Sunday 26 October 2003

26th October 2003 Beachy 6.30am – 2.00pm. Moderate N wind and very clear


Peregrine 1
Tawny Owl 2
Swallow c.5
Fieldfare 1
Redwing 1
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 1
Goldcrest c.5
Firecrest 1
Long-tailed Tit c.8
Jay c.4
Redpoll c.1
Goldfinch c.30
Siskin c.5
Brambling c.2
Corn Bunting 1 seen singing with another nearby in cabbage field opposite Belle Toute wood

Saturday 25 October 2003

25th October 2003 Beachy 7.30am – 2.45pm. Virtualy calm and sunny


Little Egret 1 Cow Gap beach
Brent Goose 1 juv. in field opposite Belle Toute Wood
Peregrine 1
Tawny Owl 2 sat together in Wood – one grayer than the other though with some chestnut in facial disc.
Swallow c.10
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff c.3
Yellow-browed Warbler 1 ex. In Belle Toute found the previous day by JFC. Grey crown with hint of a paler median crown-stripe. Supercilium and greater covert wingbar appeared white with less conspicuous median covert wingbar. Underparts appeared clean white but sullied grayish across breast. Bill and leg colour unseen. Call closely matched that of Yellow-browed Warbler on Calls of Eastern Vagrants being a high-pitched thin ‘sueeest’.
Goldcrest c.10
Firecrest 1
Coat Tit c.4 almost certainly all Continental Coal Tits
Long-tailed Tit c.5
Treecreeper 1 Belle Toute. Upper flanks appeared gleaming white.
Redpoll c.2
Goldfinch c.30
Siskin c.5
Brambling c.2

Sunday 19 October 2003

19th October 2003 Beachy 7.15am – 2.30pm. Strong E wind with some low cloud moving over


Kestrel c.2
Peregrine 2
Merlin 1 juv/fem
Snipe 1
Wood Pigeon c.100
Short-eared Owl 1 same bird as previous day lacking some secondaries
Skylark c.20
Sand Martin 1
Swallow c.20
House Martin c.10
Meadow Pipit c.10
Pied Wagtail c.20
Black Redstart 1
Stonechat c.5
Fieldfare 6
Ring Ouzel c.5
Chiffchaff c.5
Goldcrest c.5
Firecrest c.2
Continental Coal Tit 1 Belle Toute Wood. Black crown with white nape stripe and white cheeks. Mantle blue-grey as were wings with prominent tips to coverts forming two wingbars. Black throat and clean underparts.
Long-tailed Tit c.10
Jay 1
Chaffinch c.5
Brambling c.3
Goldfinch c.250
Siskin c.5
Reed Bunting 1

Saturday 18 October 2003

18th October 2003 Beachy 7.15am – 5.15pm. Moderate E wind and cold

Heron 1
Kestrel c.2
Woodpigeon c.40
Tawny Owl 1 rufous morph Belle Toute
Short-eared Owl 1 with some secondaries missing
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Swallow c.30
Rock Pipit 1
Pied Wagtail c.20
Wheatear 1
Stonechat c.10
Song Thrush c.5
Fieldfare c.45 flew east
Blackbird c.5
Ring Ouzel 8 males
Chiffchaff c.6 including a very grey individual along the east side of Belle Toute which didn’t show any wingbar
Yellow-browed Warbler h Belle Toute Wood spent four hours failing to see it
Firecrest c.2
Long-tailed Tit c.2
Treecreeper 1 showed sullied lower flanks but appeared white on breast. Heard to call a rising srii srii sriii srii
Brambling c.2
Redpoll c.3
Goldfinch c.250
Siskin 2 + others heard
Crossbill 4 males – pale pink rumps as flew away. Call a loud chup note

Sunday 12 October 2003

12th October 2003 Beachy 7.00am – 11.00am. Cold strong SE making birding almost impossible

Sparrowhawk 1
Pheasant 1 Belle Toute Wood!
Sand Martin 1
House Martin c.15
Meadow Pipit c.15
Pied Wagtail c.25
Chiffchaff 1
Goldcrest 2
Raven 2
Chaffinch c.5
Brambling 2
Redpoll 1
Goldfinch c.300
Greenfinch 2
Reed Bunting 1h

Sunday 5 October 2003

5th October 2003 Beachy 7.00am – 1.30pm. Cold with moderate NW


Gannet c.150 including a gathering off Cow Gap fishing
Cormorant c.2W
Kestrel c.3
Merlin 1
Golden Plover 1
Short-eared Owl 1
Green woodpecker 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Swallow c.30
House Martin c.200
Meadow Pipit c.20
Pied Wagtail c.25
Stonechat c.12
Song Thrush c.5
Redwing c.15
Ring Ouzel h
Blackcap c.5
Whitethroat 1
Dartford Warbler 2 one in the Gulley and one in the rides above the Hollow
Chiffchaff c.35
Raven 2 with one carrying an egg
Goldfinch c.50
Siskin 3 + others heard
Reed Bunting 1

Saturday 4 October 2003

4th October 2003 Beachy 7.00am – 2.00pm. Moderate NW becoming overcast


Gannet c.6
Cormorant c.5
Little Egret 2
Buzzard 1 Ditchling Beacon
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel c.2
Lanner/Barbary Falcon 1 pale blue-grey upperwings with contrasting darker outer primaries. Rufous seen on crown/nape as it was flying away
Golden Plover c.17 west
Green Woodpecker 1
Skylark c.5
Swallow c.15
House Martin c.15
Meadow Pipit c.100
Pied Wagtail c.20
Yellow Wagtail 1 without a tail
Robin c.15
Wheatear c.2
Whinchat 1
Stonechat c.15
Song Thrush c.3
Mistle Thrush 2
Blackbird c.5
Blackcap c.5
Whitethroat 1
Chiffchaff c.25
Goldcrest 1
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Long-tailed Tit c.5
Linnet c.75
Redpoll 1
Goldfinch c.150
Siskin c.4
Reed Bunting 1