31st August 2023

Today we had a count of over 100 warblers with 2 Reed Warblers, 19 Blackcaps, 55 Whitethroats, 6 Lesser Whitethroats, 9 Willow Warblers and 28 Chiffchaffs. Also 2 new Spotted Flycatchers and 2 Stonechats in the Freedown, overhead 2 Grey and 3 Yellow Wagtails, a Swift, a Whimbrel and our Marsh Harrier that seems to have taken up residence in the Freedown hedge.

Phil, Richard, Jack.

30th August 2023

We did the area in the morning and the late afternoon and ended with 5 Blackcaps, 7 Lesser Whitethroats, 17 Whitethroats, 4 Willow Warblers, 22 Chiffchaffs, a Spotted Flycatcher and 3 Yellow Wagtails. Other notables were 2 male Sparrowhawks that hunted across the newly harvested barley and the juvenile Marsh Harrier that has been present for a week.

Phil, Jack.

29th August 2023

Today with a NW breeze there were many more migrants, 6 Wheatears, a Reed Warbler, 4 Blackcaps, 12 Lesser Whitethroats, 32 Whitethroats, 4 Willow Warblers, 28 Chiffchaffs and a Spotted Flycatcher. Overhead we had a Ringed Plover, 3 Yellow and 3 Grey Wagtails, a Swift and 250 Swallows moving W. Also coming in off the sea and moving NW we had 3 Marsh Harriers, one a beautiful adult male, and the others young birds.

Phil, Richard, Jack

28th August 2023

Very few birds today, only 2 Wheatears, a Blackcap, 10 Whitethroats and 3 Chiffchaffs.

Phil, Jack.

27th August 2023

Grounded migrants included 5 Blackcaps, 10 Lesser Whitethroats, 19 Whitethroats, 6 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers, 5 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, a Redstart and 12 Yellow Wagtails. Overhead 2 Swifts flew SW. On the Undercliff there were 4 Common Sandpipers and on the Leas a Long-tailed Blue Butterfly was seen. Also on the Leas were 3 Weasels playing on the grass verge.

Julian, Phil, Nigel, Simon, Jack.

26th August 2023

This is the Icterine found wednesday by Phil.

Very little about today only a Spotted Flycatcher, 8 Blackcaps, 12 Whitethroats, 5 Lesser Whitethroats and a Willow Warbler.

Phil, Jack.

20th - 25th August 2023

On the 20th grounded migrants were 17 Willow Warblers, six Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, 17 Lesser Whitethroats, 24 Whitethroats, a Wheatear and our first Pied Flycatcher of the Autumn. Flyovers included singles of Ringed Plover, Curlew, Marsh Harrier, two Grey and seven Yellow Wagtails and 80 Swallows. The next day, although fewer birds, there was another Pied Flycatcher and a Bee-Eater over the Farm Wood, also a flock of 350 Starlings flew across the big field. On Tuesday the 22nd more birds had arrived with five Wheatear, three Whinchat, a Redstart, a Pied Flycatcher, a Spotted Flycatcher and 95 warblers. Other notables were Grey Plover, two Oystercatchers, a Hobby, three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 15 Yellow and a White Wagtail. Wednesday was perhaps the best day when there was an arrival of over 100 warblers, one of which was a very showy Icterine, more Wheatears, a Redstart, Yellow Wagtails, Ringed Plover and Greenshank. Thusday and Friday there was a drop in migrants apart from a noticeable increase in Blackcaps. Singles of Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Grey and Yellow Wagtails and Marsh Harrier flew over heading in a SW direction.

Records suplied by Julian, Simon, Phil R, Phil P.

18th August 2023

Very few grounded birds today apart from one Blackcap, 25 Whitethroats, six Lesser Whitethroats, one Chiffchaff, three Willow Warblers, one Wheatear and two Whinchats. Overhead were singles of Yellow Wagtail, Curlew, Whimbrel and Wood Sandpiper. We also had a pair of Grey Partridges and five young, prooving breeding as we suspected, in the Paddock.

Nigel, Phil, Jack.

16th August 2023

As Phil and I walked the cliff-top this morning, to Hope Point, we had three Tree Pipits overhead, a Marsh Harrier and a Golden Plover. Around the area were four Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, a Blackcap, 32 Lesser Whitethroats, 45 Whitethroats, five Chiffchaffs, 14 Willow Warblers, a Whinchat and a Stonechat.

Phil, Jack.

12th August 2023

Another 100 plus warbler day with five Reed Warblers, three Garden Warblers, two Blackcaps, 41 Whitethroats, 35 Lesser Whitethroats, seven Chiffchaffs and 34 Willow Warblers. Other grounded migrants were three Wheatears, a Whinchat and a Spotted Flycatcher, our first for the autumn. The star bird of the day was a Black Stork that flew W from Kingsdown Wood over Ripple towards Langdon where it gained height and was lost.

Phil, Nigel, Richard, Jack.

11th August 2023

Warblers today numbered one Reed Warbler, 19 Lesser Whitethroats, 31 Whitethroats, five Chiffchaffs and 11 Willow Warblers. Other than that we had a Cuckoo, two Whinchats, six Wheatears and six Yellow Wagtails. Overhead 78 Swifts moved SW and a Red Kite wandered around all day.

Phil, Richard.

10th August 2023

The number of warblers has gradually dropped but we still had three Reed Warblers, six Lesser Whitethroats, 21 Whitethroats, seven Chiffchaffs and 26 Willow Warblers. Other migrants were six Wheatears,a Hobby and a young Marsh Harrier that came in off the sea. On Kingsdown Leas we had amazing numbers of butterflies with over 300 Peacocks, 75 Red Admirals, seven Small Tortoishells, 15 Brimstones,15 Brown Argus, 15 Small Blues and 200 Common Blues.

Phil, Richard, Simon, Jack.

9th August 2023

Another pleasant day with 105 warblers consisting of four Reed Warblers, a Garden Warbler, three Blackcaps, 31 Whitethroats, 17 Lesser Whitethroats, eight Chiffchaffs, 40 Willow Warblers and on Kingsdown Leas a very fine Wood Warbler Not much else apart from 40 Swifts, a Grey Heron and a Sparrowhawk that was hunting for small birds in the cornfield. Also on Hemp Agrimony on the Leas were at least 100 Peacock Butterflies that outnumbered Red Admirals ten to one, the previous week it was Red Admirals that were the dominant Butterfly.

Phil, Richard, Rob, Jack

8th August 2023

Far fewer warblers today with two Blackcaps, 43 Whitethroats, 16 Lesser Whitethroats, six Chiffchaffs and 21 Willow Warblers. Elsewhere in the area were four Wheatears and a young Hobby. In the afternoon Phil and I went to the Bay for a seawatch that was not very productive and also very cold. We had Sandwich Terns, Common Terns, a Black Tern and at least 70 Commic Terns all feeding as they moved down channel. On the horizon an Arctic Skua chased and harried many of the terns and close to the shore was a summer plumaged Razorbill and a young Shag.

7th August 2023

Not so many warblers today but still a good total (217) which consisted of three Reed Warblers, two Garden Warblers, two Blackcaps, 55 Lesser Whitethroats, 69 Whitethroats, 11 Chiffchaffs and 73 Willow Warblers. Other birds around the area were six Ravens that flew N along the Lees, a Short-eared Owl came in off the sea at Walmer Beach, another Raven on the cliff-top and two Wheatears in the fields. Phil, Richard, Rob, Jack.

6th August 2023

With the wind being from the NW, our best wind, we were not surprised on arrival that there were lots of birds. However we did not expect to see quite as many as 295 warblers.Totals recorded were eight Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 96 Whitethroats, 43 Lesser Whitethroats, six Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 19 Chiffchaffs and 121 Willow Warblers. There was also a Redstart which has been in the Freedown for a week and two Wheatears at Pond Lane. Phil, Richard, Nigel, Jack.with some additions by Tony and Rob

4th August 2023

On a walk around the area Phil and I saw very few birds apart from 14 Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, three Willow Warblers, four Reed Warblers (all at Hope Point),a Grey Heron coming in off the sea and at least 150 House Sparrows in the bushes on the cliff-top.