JFC's Birding: 5th September, 2020 Beachy Head

RJF spent virtually the whole day on Beachy from 06.30-17.00 hrs and he covered virtually the whole area as follows: Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge, Cliff Path, Frances Bottom, Cow Gap, Whitbread Hollow, the Rides, the Old Trapping Area, Shooters Bottom., Bulling Down, Birling lane, Michel Dene, Belle Tout, Frost Hill, Long Down and Cornish Farm.
LP did a raptor watch from the Headland.

Very good numbers of common migrants and proved to be our best day this Autumn for Wheatears, Whinchats, and Common Redstarts. Small arrival of Chiffchaffs and also seen 5 Grasshopper Warblers and a Pied Flycatcher. Swallow and House Martins were moving with 10 Siskins seen and others heard calling. A ringed White Stork flew over the Headland during the afternoon.

Red Kite 1 over the Headland
Peregrine 2
Swallow 200
House Martin 150
Tree Pipit 1
Yellow Wagtail 8
Common Redstart 11 (with many males)
Whinchat 23
Stonechat 39
Wheatear 131 (with 79 on Bulling Down). (The first time with have seen over 100 on a day since 15/9/2011).
Grasshopper Warbler 5 (1 Cliff Path, 2 Francis Bottom, 2 Gropper field)
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Common Whitethroat 76
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 29
Chiffchaff 32
Willow Warbler 5
Spotted Flycatcher 1 (Old Trapping area)
Pied Flycatcher 1 Cliff Path
Raven 2
Siskin 10+ with other heard flying over calling.

White Stork flew NE over Headland at 14.25 with colour ring (no doubt from the Knepp Estate) (LP)

The following pictures were all taken by Richard Fairbank