22nd October, 2019 Beachy Head Fine and sunny, warm. E 1

At long last a fine sunny day with a light E. wind. We covered Birling lane, Belle Tout wood, Shooters Bottom, and the Old Trapping Area, MM was also covering Birling lane, Belle Tout and Cornish Farm areas, RI covered Belle Tout wood and Shooters Bottom, RAB and RB between them covered Holywell, Cliff Path, Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge, Old Trapping Area, Shooters Bottom, and RB also covered the Birling area. KH, RKH, and RES covered the Radio mast bushes and area, Old Trapping Area, Shooters Bottom and Belle Tout wood. LP walked the Cornish Farm Track and onto the Long Down Valley and also Belle Tout wood, Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden and Radio Mast bushes. RE and MB were ringing in Whitbread Hollow.
Apologies for any initials I have missed off.

Very little in the way of diurnal migration probably due to the fog lingering inland although Beachy was clear. A nice selection of migrants and virtually all the areas were covered. Still 9 Ring Ouzels were seen, with 10 Firecrests and good numbers of Goldcrests, and Robins. An English race Coal Tit dropped into the Old Trapping Area with some Blue Tits and probably the same Coal Tit was also seen in B/T wood. The Eastern type Lesser Whitethroat was still present at Long Down.

On our drive home. 1 Red kite was seen flying alongside the road near Cooksbridge.
Combined Totals as far as possible:

Sparrow Hawk 2 (1 Shooters Bottom and 1 Headland)
Kestrel 1
Merlin 1 Headland
Peregrine 1 Icky Ridge
Tawny Owl 3 (2 Hollow, 1 Headland)
Green Woodpecker 3 Headland
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1 Cliff Path
Swallow 110 (30 Cliff path, 80 Headland)
House Martin 40 (10 Cliff Path, 30 Headland)
Pied Wagtail 12
Skylark 35 flyover Headland
Black Redstart 1 Headland
Robin 55 (20 Hollow, 35 Headland)
Whinchat 1 in the set a-side field near Cornish Farm
Ring Ouzel 9 (2 Cliff Path, 3 Old Trapping Area, 2 Birling, 2 Shooters Bottom)
Blackbird 50 (30 Hollow, 20 Headland)
Song Thrush 13 Headland
Dartford Warbler 1 Shooters Bottom photo,(LP)
Lesser Whitethroat 1 probable Eastern race Blythi still at Long Down (LP)
Blackcap 4
Chiffchaff 52 (40 Headland, 12 Hollow)
Goldcrest 95 (50 Hollow, 45 Headland)
Firecrest 10 (4 Hollow, 2 B/T wood, 2 Birling, 1 Holywell, 1 Cliff Path)
Long-tailed Tit 15 (11 Cliff Path, 4 B/T wood)
Great Tit 30 Headland
Coal Tit 1-2 (1 English race Old Trapping Area, 1 Belle Tout wood not I/d to race)
Jay 1 Hollow
Brambling 5 (1 Birling fly over 4 Headland flyover
Goldfinch c75
Siskin 10 flyover Headland
Lesser Redpoll 1 ad.male Hollow
Yellow Hammer 1 flyover Headland - our first this year.
Reed Bunting 10 Headland
Corn Bunting 3 Birling

Comma 1
Red Admiral 6

Common Darter Dragonfly 1

Taken by Mark Mallalieu

Whinchat near Cornish Farm

Record shot of a Ring Ouzel in Shooters Bottom

Some late news for the 21st October: After a wet morning, RHC reporting from Hodcombe the following sightings during the afternoon:

Fieldfares in their hundreds were passing over

Mistle Thrush 2 over Hodcombe

Black Redstart 1

Firecrest 2

Brambling 1 over Hodcombe