the cliffs at Birling.
Jackdaw Large numbers present on the Headland, over 1,000 flying over Birling early morning.
Chaffinch 20 W
Brambling 3 over the Headland
Goldfinch c750 E
Greenfinch 4 in the Hotel Garden.
Siskin 3 E
Linnet 340 E
Reed Bunting 8 (2W)

Just part of the huge flock of Jackdaws over the Headland

which extended right across the area.

Difficult to keep track of today's Stock Dove movement

Record day count for Beachy for Stock Doves