Monday, 16 April 2018

16th April, 2018 Beachy Head Overcast with sunny periods, cool. SW 4

Met up with KG and we sea-watched from 06.15-09.30, RKH, RES and KH also joined us for part of the time. We then covered Belle Tout wood, Shooters Bottom, the Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge and the Cliff Path. RE covered Whitbread Hollow, Francis Bottom and Cow Gap.
Another interesting sea-watch with 20 Bonxies being seen, and a small fall of night migrants which included 4 Ring Ouzels and a female Pied Flycatcher.

Red-throated Diver 25 E
Great-crested Grebe 1 W
Manx Shearwater 15 E
Gannet 221 E
Shag 1 E (per KG)
Brent Goose 73 E
Eider 6 E (5 drakes)
Common Scoter 243 E
Red-breasted merganser 2 E
Whimbrel 4 E
Arctic Skua 5 E
Bonxie 20 E
Mediterranean Gull 72 E
Little Gull 3 E
Black-headed Gull 10 E
Common Gull c120 E (many immatures)
Kittiwake c120 E
Sandwich Tern 102 E
Commic Tern 158 E
Auk Sp. 87 E
Green Woodpecker 1
Swallow 1
Black Redstart 1 Whitbread Hollow
Ring Ouzel 4 Francis Bottom (per RE)
Lesser Whitethroat 1 Shooters Bottom (our first this year)
Blackcap 13
Chiffchaff 12
Pied Flycatcher 1 female Belle Tout
Raven 1

Peacock Butterfly 1
Fox 2

Late news for yesterday, Roger and Liz recorded 6 Red Kites going E during the morning.

Looking back westwards along the Cliff Path.

Looking over towards the Rides, another under-watched area.


A pleasant surprise this female Pied Flycatcher
by the side of Belle Tout wood.

Chiffchaff along the Cliff Path

A sleepy Fox near the Hotel Garden.