29th August 2010 Climping & Church Norton

Pectoral Sandpiper 1 juvenile ex. at Church Norton

Ruff 1 Sidlesham Ferry

Hoopoe 1 ex. Climping

Hoopoe at Climping

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper at Church Norton

28th August 2010 Birling Gap Lane N1

Swallow 16

Sand Martin 9

Meadow Pipit 10W

Tree Pipit 1, 3W

Yellow Wagtail 10W

Whinchat 4

Wheatear 18

Redstart 1

Robin 5

Reed Warbler 1

Blackcap 2

Whitethroat 7

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Willow Warbler 18

Pied Flycatcher 2

Spotted Flycatcher 1

Raven 2

Wheatear at Birling Gap

Whinchat at Birling Gap

Stonechat at Birling Gap

23rd August 2010 Rottingdean 5.45 - 7.45am WSW5-6 with rain showers

Fulmar 6
Gannet c.40E
Scoter 1E, 1 on sea
Whimbrel 11W
Sandwich Tern 2W

22nd August 2010 Weirwood Reservoir

Little Egret 1
Mandarin Duck c.10
Green Sandpiper 8
Little Ringed Plover 2 (1 ad & 1 juv.)
Pied wagtail c.20

21st August 2010 Beachy Head SW4 Overcast

Little Egret 1 in flight over Birling Gap

Shag 1 juv. on sea then flew east

Fulmar 10W

Gannet 80W

Tufted Duck 1W drake at 7.05am

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 3

Bonxie 1E at 7am

Arctic Skua 1W

Sandwich Tern 2E

Swallow 8

Sand Martin 3

Whinchat 1

Whitethroat 5

Juvenile Herring Gull at Birling Gap

First-summer moulting into second-winter Herring Gull at Birling Gap

16th August 2010 Beachy Head N3 Sunny

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 1

Sand Martin 25NE

Swallow 7

Whinchat 1

Pied Flycatcher 3 ex. (1 Old Trapping Area & 2 Icky Ridge)

Sedge Warbler 1

Whitethroat 10

Willow Warbler 25

Pied Flycatcher in the Old Trapping Area

Willow Warbler in the Old Trapping Area

Pied Flycatcher at Icky Ridge

The arrival of good numbers of Pied Flycatchers on the East Coast over the last few days strongly suggest these are birds of Continental origin continuing their onward journey.

15th August 2010 Beachy Head NNE3 Rain at dawn for an hour

Kestrel 3

Whimbrel 1 in the rides

Black-headed Gull 40W high

Swift 6E

Swallow 7

House Martin 26E

Song Thrush 1

Blackbird 5

Wheatear 2

Whinchat 1

Redstart 1

Whitethroat 20

Lesser Whitethroat 4

Blackcap 5

Garden Warbler 1

Willow Warbler 8

Raven 2

Stoat 1

14th August 2010 Beachy Head & Carter's Flood Calm & overcast

Peregrine 1

Kestrel 3

Sand Martin 3

Swallow 40

Stonechat 6

Whinchat 1

Redstart 2

Yellow Wagtail 3S

Meadow Pipit 15

Tree Pipit 3h

Reed Warbler 3

Willow Warbler 28

Whitethroat 45

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 2

Garden Warbler 3

Raven 2

Linnet 30

Carter's Flood

Little Egret 4

Buzzard 2

Snipe 4

Little Ringed Plover 5

Ruff 1

Greenshank 5

Common Sandpiper 1

Green Sandpiper 8

Wood Sandpiper 1

Raven 2

Redstart in the Old Trapping Area

Redstart in the Beachy Head Hotel Garden

Considering the annual August passage of Redstarts through Beachy Head, somewhat surprisingly, The Migration Atlas states that there are no foreign recoveries of Redstarts during August so conclude that September is the key month for Autumn departures.

9th August 2010 Weirwood Reservoir

Little Egret 1

Little Ringed Plover 2 juv's

Green Sandpiper 13

Common Sandpiper 3

8th August 2010 Beachy Head ENE3 becoming W3

Marsh Harrier 1 fem-type, hunting over top fields before departing high east

Sparrowhawk 2

Peregrine 3

Kestrel c.5

Sand Martin 204W

House Martin 2

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Hollow

Swallow 20

Redstart 1 female

Wheatear 3

Stonechat 3

Spotted Flycatcher 1

Grasshopper Warbler 1

Sedge Warbler 1

Whitethroat 17

Blackcap 1

Willow Warbler 41

Raven 2

Painted Lady 1

Red Admiral 1

Peacock 1

Silver-spotted Skipper 1 Chat Vale

Willow Warbler in the Old Trapping Area

Sparrowhawk over Birling Gap

7th August 2010 Birling Gap Seawatch 6.15am - 8am SW 4 Overcast & Beachy Head

Heron 1

Balearic Shearwater 1W at 6.40am ex.

Shag 1W juv.

Scoter 6W, 8E

Peregrine 2

Kestrel 3

Auk sp. 1E

Sandwich Tern 5E

Cuckoo 1

Swallow 8

Whitethroat 27

Willow Warbler 10

Bullfinch 1 male Hollow

Red Admiral 1

Gatekeeper 10

Meadow Brown 10

Chalkhill Blue 30

Willow Warbler at Birling Gap

5th August 2010 Weirwood Reservoir

Osprey 1 ex. from the dam caught a fish on its fifth attempt

Green Sandpiper 8

Common Sandpiper 6

Dunlin 1 s/p

Juvenile Grey Heron at Weirwood Reservoir

Quite colourful thighs on this juvenile Grey Heron

3rd August 2010 Birling Gap Seawatch 7pm - 8.45pm WSW3-4 Overcast

Gadwall 1W

Oystercatcher 4W

Sandwch Tern 1E

Harbour Porpoise 2

1st August 2010 Beachy Head Calm and Overcast becoming WSW2-3

Sparrowhawk 1

Peregrine 1

Stock Dove 3

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Swift 2W

Swallow 8

Sand Martin 4

Stonechat 11

Nightingale h croaking Chat Vale

Grasshopper Warbler 2

Reed Warbler 3

Sedge Warbler 2

Garden Warbler 1

Blackcap 5

Whitethroat 40

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Willow Warbler 11

Chiffchaff h singing Hollow

Raven 2

Corn Bunting 2

Comma 1

Red Admiral 1

Marbled White 1

White-lettered Hairstreak 1

Silver-spotted Skipper 2

Sedge Warbler at Birling Gap

First-year Sedge Warbler at Birling Gap

The Migration Atlas reveals that Sedge Warblers make pre-migratory movements in late July with birds apparently searching for sites with high densities of Plum-reed Aphids. Autumn migration occurs mainly during August to October and a slight tendency for adults to leave earlier than juveniles.

Reed Warbler in Cow Gap Gully