31/5/98 Beachy Head 6am - 10.30am. Salthouse, Norfolk 2pm - 5pm.

Avocet c.2 Salthouse
Spotted Flycatchers 2 Beachy
CHESTNUT BUNTING 1 prob first year male (P.Leader pers. comm.). Salthouse Garden

Male Chestnut Bunting at Salthouse (Alan Tate http://www.aabirdpix.com/ )
Nowhere near as pleasing as an Autumn bird on Out Skerries the time of year and location felt as good as you could hope for a Spring male. It was only viewable from inside Duncan MacDonald's house so thanks to him for accommodating so many visitors keen to see this Asian Bunting that is surely s likely as a number of other Far Eastern vagrants that have now reached the British Isles.

30/5/98 Beachy 6am - 10.30am, Pevensey 10.45am - 11.30am, Arlington 12.00-12.15. Beaulieu Heath, New Forest 3.30pm - 8pm. East wind and overcast.

Whooper Swan 1 Arlington - fairly tame! Brownish neck, adult like bill.
Hobby 2 (1 in off sea at Birling, 1 Pevensey)
'Channel' Wagtail hybrid  1 male resembling 'Syke's' Pevensey
Dartford Warbler 3 New Forest (missed Red-footed Falcon by 20 minutes)

29/5/98 Ashdown Forest 8.30pm - 9.30pm.

Hobby 1
Woodcock c.6
Nightjar 1
Tree Pipit 1

28/5/98 Elmney 6pm - 8.30pm. NE wind sunny.

Black-winged Stilt 1
Avocet 4
Temminck's Stint 1
Spanish/Ashy-headed Wagtail hybrid 1 ear coverts concolorous with crown, short white supercilium above and behind eye. Good white throat.

27/5/98 Pevensey Levels 7pm - 9.30pm. NW wind cloudy.

Hobby 6
Long-eared Owl 1 ex.
Cuckoo c.2
'Channel' Wagtail 1 male hybrid resembling 'Syke's' Wagtail

26/5/98 Pevensey Levels 7pm - 9.30pm. NW wind overcast but dry.

Hobby 4
Long-eared Owl 1ex views. Found whilst scanning thickets along road to Cooden. Chestnut wing patches in flight obvious. Pattern of undersides of primaries barred.
'Channel' Wagtail 1 male hybrid resembling 'Syke's' Wagtail in song from fenceposts.
Sedge Warbler 1
Reed Warbler 4

25/5/98 Beachy Head 6.45am - 9am. Cliffe Pools (C) Kent 12.00 - 2pm. Wind light northerly. Cloudy and cool.

Great Crested Grebe 1C
Pochard 1 C
Tufted Duck c.5 C
Little Gull 1 imm C
Black-headed Gull c. 50C
Common Tern c.5 C
Turtle Dove 1
Swift c.10B   c.150C
PALLID SWIFT 1C milky brown with noticeable darker primaries. Pale throat not particularly obvious. Scaling to underparts seen at close range on one occasion. Appeared smaller, slighter and shorter-tailed than Swift. On one occasion chased by Swift. Watched for 40 minutes hawking along cliff of flooded disused quarry.
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 in flight near Cliffe Village
Swallow c.10B
House Martin c.4B
Whitethroat c.10
Willow Warbler 1

24/5/98 Beachy Head 6.45am - 12.30pm. Wind light notheasterly. Sunny and warm.

Egret sp. (prob. Little) 1 Cuckmere in flight at great distance
Brent Goose 1 on sea off gully below Cow Gap
Whimbrel 3 in flight over Belle Tout
Guillemot 1 full winter plumage on sea off gully below Cow Gap
Swallow c.10
Black Redstart 1
Reed Warbler 1h
Whitethroat c.10
Garden Warbler 1
Spotted Flycatcher 3

23/5/98 Beachy Head 6.45am - 11am. Wind light northeasterly. Sunny and warm.

Swallow c.10
Reed Warbler 2h
Whitethroat c.10
Spotted Flycatcher 2
Golden Oriole 1 female in flight over Whitbread Hollow seen from rides.

17th May 1998 Cuckmere 6.45am. Beachy Head 7am - 11.45am. Wind light nort easterly, sunny and warm.

Red-legged Partridge 1 top of Birling lane.
Greenshank 1 Cuckmere
Turtle Dove 1 Chat Vale
Swallow c.10
House Martin c.15
Stonechat c.6
Wheatear 1 female
Whitethroat c.12
Blackcap 1
Spotted Flycatcher 2

16th May 1998 Cuckmere 6.45am.Beachy Head 7am - 10.15am. Wind light north easterly, sunny and warm.

Sparrowhawk 1

Peregrine 1 small male off Birling Gap
Greenshank 1 Cuckmere
Swift c.5
Sand Martin 2
Swallow c.15
House Martin c.25
Rock Pipit 1
Wheatear 1 female
Reed Warbler h Cuckmere
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat c.15
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 1 + h
Tree Sparrow 1

13th May 1998 Rye Harbour Reserve 6.45pm - 8.30pm. Calm sunny and warm.

Ruddy Duck 1 drake
Grey Partridge 3
Oystercatcher 1
Ringed Plover c.5
Grey Plover 1
Whimbrel 3
Redshank c.5
Common Sandpiper 1
Mediterranean Gull 1 1s with white ring
Common Tern c.150
Little Tern 3
Cuckoo h
Reed Bunting 1

10th May 1998 Beachy Head 6.30am - 11.30am. Wind light north easterly but sunny.

Osprey 1 off Birling Gap getting more distant - hovered over sea briefly.
Hobby 1 in off sea at Birling Gap
Whimbrel 1
Swift c.10
Sand Martin 2
Yellow Wagtail 1 female
Whitethroat c.10
Redpoll 1

9th May 1998 Beachy Head 6am - 11.30am. Wind moderate easterly but sunny.

Manx Shearwater 1E very distant
Gannet c.5
Brent Goose 2E
Eider c.13E
Scoter c.30E
Velvet Scoter 1E
Merganser 2E
Pomarine Skua 10E all pale phase
Arctic Skua c.5E
Little Gull 1E 1s
Sandwich Tern c.25E
'Commic' Tern c.250E
Little Tern 1E
Black Tern 2E
Puffin 1E adult in summer plumage - white facial disc clearly seen and faster flight than the two accompanying Auks.
Swift c.5
Swallow c.5
House Martin c.15
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat c.15
Serin 1 male found at bottom of Birling Gap Lane and stayed for 15 minutes singing briefly from elder berry bushes. Bright yellow rump, yellow forehead, supercilium and upper breast, dark streaking on flanks, indistinct white wingbars. Pinkish legs.

3rd May 1998 Taman Negara NP, Malaysia

Canopy Walkway trail before catching the 9am boat to Kuala Tembeling and bus to Kuala Lumpur.

Black Hornbill 2
Thick-billed Green Pigeon 1
Common Sandpiper 1
Red-wattled Lapwing 1
Grey-headed Fish-Eagle 1
Striated Heron 2
Black-and-Red Broadbill 4
Large-billed Crow 6
Paddyfield Pipit 2

2nd May 1998 Taman Negara NP, Malaysia

River trail, Swamp loop and Jenet Muda drinking pool.

Malayan Peacock-Pheasant 2
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo 1
Black-and-Red Broadbill 2
Rufous-winged Philentoma 2
Maroon-breasted Philentoma 2
RUFOUS-CHESTED FLYCATCHER 1
Indochinese Blue Flycatcher 1
Oriental Magpie-Robin 2
White-rumped Shama 2
Chestnut-naped Forktail 1
Cream-vented Bulbul 2
Red-eyed Bulbul 4
Abbott's Babbler 2
Scaly-crowned Babbler 2
Striped Wren-babbler 1
Chestnut-rumped Babbler 2
Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker 1
Red-throated Sunbird 1

1st May 1998 Taman Negara NP, Malaysia

River trail, Swamp loop twice and Jenet Muda drinking pool.

Malayan Peacock-Pheasant 1
Coppersmith Barbet 1
Blue-banded Kingfisher 1
Lesser Coucal 1
Dusky Broadbill 5
Black-and-Red Broadbill 5
Tiger Shrike 1
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo 2
Black-naped Monarch 2
Common Iora 1
Rufous-winged Philentoma 4
Maroon-breasted Philentoma 2
Oriental Magpie-Robin 2
White-rumped Shama 4
Red-eyed Bulbul 2
Spectacled Bulbul 3
Grey-cheeked Bulbul 2
Hairy-backed Bulbul 2
Abbott's Babbler 1
Black-capped Babbler 4
Sooty-capped Babbler 1
Large Wren-Babbler 2
Chestnut-winged Babbler 2
Purple-naped Spiderhunter 1
Grey-breasted Spiderhunter 1