Whilst I have been away on the Isles of Scilly, I have been keeping an eye on the weather and had today marked as a good day to visit Beachy Head. Conditions overnight produced rain and there were light south-easterly winds. I covered Shooters Bottom, Old Trapping Area, Beachy Head Pub Car Park and walked the valley from Heathy Brow heading back towards Shooters Bottom via Bulling Dean with a quick stop at Belle Tout Wood.
Shooters Bottom first thing was alive with common migrants the pick of the bunch being a Pied Flycatcher, two croaking Nightingales, two Sedge Warblers, four Redstarts, four Reed Warblers, a Blackcap and eight Lesser Whitethroats. Walking from Shooters Bottom towards the Old Trapping Area produced another Sedge Warbler amongst Willow Warblers and Whitethroats.
By mid-morning there had been a clear out of birds. Throughout the morning the birds were heading purposefully east. The remainder of the morning was hard work with the main highlight being nine Wheatears and a Whinchat at Bulling Dean. The quick stop at Belle Tout on my way back produced another Whinchat.
Other totals from the morning included: 30 Willow Warblers, 30 Whitethroats, five Swifts, a Sand Martin, a Sparrowhawk, two Song Thrush, four Kestrels and two Buzzards.
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| Wheatear, Bulling Dean, Beachy Head, East Sussex |
Early afternoon I called into Goring Gap where I found a smart Whinchat along the fenced rough field. Other birds noted included a juvenile Green Woodpecker, a Stock Dove and a Little Egret flew overhead heading east.
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| Whinchat, Goring Gap, West Sussex |
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