30th September

The day of the Chiffchaff!

The place was crawling with Chiffchaffs this morning with a total of 575 counted by the team, a new site record beating the previous record of 303 in September 2009. 

As is often the case on big Chiffchaff days the supporting cast was a little disappointing with nothing particularly unusual. However there was a notable increase in species like Reed Bunting (13) Blackcap (51), and Stonechat (12). Other birds of note included a Reed Warbler, two Lesser Whitethroats, two Wheatears and a single Short-eared Owl

Brendan, Jack, Phil, Gerald, Richard Nigel and Simon

Chiffchaff 

Lesser Whitethroat 

29th September

 Highlights today included a Barred Warbler seen briefly at Hope Point, a Grasshopper Warbler and Short-eared Owl on the cliff top .

There was another spectacular movement of Swallows with 5,500 moving into a SSW wind between 7.00am and 7.25am when the wind veered NW and the passage abruptly stopped.

Other birds seen today included 42 Chiffchaffs, 12 Blackcaps, one Lesser Whitethroat, two Wheatears, 850 grounded Meadow Pipits and 25 Corn Buntings. 

Brendan, Phil and Richard

Lesser Whitethroat (BR)

28th September

 A light to moderate Southerly wind first thing gave a glimmer of hope for an improvement in the variety of birds but alas it was more of the same.  Meadow Pipits were moving over early morning with 185 counted and swallows trickled through all morning with around 390 counted plus a few House Martins and Sand Martins. 

Chiffchaffs continued to dominate on the ground with 86 but Blackcap numbers remain low with only five. No other warblers were recorded. Seven Goldcrests and two Reed Buntings were a sign of moving into the latter part of autumn. Two Wheatears in the Big Field looked like the same two there two days ago!

Highlight was a Short-eared Owl flushed from the cliff top. 

Brendan

Short-eared Owl 

26th September

 A light SE wind gave a little hope that things may improve this morning but the optimism was short lived. 

Pick of the day was a good steady movement of swallows with 1,400 counted along with a few Sand Martins and House Martins. 

Chiffchaffs got to 98 and no doubt with a little more effort it could have been over 100 but counting Chiffchaffs is getting a little boring! Only a few Blackcaps remain and one Whitethroat was recorded. That was it for warblers. Five Goldcrests and a single Firecrest plus two Wheatears were the only other birds of note. Best bird of the day a single Greenfinch

Brendan

Hirundines resting up in the Freedown

Wheatear in the Big Field 

25th September

 A locustella flushed from the clifftop at dawn was eventually pinned down and inevitably proved to be a Grasshopper Warbler. One day.....
Sadly that was the excitement over for the morning. The only other birds of note were 39 Chiffchaffs, a single Whitethroat and only two Blackcaps

Brendan and Jack

Grasshopper Warbler 

24th September

A spectacular movement of hirundines early morning moving into a brisk southerly wind. Brendan & Jack counted from the monument while Phil and Richard watched from Kingsdown Leas, and Nigel was on the undercliff. The numbers recorded were broadly the same with around 35,000 House Martins, 18,000 Swallows and a handful of Sand Martins. As the wind picked up the movement abruptly stopped around 8am. 

The wind made watching the bushes quite difficult but warbler numbers seemed well down on previous days.

Watching the sea from the clifftop produced a close Balearic Shearwater and 12 Common Scoter  

Brendan, Jack, Nigel, Richard and Phil 

Balearic Shearwater

23rd September

 A full turnout from team Bockhill resulting good coverage of the whole area.

The day started well with a Redstart in the Paddock and a Hooded Crow with the corvids in the field by the monument. This was re-located later in the fields near the Empty Wood but was generally elusive. 

Chiffchaffs continued to dominate with at least 290 being recorded but Blackcap numbers had declined significantly with around 60 noted. Other warblers included one Willow Warbler, four Lesser Whitethroats and four Common Whitethroats. There was no sign of yesterday evening's Yellow-browed Warbler. Other grounded migrants included three wheatears and seven Stonechats.

Overhead there were 12 Grey Wagtails, one Yellow Wagtail, three Redpolls and a single Tree Sparrow.  Siskins continued to move overhead throughout the morning but most groups went unseen so it is impossible to say how many. Late morning saw a surge in hirundines passing through with several hundred House Martins. 

Brendan, Jack, Phil, Nigel, Gerald, Richard and Simon

Stonechat 

Northern Wheatear 

22nd September

 As we arrived shortly after first light it was clear that it was going to be a Chiffchaff day as small groups of birds were moving along the clifftop. In the end we counted 183 in the area. Blackcaps numbers had also increase with 49 being recorded. These influxes seem to have been shared with other migration sites in Kent. 

Other highlights included single Grasshopper and Garden Warblers, three Whitethroats, three Firecrests, two Wheatears,  four Stonechats and single Yellow Wagtail and Tree Pipit over. An early Reed Warbler was seen at Hope Point.

Siskins and Meadow Pipits continued to move overhead but most of the former were heard only but at least 180 were recorded. 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S150460190 

Brendan and Jack 

Big increases in Blackcap and Chiffchaff today 

Chiffchaff 

Garden Warbler- Hope Point 

21st September

 After a couple of days with gale force winds a bit of calm returned this morning. After some early rain there was a steady movement of Meadow Pipits (165) and Siskins (110 but probably many many more) throughout the morning. On the warbler front there were 33 Chiffchaffs, one Willow Warbler, 23 Blackcaps and a single Lesser Whitethroat.  A Redstart was in the hedge below the monument and there were seven Wheatears in the field at by the golf course. The most unusual sight of the morning was a single Barnacle Goose flying down channel soon after dawn. It no doubt is of suspect origin.

Brendan

Chiffchaff 

19th September 2023

From 06:30-07:30 this morning Richard had 800 Swallows, 2200 House Martins, 1500 Meadow Pipits and 350 Siskins moving along the clifftop in a SW direction.

17th September 2023

A disappointing day as there had been a big clearout of birds overnight and we only had 10 Chiffchaffs, 2 Lesser Whitehtroats, 3 Firecrests, a Goldcrest and Wheatear. In the field were 75 Carrion Crows and 3 Grey Partridges. On the clifftop were the local Peregrines, a Sparrowhawk and a couple of Ravens.

Brendan, Nigel, Phil, Richard, Simon, Jack.

16th September 2023

Today was the first reasonable overhead movement, mostly heading SW, with 8 Grey Wagtails, 9 Yellow Wagtails,4 Alba Wagtails, 31 Siskins, 2 Reed Buntings, a Ringed Plover, 4 Tree Pipits and at least 650 Meadow Pipits.

In the big field there were flocks of 300+Linnets, 450 Meadow Pipits, 60 House Sparrows and 15 Skylarks.

Grounded migrants included a Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Stonechats, 5 Wheatears, 46 Blackcaps, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Whitethroats, 43 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests and a Firecrest.

Nigel, Phil, Richard, Simon, Jack,

15th September 2023

A walk around the area produced a Whinchat, 6 Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 3 Willow Warblers, 12 Chiffchaffs and a single Goldcrest.

Garden Warbler

Simon, Jack.

14th September 2023

Grounded migrants this morning included 9 Blackcaps, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Whitethroats, 14 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests and 3 Firecrests. Overhead were 260 Swallows, 75 House Martins, 45 Linnets and our first movement this autumn of 467 Meadow Pipits.

Richard.

10th September 2023

Still very warm so Phil and Richard started early on Kingsdown Lees and were rewarded with an Ortolan Bunting, near the Golf Clubhouse, that flew off south calling several times. The bird later located calling over the big field but unfortunately not seen again. Other grounded migrants were 3 Blackcaps, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler, 22 Chiffchaffs and 3 Goldcrests. Overhead were 20 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Redshank, 220 House Martins, 430 Swallows and 5 Grey, 2 Yellow and an Alba Wagtail. Also of note were 4 Tree Sparrows, which for us, have become very rare.

Nigel, Phil, Simon, Richard, Jack.

9th September 2023

With four of us out today more was expected, after all it is the second week of september and birds should be pouring through, but we only had 57 warblers: a Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warblers, 27 Blackcaps, 6 Whitethroats, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler and 16 Chiffchaffs. Other notables were 2 Goldcrests(our first for the autumn), 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Wheatears, and overhead 4 Grey, 2 Alba and 4 Yellow Wagtails.

Gerald, Nigel, Phil, Jack.

8th September 2023

From 07-30 until 09-30, when it became too hot to bird, I walked the fields, Freedown and around the Farm and had very little apart from 26 Blackcaps, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs and 2 Spotted Flycatchers.

Jack

7th September 2023

Today it was too hot for us, the dogs and most birds, however we did see 4 Grey Partridge, 4 Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Blackcaps, 26 Chiffchaffs, 3 Wheatears and 33 Long-tailed Tits. In the Freedown our Resident Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk appeared to be hunting together, they flew either side of the hedge until the end of the field where they turned and flew back together.

Richard, Jack.

6th September 2023

A couple of hours early morning at Kingsdown Lees, Freedown and the Rough produced 45 Blackcaps, 15 Whitethroats, 8 Lesser Whitethroats, a Willow Wasrbler, 25 Chiffchaffs, 2 firecrests and a Spotted Flycatcher. Overhead were 10 Yellow Wagtails and a Golden Plover.

Richard.

4th Sept 2023

Just a couple of hours around the area produced 2 Reed Warblers, 6 Blackcaps, 11 Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 14 Chiffchaffs, a Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Wheatears and 5 Whinchats.

Jack

3rd September 2023

Although we had seven of us out today and we were able to do the area thoroughly we didn't find that many birds. There were only 78 warblers of 8 species, 3 Reed Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Garden Warblers, 7 Whitethroats, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 42 Blackcaps, 5 Willow Warblers and 15 Chiffchaffs. Other grounded migrants were 21 Wheatears, 10 Whinchats, 2 Stonechats, a Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Firecrest and 5 Yellow Wagtails. On the sea at the undercliff were 165 Mediterranean Gulls.

Brendan, Gerald, Nigel, Phil, Richard, Simon, Jack.

2nd September

Phil spent most of the morning walking the fields and was rewarded by finding two juvenile Dotterel. Elsewhere there were two Grasshopper Warblers, (clifftop and Freedown),two Reed Warblers, six Siskins, two Yellow Wagtails, a Firecrest, Whinchat and four Wheatears.

Warblers included 68 Blackcaps, two Willow Warblers, 11 Chiffchaffs, 33 Whitethroats. 

Jack, Simon, Phil, Richard and Brendan

Dotterel

Grasshopper Warbler 

1st September

 A rather damp morning in which highlights included a Grasshopper Warbler, flushed from clifftop near Hope Point, six Willow Warblers, four Chiffchaffs, 34 Whitethroats, eight Lesser Whitethroats, 13 Blackcaps and a single Spotted Flycatcher

Brendan

Willow Warbler

Spotted Flycatcher