Migrants at Beachy Head and Beeding Hill (04-05 September)

Saturday 05 September. I spent most of the day Beachy walking . Arriving soon after 06:30 I enjoyed myself wandering rather erratically around and finally left at 17:00. Starting on the Head I walked  along the Cliff Path, into Frances Bottom and down into Cow Gap, cutting across Whitbread Hollow and up the far side into the Rides and back to the car for a drink. My next loop was down to the Z Bends and Shooters Bottom then back up Bulling Dene. By now it was mid-day and I relocated to Birling. From there I walked up the lane and did a circuit to Michel Dene and then to Belle Tout and a loop up Frost Hill across to Long Down and back by Cornish Farm. I didn't see anything special but a lot of nice migrants, some in decent numbers, kept me going. Birds seen included a Red Kite, one or two Buzzards, an introduced White Stork (seen very distantly following a tweet from BeachyBirder), 2 Peregrines, 2 Ravens, 200 Swallows, 150 House Martins, 5 Willow Warblers, 32 Chiffchaffs, 5 Grasshopper Warblers , 29 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 2 Lesser and 76 Common Whitethroats, single Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, 11 Redstarts (many males), 23 Whinchats, 39 Stonechats, 131 Wheatears (79 Bulling Dene), 8 Yellow Wagtails and a flock of 10 Siskins (with 3 other flocks heard). I also heard a Tree Pipit but as usual failed to pick it up.

Peregrine Rock, Beachy Head

Pied Flycatcher at the start of the Cliff Path

Grasshopper Warbler on the side of Frances Bottom

one of two birds seen here, I'd earlier seen one along the Cliff Path and would go on to see two in the rough field

male Redstart in Whitbread Hollow

Willow Warbler in the rides

Wheatear near Beachy Head Hotel. My fifth of what was looking like an average day, little did I know

Spotted Flycatcher in the Old Trapping Area (Z-Bends car park)

Belle Tout lighthouse

one of the Whinchats at Bulling Dene

Whinchat and UFO

Wheatears on Frost Hill

by now I'd seen just over 100

I ended the day having seen 131 Wheatears, my best total for almost 40 years (and according to John Cooper the best day total for Beachy for almost 9) 

Whinchat on Frost Hill

Buzzard over Cornish Farm, a short time later while walking through the wood I flushed a large bird from under the canopy. Not the hoped for Tawny Owl but this or another Buzzard. It was the only bird I saw or heard there

Friday 04 September. Seeing a Redstart and a Whinchat as I drove past Mill Hill with Cookie almost had me stopping there but we continued as planned to Beeding Hill. From there we walked a triangle, SE along the Monarch's Way, N to Truleigh Hill and back W skirting Room Bottom. I'm glad we continued as it was my best visit this autumn seeing a late Swift, Sparrowhawk, 5 Buzzards, a Great Spotted and 2 Green Woodpeckers, 8 Kestrels, Merlin, Hobby (in silhouette), 3 Ravens, a Sand and 150 House Martins but just 4 Swallows, a Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Whitethroats, another Redstart, 11 more Whinchats, 28 Wheatears and a flock of 9 Siskins (flying west). I also heard a Yellow Wagtail but failed to locate it. We stopped briefly at Mill Hill on the way home but by now it was mid-day with little moving and just a Kestrel and 2 Whitethroats seen. 

Whinchats on Beeding Hill

quick word in your ear

Green Woodpecker at Truleigh Hill

Raven over Truleigh Hill

one of two Apaches over Mill Hill

Thursday 03 September. A windswept Mill Hill with Megan and Cookie produced single Buzzard, Swallow and Chiffchaff and 3 Yellow Wagtails. The evening low tide on the Adur was little better, and much wetter, with 42 Ringed Plover, 15 Dunlin, a Redshank and 2 Little Egrets.