15.05.24 Bee-eater

A light SSE wind, a little cloud cover quickly burning off feeling warm by 07.30.

Looking west from Birling Gap.

A lovely morning to be out, I started along the ridge of the hollow. At 06.30 4 Crossbill arrived in off the sea, calling loudly as they passed low overhead. Almost immediately after I heard a Bee-eater calling, it sounded quite close. I moved to more open ground as it sounded like the bird was drifting west. I was able to see it, somewhat distantly, from near the pub as it hawked acrobatically in-between there and the cliff edge at a distance of about 350m. It almost alighted atop one of the scattered Hawthorns but alas dropped below the cliff not to be heard or seen again. Always an exciting find but not the best views I’ve had up here, although lucky to have seen it at all given their mercurial nature. I then picked up a migrant Hobby arriving whilst scanning around for the Bee-eater. Nothing else of note beyond a singing Reed Warbler in Shooters. KG had a Pomarine Skua pass close inshore from Birling at 06.50hrs.

11.05.24

Light ENE wind, clear slightly hazy at sea.

A splendid flock of Grey Plover passing Birling Gap this morning.

A decent seawatch attended by a number of us (CB,KG,RL,LP,JW) slow at times but some quality and a decent Pomarine Skua count for the morning. The Tree Sparrow RL discovered on the 10th was still within the House Sparrow flock around the NT buildings, now a major scarcity here and my first in 10 years of watching the site. That follows on from another site first, the odd image of two Egyptian Geese on the cliff edge at Shooters yesterday morning, The Quail DT found was still singing up near Cornish Farm on the 10th.

RAB Trektellen post from this morning.

Tree Sparrow at Birling.

Egyptian Geese at Shooters on the 10th.

08.05.24 Little Bunting

Mostly clear, light NE breeze.

A quiet morning enlivened at 07.30 as a calling Little Bunting dropped into a patch of Cow Parsley close to the RAF monument. The harsh morning light casting the bird into silhouette and it took a minute or so to establish an angle where any detail could be discerned at all!. It fed briefly gleaning insects from the foliage before continuing east, towards the hollow not to be seen again.

Little Bunting.

I then spent the rest of the morning in that general area, beyond the Bunting, a Tree Pipit and 4 Swallow arrived in off the sea, a single Willow Warbler and Garden Warbler were seen in the bushes, a singing Black Redstart could be heard, whilst a group of recently fledged Raven larked about the cliff tops. As I left 2 Red Kite arrived from the NW at 09.45.

07.05.24

Calm with a slight northerly breeze, murk clearing later.

Whinchat above Belle Tout wood.

A few birds about this morning but not enough really! Combined sightings included, 5+ Spotted Flycatchers, 5 Wheatear, 2 Whinchat, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler and a cast of familiar headland breeders.

Garden Warbler in Shooters.

Corn Bunting, a bird you often take for granted here despite its scarcity in some parts of the country.

Common Whitethoat along Cornish Farm track.

23.04.24

A mostly overcast morning with a light but cold NW wind.

Looking east towards Hastings and Dungeness.

My first morning out since returning from Tarifa, where both bird migration and the warmth of the sun were very much evident and both virtually absent this morning on Beachy Head. Very little to get excited about although watching singing Willow Warbler in spring never gets boring.

Willow Warbler in Belle Tout wood.

Numbers were as follows; 1 Dartford Warbler near the pub, c10 Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, c20 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3 Swallow, 1 House Martin.

Common Whitethroat in Shooters.

12.04.24

Bright morning, mostly clear light west wind.

A morning of very low migrant numbers with a little bit of variety. Highlights being a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, male Common Redstart and RE had a Whinchat all in the Birling area. Elsewhere a poor tally of 1 Wheatear, 4 Willow Warbler across several sites, 4 Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff, a Black Redstart was heard singing and the second Reed Bunting of the week was also seen. A Greenshank was heard passing over.

Blackcap

Reed Bunting.

A gloomy day on the 11th saw Willow Warbler break into double figures as did Common Whitethroat with 10 of each seen. Overall it has been dismal for migrants since the last post, with no less than two named transatlatic storms that continued an unseasonal theme.

05.04.24

Overcast gale force SW wind.

A poor week of weather with constant gale force wind and bouts of heavy rain. There seemed to be a few more migrants around this morning, specifically in the shelter below Belle Tout lighthouse east of the wood. A single Willow Warbler, c10 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcap the first Common Whitethroat and Common Redstart (JD) of the year were also seen. Whilst a vocal flock of 10 Curlew passed high to the east.

01.04.24

Light SSW wind.

I joined the others for about an hour at Birling Gap but the sea was quiet and I drifted off to look in the bushes. The only oddity this morning was a Fieldfare which dropped into Shooters, whilst c12 Chiffchaff were seen and a group of Siskin were heard overhead. A female Black Redstart was in the NT carpark and a Blackcap was also heard. RAB’s Trektellen counts from this mornings seawatch are reproduced below.

Of most recent interest was Richard’s Hooded Crow which appeared briefly at Warren Hill on 30th March. Unfortunately vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. It is the first record on the headland since May 2016.

A good time of year to see Adder, with the air temperature low and vegetation sparse, it makes them easy to find as they bask in the morning sun.

29.03.24

Strong and blustery south wind, broken cloud bright at times.

Another Brent Goose photo! Yes, well everything else moving on the sea is at considerable distance. I won’t gripe, before you know it’ll all be over and the goose flights are probably the most emblematic of the early spring sea passage.

I joined the others for two hours from 06.30hrs before having to head off, a steady session with a nice early season push of Little Gull and the first Great Skua of the year. RAB also had Black-necked Grebe the day before which is a very good bird past the headland. Richard’s Trektellen counts reproduced below.

27.03.24

Broken cloud moderate southerly.

Reflecting the comparative lack of variety here’s another shot of Brent Geese moving east this morning.

I joined the others from 06.45 until 08.30 for a seawatch highlights being the first Velvet Scoter and Arctic Skuas of the year but otherwise diversity was hard to come by although a pleasing level of activity all the same. The first Ring Ouzel (RB) of the year was in Shooters Bottom this morning. RAB’s Trektellen counts reproduced below.