Monday 21 September 2020

21st September, 2020 Beachy Head, Early mist becoming fine sunny and warm. NE to E 2-3

 A cool misty early morning, becoming sunny and hot. We covered Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, radio mast bushes, Hotel Garden, Belle Tout wood. KH, RKH and RES were also covering most of the sites on the Headland as was AR. who also covered Birling lane and Went Hill. An excellent fall of Chiffchaffs during the early morning with much activity, with many birds seen leaving the sites during the early morning and by mid morning most birds had departed from the Headland, which included 80+ moving up Birling lane and Went Hill (per AR.) A latish Willow Warbler was present in Shooters Bottom, and a Short-eared Owl also in Shooters Bottom, but diurnal migration was very quiet may be due to the misty early morning weather. 

Combined totals:

Sparrowhawk 2, Common Buzzard 1, Kestrel 1, Short-eared Owl 1 (Shooters Bottom) (AR), Swallow 30 E, House Martin 100 on short grass below B/T, Meadow Pipit 15 (10E), Robin 10, Common Redstart 1 female Hotel Garden, Wheatear 5, Blackbird 7 (mostly males), Song Thrush 1, (Shooters Bottom), Reed Warbler 1 (Icky Ridge), Common Whitethroat 3 (Shooters Bottom), Blackcap 11, Chiffchaff 225+, majority moved off E by mid-morning, with 80+ at Birling lane and Went Hill, our largest fall so far this year. Willow Warbler 1 (Shooters Bottom), Spotted Flycatcher 3 (B/T wood), Goldfinch 50, Siskin 1 E, with others heard calling.

Clouded Yellow 6 

Female Blackcap amongst the berries in  Shooters Bottom 



Chiffchaffs in Shooters Bottom 


Sparrowhawk  over Belle Tout