16 September 2017

In a light northwesterly, Phil and Nigel walked the clifftop from the Monument to Hope Point. There were obviously some grounded migrants with 85 Chiffchaffs, 3 Stonechat (first for the autumn), 5 Blackcaps, 2 Reed Warblers, 60 Meadow Pipits and a Goldcrest; whilst overhead we had 2 Grey Wagtails, approximately 500 each of Swallow and House Martin, 2 Sand Martin, 1 Swift, 2 Yellow Wagtails and 4 House Sparrows. The White Stork was also still present in the Big Field.

At Hope Point we found this Blyth's Reed Warbler which showed a couple of times, but could not be relocated despite extensive searching. 

Blyth's Reed Warbler - Phil Chantler

15th September 2017 (Part 2)

One of the farm workers told Brendan about a large white bird that had turned up yesterday afternoon and had been feeding in the fields he and his cousin were working. It was still present this morning. Brendan refound it in a field by the Gun Emplacement and it was a White Stork. Brendan got these excellent shots of it below. Unfortunately it does appear to be suffering a little wing damage! I was having a chat with Phil earlier and we have seen thousands of these migrating in Southern Spain at a similar time of year, we can't remember many with wings in this state. Couple that with a metal ring on its left leg and I think it may lead to a conclusion of 'dubious origin'.

Also in the area, the Short-eared Owl (photo by Brendan below) was still present at Hope Point, 127 Chiffchaffs, 19 Blackcap, five Lesser Whitethroats, three Whitethroats, seven Goldcrests and a Wheatear.

15th September 2017 (Part 1)

White Stork (Richard Heading)

An 'in the field' shot of the White Stork at Bockhill. More to follow. 

14th September 2017

I spent an hour or so in St. Margaret's Bay from 11.00 with moderate westerly winds. A pale phase and dark phase Arctic Skua went down channel as did a group of four Great Skuas with a gannet. Six Knots also passed down, a Hobby and 16 Meadow Pipits came in off the sea. A Grey Seal and four Harbour Porpoises were offshore.

Around Kingsdown it was very quiet in the early afternoon. Seven Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Whitethroat and five Blackcaps.

 Three out of the four Great Skuas (Richard Heading)

The fourth Great Skua just up to the buoy.....now (Richard Heading

12th September 2017

Brendan walked the area from 07.30-11.30 this morning. There were 96 Chiffchaffs, six Lesser Whitethroats, seven Whitethroats, three Firecrests, 14 Goldcrests, ten Blackcaps, two Grey Wagtails, four Tree Sparrows, a Swift, a Short-eared Owl and a Reed Warbler.

11th September 2017

I rang Jack last night and persuaded him that a seawatch this morning could be brilliant. Strong winds up the channel, good numbers of seabirds further west along the coast, overcast conditions so no problem with the light, what could possibly go wrong? We didn't make 10 species, the light was terrible and it rained just to add insult to injury. 150 Sandwich Terns, 19 of which were resting on the beach, a Curlew and a Harbour Porpoise. Not sure I will be able to convince anyone again that a seawatch is a good idea.

Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gull (Richard Heading)

Curlew (Richard Heading)

10th September 2017

Phil and I only spent a couple of hours in the Paddock and around the Farm today and had one Redstart, 43 Blackcaps, five Whitethroats, three Lesser Whitethroats, 38 Chiffchaffs, two Willow Warblers and two Spotted Flycatchers.

9th September 2017

This morning Phil and I arrived to find warblers calling from every bush and by the time we had finished at lunchtime we had recorded 631 warblers. There were 429 Blackcaps, one Garden Warbler, 25 Lesser Whitethroats, six Whitethroats, one Grasshopper Warbler, 163 Chiffchaffs and six Willow Warblers. Other notable birds were five Wheatears, one Whinchat, eight Goldcrests, a Short-eared Owl, seven Spotted Flycatchers and a Nightingale.

Overhead we had 88 Meadow Pipits, three Rock Pipits, single Grey and Yellow Wagtails, three Tree Sparrows and 15 Buzzards all moving W. Also overhead there were 4500 Swallows, 2500 House Martins and eight Swifts feeding along the cliff-top and across the fields whilst being harassed by two Hobbys.

Spotted Flycatcher (Richard Heading)

8th September 2017

A walk with the dog in the rain from Kingsdown, up Ottey Bottom and around the fields by the golf course produced upwards of 50 Chiffchaffs and 300 feeding Swallows.

7th September 2017

Few grounded migrants today with a Whinchat, Common Redstart, Garden Warbler, five Blackcaps, three Common Whitethroats, four Lesser Whitethroats and four Willow Warblers. We did however have a reasonable fall of 38 Chiffchaffs, our best autumn total this year. Feeding over the fields were 4350 Swallows, 2200 House Martins, 10 Sand Martins and two Swifts.

This puddle at the end of The Droveway was providing a drink for hundreds of swallows and a Sand Martin. If only we had a more permanent water source.

Swallows (Richard Heading)

5th September 2017

Jack and I were in the Bay from 09.00 - 11.30. A moderate SW with good visibility, poor visibility, drizzle, sunshine etc! Our first few scans gave us the best birds with a Black Tern (pretty scarce for us and a lot closer than the photos below would have you believe) and an Arctic Skua harrying terns offshore. Other than that it wasn't great, 464 Sandwich Terns were drifting down channel, 40-50 Gannets offshore, a Mediterranean Gull, a couple of Shags were close by, two Curlews and 50 Swallows headed down channel and a Wheatear landed on the beach.

Black Tern (Richard Heading)

2nd September 2017

Far fewer warblers today and almost overnight there has been a change from Willow Warblers, only one, to Chiffchaffs of which there were 12. Apart from that we had a Tree Pipit and three Yellow Wagtails flyover, five Wheatears and a small influx of nine Song Thrushes.
In the big field 2100 Herring Gulls, 20 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls and 7 Great Black-Backed Gulls rested after a rain squall dashed down Channel.

1st September 2017

Less warblers today with three Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 24 Whitethroats, 17 Lesser Whitethroats, 28 Blackcaps, five Chiffchaffs and five Willow Warblers.
Other notable birds were two Tree Pipits, two Whinchats, 24 Wheatears, one Redstart and one Pied Flycatcher. We also had a Little Owl a bird that used breed on the farm but has been absent for the last four years.