1st September, 2018 Beachy Head Fine sunny and warm. SE 2

With SE winds it was somewhat disappointing day for quality and not a lot of quantity. We covered Birling lane, Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area and the Toilet block bushes before joining GG for a raptor watch. RE and 2 members of the BHRG were ringing and watching in Whitbread Hollow and RAB covered the Cattle Field and start of track to Long Down, The Old Trapping Area, Belle Tout wood and scrub and also Shooters Bottom. ME joined us doing the raptor watch.
Generally fairly quiet for night migrants with a Pied Flycatcher seen and surprisingly a Barn Owl was flushed in the Cattle Field, which is only our 8th record but this does not include a report of a breeding pair in Long Down Valley in 1972. Matt saw the first Firecrest of the Autumn near the Hotel Garden and yesterday's Marsh Harrier was seen flying E along Birling beach. An early passage of hirundines and then good numbers were feeding over the top fields during the raptor watch.

Fulmar 2
Little Egret 1 Birling beach
Marsh Harrier 1 E along Birling beach @ 08.10 (same bird as yesterday).

Sparrowhawk 5 (3 Headland and 2 Hollow)
Common Buzzard 15 (11 in a kettle over Top fields, + 4 other birds including 1 in the Hollow)
Kestrel 4 (3 on Headland: 2x1stW and 1 adult and 1 in the Hollow)
Peregrine 2
Curlew 4 W over top fields and then out to sea
Tawny Owl 2 Hollow
Barn Owl 1 flushed from Cattle Field (Our 8th record)(RAB)
Stonechat 10 Headland
Wheatear 3 Headland
Grasshopper Warbler 1 Hollow
Reed Warbler 19 (4 Headland and 15 Hollow)
Lesser Whitethroat 6 (4 Hollow and 2 Headland)
Common Whitethroat 65 (45 Headland and 20 Hollow)
Garden Warbler 2 Hollow
Blackcap 46 (40 Hollow and 6 Headland)
Chiffchaff 1 Headland
Willow Warbler 16 (10 Headland and 6 Hollow)
Goldcrest 1 Hollow (Re-trap from 28/8/18)
Firecrest 1 Headland (ME) first for this Autumn.
Spotted Flycatcher 1 Hollow
Pied Flycatcher 1 Cattle Field (RAB)
Jay 1 Hollow
Starling 400 (including flock of 300 top fields)
House Sparrow 40+ Birling.

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Marsh Harrier flying along Birling Beach

Just a few Willow Warblers passing through now.

Autumn Ladies Tresses still showing at Birling.