RE was again ringing in Whitbread Hollow, RJF and FL spent 6 hours birding on Beachy covering Icky Ridge, Cliff Path and Frances Bottom, Hollow, Rides, radio mast bushes and Hotel Garden, Birling area and Belle Tout wood. RAB covered Birling lane and scrub, Belle Tout wood and the scrub above the wood and either side of the wood, and Shooters Bottom., and was joined by RB for some of the sites.
Although a much smaller arrival of Willow Warblers this morning but still an interesting selection of other migrants recorded including 5 Grasshopper Warblers, 13 Lesser Whitethroats, and a juv.Yellow-legged Gull our first for this Autumn. Around 50 Sand Martins passed through the area.
With four full reports coming from all the above observers concerned with many of the same areas being covered, I have made due allowance to avoid double counting as far as possible in order to try to obtain an accurate assessment of the numbers involved.
Combined totals:
Yellow-legged Gull 1 juv W below Icky Ridge (RJF and FL)
Sparrow Hawk 2 (1 Birling, 1 Hollow)
Common Buzzard 3 (2 Headland, 1 Hollow)
Kestrel 1 (caught a Starling B/T wood)
Peregrine 3
Red-legged Partridge 8 (2 adults and 6 young above Hodcombe)
Tawny Owl 1 Hollow
Swift 4
Green Woodpecker 1 Hollow
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Hollow
Sand Martin c50 chiefly moving E
Rock Pipit 2 Birling
Nightingale 3 (2 croaking Shooters Bottom and 1 trapped (juvenile) Hollow
Common Redstart 3 (2 still present on the east side of B/T and 1 Francis Bottom)
Stonechat 21 Headland (Thanks to RAB for doing a full count on the Headland)
Song Thrush 3 (2 Birling 1 Hollow)
Grasshopper Warbler 5 (2 Old Trapping Area (JFC), 3 Francis Bo(RJF and FL)
Sedge Warbler 6 Birling (4 together in one bush)
Reed Warbler 8 (6 Headland, 2 Hollow)
Lesser Whitethroat 13 chiefly on the Headland
Common Whitethroat 63 (48 Headland and 15 Hollow).
Garden Warbler 10 Hollow
Blackcap 10 (6 Hollow and 4 Headland)
Chiffchaff 1 Hollow
Willow Warbler 45 (15 Headland, 30 Hollow)
Linnet 35 Headland
Sparrowhawk over Birling
Reed Warblers showing well in Shooters Bottom
Poor record shots of the two Grasshopper Warblers not
showing well in the Old Trapping Area.
Common Redstart at Belle Tout
The following photographs were taken by Richard Fairbank
Grasshopper Warbler in Francis Bottom
The striking under tail coverts of the
Grasshopper Warbler in Francis Bottom
Peregrine carrying a pigeon
