Beachy Head (24 August 2016)

Thursday 24 August. A day that started warm and ended hot despite a pleasant southeasterly breeze. I walked from Birling to Whitebread Hollow and the rides, cutting back behind Hodcombe. In almost 10 hours I saw 3 Little Egrets, at least 4 Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, 30+ Swifts (including a loose flock of 25), Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, 50+ Sand Martins, 1500+ Swallows, 1000+ House Martins, 31 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Redstarts, 10 Whinchats, 23 Stonechats, 29 Wheatears, Grasshopper Warbler, 4 Sedge Warblers, 11 Reed Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 68 Whitethroats, Blackcap, 14 Willow Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Ravens, about 8 Clouded Yellows and some Autumn Ladies Tresses. Very enjoyable and nice as always to see JFC, DRC and RDME in the field.

Sedge Warbler, one of two above Birling Lane

recovery operation at Belle Tout

Wryneck in Shooter's Bottom

it took a bit of finding

and then appeared on the main path

before hiding in a bush

Buzzard at Beachy

very distinctive from below

Yellow Wagtail

hirundines on a fence

Sand Martin

one of each

Wheatear

another Wheatear

and another

two more

and a passing bee

and a Whinchat for a change

Green Woodpecker above the wood

Sunday 21 August. A very quiet walk around Mill Hill where the only migrants seen were 3 Swallows, a Whitethroat and 3 Willow Warblers.

Willow Warblers on Mill Hill