31st August 2021

 On a quick walk around the Paddock the only birds seen were eight Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats and four Willow Warblers.

Jack

30th August 2021

Few birds today, at Kingsdown there was a Grey Wagtail and Common Sandpiper, at Hope Point a Redstart four Blackcaps three Whitethroats two Lesser Whitethroats and two Willow Warblers, at Oldstairs five Chiffchaffs and in the Paddock four Whitethroats a Lesser Whitethroat and five Willow Warblers.

 Nigel,Richard,Jack.

29th August 2021

 Although we had more of the old group present today than for a long time it was a pity we didn't have more birds. Around the area there was only a total of 45 warblers of which two were Reed Warblers,12 Whitethroats, nine Lesser Whitethroats, four Blackcaps, four Chiffchaffs and 14 Willow Warblers. Other notable birds were 118 Mediterranean Gulls on the sea at Oldstairs, a Turnstone at the Undercliff and elsewhere a Hobby, seven Grey Partridges, eight Sand Martins, a Yellow and a Grey Wagtail and two Wheatears.

 John C,Julian R,Gerald,Nigel,Richard,Simon,Jack.

28th August 2021

 Nigel had two Turnstones at the Undercliff and very little else by the time he reached Hope Point when it started to rain. I started at the Paddock and had seen three Lesser Whitethroats, four Whitethroats and two Willow Warblers when it started raining. We both decided to give up and go home after getting soaked. We met again at two o'clock and walked West Cliffe fields and had a Whinchat and 13 Wheatears. We continued on to the Paddock and had a Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, 11 Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats,two Blackcaps and four Willow Warblers.

Later Richard had another Redstart at Oldstairs Road.

25th August 2021

Today Phil had only a Yellow Wagtail at West Cliffe and I had two Whimbrel and 12 Whitethroats at the Paddock.

24th August 2021

Phil and I walked the fields at West Cliffe and saw 16 Wheatears and seven Whinchats.As we were about to leave we heard a call and saw a Stone Curlew flying from W to NE towards Kingsdown.

23rd August 2021

In the strong NE wind it was difficult to find calm spots to see birds and in the Paddock I found only 12 Whitethroats, six Willow Warblers and a very obliging Pied Flycatcher that caught insects as it flew from a small hawthornbush. Overhead two Ravens mobbed a Buzzard that tried to hunt across the Big Field. 

 Jack

22nd August 2021

 After the dawn storm and heavy rain we expected more birds than yesterday but unfortunately there weren't. In Amy's Field we had two grounded Yellow Wagtails and in the Paddock a Redstart and a few Whitethroats and Willow Warblers. At Hope poimnt there was also a Redstart as well as two Reed Warblers, 21 Whitethroats, six Lesser Whitethroats and five Willow Warblers. In the Farmyard we had two Spotted Fycatchers. Overhead there were two Swifts, seven Sand Martins and up to 50 feeding Swallows.

 Nigel, Phil, Jack.

21st August 2021

 Not many birds today but there were a few notable species. At Hope Point was a Redstart and Whinchat, in the Farm Wood a Spotted and a Pied F;lycatcher and overhead a Green Sandpiper and two Ringed Plovers flew N. Other than that, elsewhere in the area,there were two Wheatears, a Whinchat, three Reed Warblers, 16 Whitethroats, 11 Lesser Whitethroats, three Blackcaps, 15 Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff.

 Gerald, Nigel, Richard, Phil, Jack.

20th August 2021

Around the area today we had a Garden Warbler, a Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, 14 Whitethroats and 23 Willow Warblers. Other noktable birds were a Sparrowhawk in off the sea, three Ravens and four Yellow Wagtails moving W. At Westcliff there were also two Yellow Wagtails, two Wheatears and a Whinchat.

 Richard, Phil, John C, Jack.

19th August 2021

Area hardly done today apart from Westcliff where two Whinchats were seen by Phil.

17th August 2021

Although the NW wind was lighter than yesterday it was much colder. It turned out to be an interesting day with a varied selection of species starting with a Green Sandpiper over Tony M's at 05:45 and a Stone Curlew flying along Otty Bottom at 06:35.In the same area was a Yellow Wagtail. a Reed Warbler, five Whitethroats, six Blackcaps and 10 Willow Warblers. In the Paddock there was a Sedge Warbler, 18 Whitethroats, three Lesser Whitethroats, two Garden Warblers and 12 Willow Warblers. To finish the day, at around 12:45, an Osprey flew S along nthe coast from Walmer Beach. 

 Tony M, Richard, Gerald, Jack.

16th August 2021

In a very strong NW wind a walk around the Paddock didn't produce much apart from 15 Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat and seven Willow Warblers.

 Jack

15th August

 A good variety of warblers this morning including single Grasshopper and Sedge, three Reed and 29 Willow Warblers, 26 Whitethroats, 11 Lesser Whitethroats, seven Blackcaps and 3 Chiffchaffs. Other grounded migrants included three Wheatears on the Undercliffe. 

There was a burst of Sand Martins(32) mid morning along with 29 Swallows, 5 House Martins and eight Swifts, while also overhead 3 Whimbrel, three Yellow, two alba and a Grey Wagtail were noted. 

Other birds of note included a single Hobby and three Great Spotted Woodpeckers. 

A bit of colour was added to the day by a male Red-billed Quelea in breeding plumage, associating with the resident sparrow flock at the monument. 

Red-billed Quelea- Monument

Red-billed Quelea - Monument 

Sedge Warbler- Hope Point

Reed Warbler- Hope Point

Grasshopper Warbler Hope Bay/Hope Point

Clouded Yellow- Hope Point 

14th August 2021 On the first day since the Autumn of 2019 there were five of us doing the area and we saw two Yellow Wagtails,two Wheatears and 81 warblers. The warblers being one Reed Warbler, six Blackcaps, 45 Whitethroats, seven Lesser Whitethroats, one Chiffchaff and 21 Willow Warblers. There were no other notable sightings apart from 300 Swifts, 250 House Martins and 50 Swallows feeding over Richard's house at Kingsdown. John C, Gerald, Nigel, Richard, Jack.

13th August 2021

 A brisk WSW wind this morning produced nothing other than a trickle of Sand Martins (23) and Swifts (43) overhead. On the ground there was even less to report with nine Willow Warblers and 15 Whitethroats. Bird of the day was a Cuckoo along Kingsdown Leas, seen by Rob Rackliffe.

Brendan & Jack

Willow Warbler

11th August 2021

On Richard's early morning dog walk he had six Whitethroats, four Lesser Whitethroats, five Blackcaps and five 5 Willow Warblers in the Dusky Hollow and Granville Road area. In the Paddock I had eight Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats and four Willow Warblers. Later in the morning Phil, Sharon, Cari and Elyse had a Whinchat and Wheatear on the clifftop and two Lesser Whitethroats and four Willow Warblers in the Freedown.

Richard, Phil, Jack.

10th August 2021

 The strong SW winds of the last few days had moderated making birding a little easier. There was a notable arrival of Willow Warblers (23) but no other significant arrivals other than a Wheatear on the clifftop and a Grasshopper Warbler at Hope Point, the latter seen early morning by Richard and dog. Other warblers noted included three Lesser and 17 Common Whitethroats & six Blackcaps

Overhead seven Swifts, 13 Sand Martins and a Yellow Wagtail flew south. 

Brendan, Jack and Richard

Willow Warbler - Paddock

Willow Warbler - Paddock 

Northern Wheatear- Clifftop 

8th August 2021

Another very windy day with 21 Swifts and 16 Sand Martins moving W. Very little else apart from 11 Wheatears, two Willow Warblers and the local breeding Whitethroats.

Phil, Richard, Jack.

7th August 2021

In the very strong SW wind the only notable bird seen was a Grasshopper Warbler that was flushed from the ground in the Paddock. 

Jack

5th August 2021

 After the optimism of early autumn, reality returned today with few migrants to report. The only migrants noted were four Willow Warblers, two Reed Warblers and a single Yellow Wagtail. 36 Whitethroats were counted but in the absence of many other warblers, the assumption must be that these are local birds, a view reinforced by the fact that most seemed to be in family groups. A few Swallows were heading south in small groups with at least 26 recorded along with two Sand Martins. 

Brendan

4th August 2021

 A quick walk around the Paddock this morning produced 15 Whitethroats, five Lesser Whitethroats and two Willow Warblers.  There were good numbers of  butterflies and on one privet bush I counted at least 11 Red Admirals feeding on the flowers.

3rd August 2021

A light SE with patchy cloud cover.  Limited coverage today and limited birding but a lot of chatting! As a result not too many birds recorded with a male Redstart in the Paddock being the highlight. Whitethroat numbers had increased sharply with 34 recorded in the Paddock and Freedown. Five Willow Warblers were the only other birds of note. Earlier Richard had a Whimbrel over the golf course when on dog duties. 

Brendan, Jack and John Cantelo

2nd August 2021

 Three posts in three days? It must be autumn. 

A light north easterly wind with clear skies made birding quite pleasant this morning. Two Grasshopper Warblers flushed from just beyond Hope Point and the other from the clifftop were the highlight supported by four Reed Warblers. Willow Warblers were thinly scattered across the area with at least nine counted along with a very scruffy adult Chiffchaff. The latter was presumably a local breeding bird. On the sylvia front there were 21 Whitethroats, 11 lesser Whitethroats and six Blackcaps. These were presumably local birds although migrants must pass through. 

A good wader count included single Dunlin, Whimbrel and Curlew along with 8 Oystercatchers. Two Clouded Yellows were recorded.

Grey Partridge have bred successfully with a pair on the clifftop with one flying juvenile.

Brendan

Reed Warbler 

Willow Warbler 

Chiffchaff

1 August 2021

Day 2 of the autumn campaign provided us with 10 Willow Warblers, 2 very juvenile Wheatears, a Redstart, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Clouded Yellow. 80 Swifts moved through first thing.

Brendan, Jack, Nige & Richard