Sunday 12 April 2015

12th April 2015 Beachy WSW3 Clear

Red-throated Diver 2E
Manx Shearwater 1E at 07.28
Gannet 18E, 4W
Brent Geese 192E (including a flock of c.100 flying high over the Headland cutting off the corner)
Pale-bellied Brent Goose 1E at 10.45am accompanying the high-flying flock
Common Scoter 101E
Velvet Scoter 1E
Red-breasted Merganser 3E
Kittiwake 693E
Mediterranean Gull 19E (14 ad & 5 first-winters)
Black-headed Gull 17E
Sandwich Tern 74E
Little Tern 2E
Guillemot 2E
Auk sp. 26E
Kestrel 1
Red-legged Partridge 2
Swallow 4
Yellow Wagtail 1
White Wagtail 4
Wheatear 3 (including 2 Greenland Wheatears)
Ring Ouzel 1 male 
Blackcap 1 male
Common Whitethroat 1 
Willow Warbler 6
Chiffchaff 8
Raven 3


Male Greenland Wheatear at Birling
Looking both large and bulky with a nice long primary projection with its orange-brown throat and breast and buff-suffused underparts
 
Female Greenland Wheatear at Birling
Easy when in close proximity to the above richly-coloured male but appearing reassuringly large and bulky, large-headed and large-billed
 
Willow Warbler at Belle Tout
 
Male Ring Ouzel at Belle Tout
 
High-flying Brent taking a shortcut across the headland
 
 
Pale-bellied Brent over Belle Tout
In addition to the rather obvious plumage differences the slightly smaller size, more compact shape and short-necked appearance are all discernible
 
Female Common Whitethroat at Chat Vale