JFC's Birding: 22nd April, 2017 Beachy Head Generally overcast NE 2 increasing to 3

With a NE wind we decided to skip with the sea-watch and met up with RE at Birling. We covered Birling lane and RE then covered Birling loop, Cornish farm track and Shooters Bottom. We covered Belle Tout wood, Old Trapping Area, Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge, Cliff Path, Went Hill Valley, and Shooters Bottom. LP also covered Belle Tout wood and Crowlink. Doreen spoke to Derek Barber who kindly inform Doreen that a Nightingale was singing near the Old Trapping Area which we manage to connect with. Many thanks Derek for that news.
A reasonable arrival with a nice variety of night migrants and the combined totals as follows:

Shag 8 (4 close in on the sea of Cow Gap, and whilst I was watching these another 4 flew W)
Brent Goose 14 E
Common Scoter 40 E
Common Buzzard 1
Kestrel 2-3
Peregrine 2
Red-legged Partridge 5
Whimbrel 6 in top fields and departed E
Mediterranean Gull 30 E (flocks of 22 and 8)
Sandwich Tern 7 E
Tawny Owl 1
Swallow 10
Yellow Wagtail 2 over
White Wagtail 1 Crowlink (LP)
Nightingale 1 Near Old Trapping Area
Common Redstart 1 female Old Trapping Area
Whinchat 2 (1 Crowlink and 1 Went Hill Valley)
Wheatear 9
Ring Ouzel 1 male Cliff Path
Grasshopper Warbler singing (1 side of Belle Tout Wood (LP) and 1 Birling (DB)
Reed Warbler 1 Hotel Garden (our earliest Spring record)
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Common Whitethroat 8
Garden Warbler 4
Blackcap 4
Chiffchaff 4
Willow Warbler 70
Corn Bunting 12+

A further visit this evening by LP to Shooters Bottom produced another singing Grasshopper Warbler and another female Common Redstart.

Gannet off Birling

Male Wheatear with upto 9 seen today, this individual is showing a
broad supercilium, rich orangey colouration to its entire
underparts and the brownish smudge on the mantle typical
of Greenland Wheatear.