Friday 3 November 2017

2nd & 3rd November, 2017 Beachy Head

2nd November, 2017 fine sunny and warm.

RE was ringing in Whitbread Hollow and recorded the following:
Tawny Owl 2
Great-spotted Woodpecker 1
Blackbird 10
Song Thrush 3 of which 2 were continental birds trapped and ringed.
Chiffchaff 6+
Goldcrest 12
Lesser Redpoll 21
Bullfinch 8+ Hollow (4 trapped, 1 of which was a British control. With the major influx of Hawfinches this Autumn and a number of Bullfinches have also been recorded, it will be of interest where today's control originated from although it may of course just be a local ringed bird.)

Also 1 Firecrest, 1 Dartford Warbler and Brambling were recorded from the Headland.

3rd November, 2017 Overcast warm and calm.

Thick mist in Burgess Hill so a late start for Doreen and myself. We covered Birling and Birling loop also Belle Tout wood. We met up with RB who had already visited Shooters Bottom and RJF who had walked from Crowlink via Birling to Belle Tout wood and back. RE was again ringing in Whitbread Hollow.
Just the odd migrants seen with small numbers of finches moving overhead and one flock of Wood Pigeons.
Combined totals:

Water Rail 1 Hollow
Wood Pigeon 150 SE
Green Woodpecker 1
Wren 10 headland
Robin 12 headland
Black Redstart 1 Belle Tout lighthouse (per Phil. Luffingham)
Stonechat 7
Redwing 1
Dartford Warbler 2
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 4
Goldcrest 20
Firecrest 1 Hollow
Raven 2
Starling 300
Chaffinch 36 E
Brambling c3 with Chaffinches
Bullfinch 6 (4 Hollow & 2 Headland)
Corn Bunting 10

Weasel 1 picked out by Doreen and showed very well.








Amazing close views of a Weasel hunting at Birling

Several Wrens and Stonechats came to mob it.