Monday 27 August 2001

27th August 2001 Beachy 6.00am - 11.30am, Cuckmere 11.45 to 12.30pm. Fair easterly breeze, cooler than previous days but sunny


Little Egret 2 Cuckmere
Canada Goose c.300 Cuckmere
Sparrowhawk 2
Kestrel 2
Ringed Plover c.10 Cuckmere
Dunlin c.20 Cuckmere
Black-tailed Godwit 1 Cuckmere
Snipe 2 Beachy
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Hollow
Sand Martin c.30
Swallow c.25
House Martin c.350
Meadow Pipit c.10
Tree Pipit c.5
Yellow Wagtail c.25
Redstart c.5
Wheater c.25 Beachy c.10 Cuckmere
Whinchat c.5
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 1
Lesser Whitethroat c.5
Whitethroat c.30
Sedge Warbler 2
Grasshopper Warbler 4 Cow Gap field
Willow Warbler c.20
Spotted Flycatcher c.15
Pied Flycatcher 2
Nuthatch 1 Burgess Hill
Treecreeper 1 Burgess Hill
Crossbill 12 (flock of 10 east at Old Trapping area and 2 south-east out to sea from Cliff Path/Cow Gap

Sunday 26 August 2001

26th August 2001 Beachy 6.10am - 1.30pm. Dry at first with light easterly with thunderstorm around midday and steady rain from 1.00pm and a stronger northerly wind


Gannet c.6
Osprey 1 flew along cliff edge and out over the sea at Birling Gap where caught a fish and was pursued back to the shoreline where it perched on a rock to eat the fish.
Sparrowhawk 2
Peregrine 1 adult
Sand Martin c.50
Swallow c.25
House Martin c.300
Meadow Pipit c.6
Tree Pipit c.3
Pied Wagtail 3
Yellow Wagtail c.25
Grey Wagtail 3
Wheatear c.8
Whinchat 3
Garden Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat c.8
Whitethroat c.25
Grasshopper Warbler 3 Cow Gap field
Reed Warbler 1
Willow Warbler c.20 a couple of birds of more northerly appearance with hint of a greater-covert bar, white belly and fresh appearance
Chiffchaff 1
Spotted Flycatcher c.6

Saturday 25 August 2001

25th August 2001 Beachy 6.10am - 3.15pm. Virtually calm with light easterly breeze. Sunny at first with two thunderstorms arriving from the sea with associated two heavy downpours. Then becoming very hot and sunny


Little Egret 1 feeding on shoreline below Cow Gap
Sparrowhawk 2
Kestrel 1
Kestrel 1 falconer
Peregrine 2 falconer
Saker 1 falconer at Countryside Centre
European Lanner 1 falconer
Dotterel 3 flew directly overhead heading west over Beachy Head Hotel Garden at c.9.25am before banking, dropping and appearing about to land, when lost to view behind the hedge at the rear of the garden. A walk across the nearby grassy fields failed to relocate them but felt heavy rain associated with thunderstorm hampered chances. Initially heard as they approached from the east, with a mixture of fairly quiet and soft ‘puu-rr’ and ‘pit-pit’ calls being heard, with clearly more than one bird calling and from birds that were not together. Never suggested, and lacked the volume and strident nature of the Golden Plover’s typical ‘peuuw’ note. Concentrated on a single bird which flew directly overhead at a height of no more than 40m. A small, bulky-looking, short-tailed Plover with grey underwings which lacked contrast with a grey breast. Progressively whiter on the belly, vent and undertail-coverts. Prominent pale supercilium noticeable. Short bill. Upperwings appeared uniform brown with wings lacking any contrast and no hint of a wing-bar. On banking, the upperparts lacked contrast with the upperwings giving an overall very uniform appearance. Two birds were initially seen flying c.50m apart, but on banking they joined, and were joined by a third individual. Although quite distant all three birds looked very similar.
Common Sandpiper c.6 Cow Gap beach
Greenshank h
Snipe h
Sandwich Tern h
Tawny Owl 1 Falconer’s bird
Barn Owl 1 Falconer’s bird
Swift c.15
Green Woodpecker 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Birling lane
Skylark c.5 top fields
Sand Martin c.25
Swallow c.15
House Martin c.25
Rock Pipit 2
Meadow Pipit c.15
Tree Pipit 7
Yellow Wagtail c.50 mainly in top fields
Redstart 3 including a nice male
Wheatear c.10
Whinchat 1
Blackcap 1
Lesser Whitethroat c.5
Whitethroat c.30
Reed Warbler c.10
Willow Warbler c.75
Chiffchaff 2
Spotted Flycatcher c.15
Pied Flycatcher 2

Sunday 19 August 2001

19th August 2001 Beachy 6.00am - 10.20am sea-watching. Very strong southerly wind with heavy pulses of rain arriving from the sea


Fulmar c.30
Manx Shearwater 2E at 9.05.
Balearic Shearwater 7E (6 dark, 1 pale) at 6.20, 6.29, 6.39, 6.52, 7.18, 8.01, 9.33. Mainly very close. Dark birds all showing at least a hint of or a more extensive pale belly and greyish underwing-coverts. Pale bird showed dusky armpits (seen well) and extensive dusky undertail-coverts. Pale throat, whitish belly and underwing-coverts. Excellent.
Gannet c.500E mainly very close
Teal c.10E
Scoter c.20E
Oystercatcher c.10
Grey Plover 1 s/p E
Skua sp. 2 very distant birds - prob. Arctic Skuas but difficult to see any detail on very dark looking birds - white bases to primaries just visible on one individual.
Kittiwake c.20E
Sandwich Tern c.20E
Commic Tern c.30E
Black Tern c.3E
Swift c.5 heading south out to sea
House Martin c.10

Saturday 18 August 2001

18th August 2001 Cuckmere 5.45am - 6.00am. Beachy 6.00am - 1.00pm. Overcast with light southerly breeze


Heron 2 very high heading west
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel c.3
Peregrine 2 adults (2 on exhibit by a falconer)
Barbary Falcon / Lanner 1 falconer had a ‘Lanner’ which possessed some rufous in the in the crown/nape and a dark mantle suggesting a ‘European’ Lanner though also quite rufous on the underparts reminding me of Barbary Falcon.
Saker / Saker/Gyr hybrid 1 falconer had a ‘Saker’ which I suspect was a Gyr and she confirmed it may have some Gyr genes though initially was adamant it was a ‘pure’ Saker. Very pale crown and underparts and cold grey-brown upperparts. Very large in comparison to her other Falcons.
Barn Owl 1 on exhibit by falconer
Sand Martin c.50
Swallow c.5
House Martin c.10
Rock Pipit c.8
Meadow Pipit c.10
Tree Pipit 2W
Pied Wagtail 3
Yellow Wagtail c.4
Nightingale 1 seen in flight and heard croaking at bottom of the run in Hollow.
Wheatear c.5
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 2
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat c.15
Sedge Warbler 1
Reed Warbler 1
Willow Warbler c.5
Chiffchaff 2
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Corn Bunting1

Friday 17 August 2001

17th August 2001 Beachy Head 5.35am - 7.30am. Moderate southerly but overcast


Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 1
Wheatear 2
Garden Warbler 1
Whitethroat c.10
Sedge Warbler 1 imm.
Reed Warbler 2
Willow Warbler c.5
Chiffchaff 2 (1 singing)
Raven 3

Sunday 12 August 2001

12th August 2001 Beachy Head 6.30am - 11.30am. Strong westerly wind and overcast.


Fulmar c.5
Balearic Shearwater 2 both very dark individuals, one extremely so. Pale belly seen on both. Underwings silvery and not unlike Sooty Shearwater. Flew west very close inshore. Excellent.
Gannet c.25
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel c.2
Peregrine 1
Sandwich Tern c.4 W
Swift c.10
Skylark c.4
Sand Martin c.5
Swallow c.10
Meadow Pipit c.5
Stonechat c.2
Whitethroat c.10
Willow Warbler c.5
Corn Bunting c.10

Saturday 11 August 2001

11th August 2001 Beachy Head 6.15am - 12.30pm. Sunny with SW wind strengthening


Gannet c.30 fishing offshore from Birling Gap and Cow Gap
Little Egret 1 flew west past Birling Gap
Heron 3 in off at Birling Gap
Kestrel c.2
Peregrine 1 adult in primary moult
Swallow c.8
House Martin c.10
Wheatear c.10
Whinchat 2
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 1
Lesser Whitethroat 5
Whitethroat c.25
Sedge Warbler 3
Melodious Warbler 1 ex. Found by JFC in the Hotel Gardens the previous day. On locating it today it immediately appeared a large pale plain-faced Warbler, with a large yellow-looking bill and pale yellow wash to the ‘face’ immediately suggesting a Hippolais. After a brief initial view it remained frustratingly extremely elusive taking roughly 2 hours for DC to determine the primary projection (having spent 2 hours the previous day failing to see the bird at all !). Originally seen close to the ground, it was then seen variously in rosebay willowherb, gorse and climbing quite high in elderberry bushes. It was seen in flight on several occasions covering a fairly large area. Large bill appearing predominantly yellow and often held slightly up-tilted. Supercilium well marked in front of eye and extending a fair way behind of the eye appearing quite yellow when the bird was viewed facing slightly away. Lores pale giving the bird an open-faced expression with large dark eye surrounded by a pale eye-ring. Often appearing rounded-crowned though on a couple of occasions quite flat-crowned ! Crown, ear-coverts, mantle and scapulars greyish-green and uniform. Coverts and primaries appearing slightly darker than upperparts contrasting with a pale panel formed by paler fringes to the secondaries which depending on the angle of the bird sometimes appeared very noticeable and completely absent at others. A medium primary projection being approximately half the length of the exposed tertials with primaries tipped pale and the longest primaries falling roughly at the base of the tail. Tail square with several of the outer tail feathers appearing ‘bleached’ contrasting with darker central tail feathers being very noticeable in flight. Some yellow restricted to the throat becoming pale, almost white, on the remainder of the underparts. Legs appeared dark brownish with the bird being ringed ! (perhaps just coincidence but a bird trapped at Portland within the previous week). In flight the bird gave the impression of a large pale, somewhat bleached-looking Warbler. Not heard to call.
Willow Warbler c.30
Chiffchaff 1 adult
Pied Flycatcher 1

Friday 10 August 2001

10th August 2001 Beachy Head Hotel Garden 11.30am - 1.15pm. Sunny and calm


Swift c.50 roadside near Ditchling Beacon
House Martin c.10

Sunday 5 August 2001

5th August 2001 Beachy Head 6am - 11am. Wind moderate westerly. Sunny


Fulmar c.5
Gannet c.200
Red Kite 1 Dwarfed the crows mobbing it. Long, deeply-forked tail immediately obvious, rufous when viewed from above. White windows of inner hand contrasting with darker primaries. Pale panel across inner part of the upperwing obvious. Probably an adult as appeared quite rufous bodied. Pale head. Ex.
Kestrel c.4
Peregrine 2 adults
Swift 4
Green Woodpecker c.8 including several juveniles
Sand Martin 2
Swallow c.10
House Martin c.10
Wheatear 1
Whitethroat c.15
Reed Warbler 1
Willow Warbler c.10

Saturday 4 August 2001

4th August 2001 Beachy 6am - 12.30pm. Light westerly wind. Sunny though overcast to the south with two impressive water spouts seen off Cow Gap swirling the sea below them.


Fulmar c.10
Balearic Shearwater 2 Single flew east seen from top of Lane at 6.50am and 2 were watched following a red fishing boat for around 45 minutes from 9.45am. Appeared small alongside Herring Gulls. Noticeable brownish cast to upperparts with underparts appearing oily with pale dirty-white underwings and dusky undertail-coverts contrasting with paler belly. Appeared wholly dark at range when sat on the water.
Gannet c.50
Heron 1
Sparrowhawk 1 very lazy flight observed
Kestrel c.2
Peregrine 1
Oystercatcher c.5
Great Skua 1 juv. flew east off Birling. Restricted wing ‘flashes’
prob Arctic Skua 1 distantly west off Birling
Black-headed Gull c.100 mainly adults
Kittiwake c.30
Comic Tern 2W
Swift c.5
Swallow c.5
House Martin c.10
Garden Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat c.15
Sedge Warbler 2
Reed Warbler c.5
Willow Warbler c.10
Corn Bunting c.5