Fulmar c.20
Gannet c.35E mainly adults
Little Egret 1 Cuckmere
Brent Goose c.35E
Shelduck c.4 Newhaven
Shoveler c.10E
Wigeon 2E
Teal c.8E
Scoter c.600E
Velvet Scoter 2E
Merganser c.5E
Kestrel 2
Peregrine c.4 (2 pairs)
Lanner 1 sat in field between Birling and East Dean before flying towards East Dean. Appeared to closely resemble an adult male erlangeri illustrated in the Collins Guide although Lanner complex notoriously difficult to assign to form (see Forsman). Pale forehead with pale golden crown. Dark narrow teardrop with large white cheeks. Blue-grey upperparts. In flight appeared pale taking on a brown appearance. No apparent jesses.
Pheasant c.3
Oystercatcher c.5
Ringed Plover 4 Newhaven
Green Sandpiper 1 Newhaven
Curlew 2E
Bonxie 2E
Arctic Skua 3E
Black-headed Gull c.25E c.5 Newhaven
Common Gull c.35 Newhaven mainly 1st-s
Herring Gull c.40 Newhaven
Lesser Black-backed Gull c.10 Beachy
Sandwich Tern c.25E
Guillemot c.2
Auk sp. C.15E
Green Woodpecker 1
Skylark c.6
Rock Pipit 2
Wheatear 1
Stonechat c.4
Song Thrush 1
Chiffchaff c.3Jay 1
House Sparrow c.8
Chaffinch c.10
Linnet c.35
Goldfinch 2
Serin 1 female at the top of the lane at Birling. Heard a fairly soft ‘tit-tit’ call repeated several times and quickly located a small Finch heading for the pine trees at a range of c.25m. On seeing the bird it was a very small, stubby round-headed and very short-tailed Finch immediately identifiable as a Serin on shape and structure alone. The only plumage seen before it quickly disappeared from view was extensive diffuse streaking to the flanks. Nothing about its head appeared yellow and its underparts were not strikingly bright white. Hence we were convinced it was a drab female. It was clearly about to land but on reaching the pines we again heard it calling repeatedly as before with one longer faster sequence ‘zi-zi-tit-tit-zi-zi’ as it flew towards the cliff edge being seen only briefly in flight above the pines. A minute or so later it was again heard calling and although not seen was clearly departing to the west.
