Beachy and the Adur (08 October 2011)

Saturday 8 October 2011:  A decent passage of finches kept us at Birling for the whole morning.  Highlights were a Short-eared Owl, 58 Sky Larks, 100 Swallows, 150 Meadow Pipits, 40 Pied Wagtails, 50 Chaffinches, 680 Goldfinches, 41 Siskin, 1010 Linnets, 6 Redpoll and 16 Reed Buntings, all moving west.  Also seen were 9 Wheatears, a Redwing, 3 Blackcaps, 23 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, 2 Ravens and 6 Corn Buntings.

Short-eared Owl flying west over Birling Gap

Redwing at Birling Gap

juvenile Wheatear near Belle Tout Wood

A late afternoon visit to the Adur by Shoreham Airport produced 5 colour-ringed gulls including 3 of the 110 Greater Black-backs present and a Mediterranean Gull.

Greater Black-backed Gull A26, from Normandy and also seen on the Adur in February & December 2010 and September 2011

Greater Black-backed Gull C, from Jersey, was also seen on the Adur in November 2009

Norwegian Greater Black-backed Gull JY22 was also seen on the Adur in November 2010 and September 2011

Herring Gull SH5T was colour-ringed at Pitsea, North Thames in September 2009.  I saw SH1T, a very leucistic bird, at Rainham at the start of the year and it had previously been seen at Beachy.

Mediterranean Gull 36A2 roosting on a low-tide sandbar on the River Adur.  This bird was ringed as a chick in Holland in 2003, was colour-ringed in Germany in May 2010 and seen around Weymouth between July-October 2010.  It is now 8.

Wigeon on the River Adur

Lapwing roosting on a sandbar on the River Adur

3-7 October 2011:  The peregrine was seen on the Power Station chimney everyday while single Wheatears were by Hove Lagoon on 3^rd and Carrot’s Café on 4^th.