22nd January, 2011. Birling Gap, Shinewater & Tide Mills

Did a sea-watch from Birling Gap from 7.45 to 9.15am then visited Shinewater and then onto the Tide Mills. We recorded the following:

500 Razorbills off Birling also 6 Red Throated Divers.

Shinewater:

Little Egret 1

Bittern 1 briefly in flight

Bearded Tits 7

Shoveler 60

Teal 40

Gadwall 8

TideMills:

2 Knot & 7 Redshank.

Greater Black Backs, Common & Black Headed Gulls on the beach at Birling.

View at Shinewater.

Bearded Tits at Shinewater

Little Egret at Shinewater

Knot at Tide Mills.

David photographing the Bearded Tits at Shinewater.

3rd January,2011 Beachy Head & Cuckmere

On the journey to Beachy, we had a Barn Owl along the road side near Plumpton

Highlights at Beachy included only our second ever Egyptian Goose since 1960. It was first seen a long way out to sea off Birling and then headed towards us before headed off West. Also 248 Red Throated Divers, 550 Auks sp. and a Med Gull in the fields near Birling.

We then stopped off at the Cuckmere, and had 45 Whitefronts & 8 Barnacle Geese.

Med. Gull at Beachy

White-fronts & Barnacles in the Cuckmere

First went to Beachy Head and on the drive over a Tawny Owl flew across the road near Offham, our first tick for the new year. Did a sea-watch between 08.00 hrs to 10.00 hrs off Birling and then did several sites on the Headland with the highlights being:

Red-throated Diver 416 W & 9 E (largest flock sizes: 53, 50 & 46). Probably one of our largest diver movements recorded from Beachy.

Black-throated Diver 2 W

Goosander 3 redheads (2 W & then E & 1 W)

Raven 1

Razorbill 55

Guillemot 4

Auk Sp. 125

Skylark 90 in field & 16 flew S out to sea off Birling

Grey Seal 1 off Birling

We then called into Eastbourne and saw:

27 Waxwings & 5 Redwings feeding in the town centre

Drove over to Pett Levels and recorded the following:

Black Brant 1

Pale Bellied Brent 7

Dark Bellied Brent c40

Barnacle Geese c150

Red Breasted Goose 1 ad.

Canada Geese 50

White-fronted Geese c200

Tundra Bean Geese 2

Pink-footed Geese 6

Grey-lag 5

Wigeon 1,000+

Bar-tailed Godwit 1

Grey Plover 5

Lapwing 300

Adult winters and juveniles Red Throated Diver off Birling Gap

Waxwings in Eastbourne

Redwing in Eastbourne

Black Brant with White-fronted & Brent Geese at Pett