15th April, 2018 Beachy Head and Arlington Reservoir Overcast with sea-mist cool, SE-SW 1-2

Another morning with sea-mist but fortunately sea-watching was still possible even thou visibility was much reduced. We met up with KG and sea-watched from 06.15-10.15 and a large movement of Common Scoter with at one time over 800 were sat on the sea before moving off, also good numbers of Little Gulls and Skuas, with 6 s/p Black-necked Grebes were on the sea. A Red Kite drifted W along the cliffs.
RE covered Birling lane, and Birling loop to Belle Tout wood, Cornish Farm track and Shooters Bottom. Once again the area was extremely quiet for migrants.
Many thanks to Doreen for collating all the sea-watch totals and to Kris for picking out all the Little Gulls etc.

Red-throated Diver 75 E
Great-crested Grebe 3 E
Black-necked Grebe Party of 6 in s/p on the sea.
Gannet 150 E
Mute Swan 1 W
Brent Goose 658 E
Shelduck 3 E
Mallard 1 E
Shoveler 2 E
Common Scoter 3,017 E. (At dawn, over 800 appeared to be roosting on the sea, before they departed).
Red-breasted Merganser 13 E
Red Kite 1 over the cliffs W @ 10.00. (Must have put up 500 Herring Gulls as it went along).
Peregrine 3 dog-fighting out to sea off Birling.
Red-legged Partridge 3
Arctic Skua 39 E
Bonxie 6 E
Mediterranean Gull 13 E
Little Gull 131 E
Kittiwake c50 E
Sandwich Tern 76 E
Comic Tern 185 E
Auk Sp. 31 E
Guillemot 2 on the sea
Razorbill 4 on the sea
Green Woodpecker 1
Rock Pipit 1 displaying
Blackcap 2
Chiffchaff 4
Willow Warbler 1

With news of another Black-necked Grebe in s/p on Arlington Reservoir (thanks Jake for the news), we called in on our way home. It was still present although now in the middle of the reservoir and therefore just poor record shots were obtained.

Over 600 Brent Geese past Birling this morning

Black-necked Grebe showing distantly on Arlington Reservoir.