25th January 2014 Birling S1 8am - 9.30am & Tide Mills

Red-throated Diver 67E
Great Crested Grebe 3E
Little Egret 3
Gannet 2E, 3W
Teal 7E
Auk sp. 29E, 6W
Razorbill 7E
Curlew 2E, 1W

 

Red-throated Divers off Birling

 

Newhaven Tide Mills

Jack Snipe 1

Common Snipe 3

 

Jack Snipe at Newhaven Tide Mills

 

Fulmar at Newhaven



19th January 2013 Rodmell

Little Egret c.10
Kingfisher 1
Chiffchaff 1 including a snatch of song

18th January 2014 Birling 8am - 9am SE3 Overcast

Red-throated Diver 5E, 3W
Great Crested Grebe 1E
Brent 65E
Scoter 4E
Fulmar c.8
Curlew 1E
Auk sp. 2E, 1W
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Stonechat 2
Rock Pipit 1

12th January 2014 Birling 8.15am - 11.45am, Newhaven & Hove SE3 Overcast

Red-throated Diver 12E, 16W, 1 on sea
Great Crested Grebe 6E, 3 on sea
Little Egret 1W
Fulmar c.10
Gannet 60E, 19W
Brent 5E, 5W
Shelduck 3E, 30W
Merganser 2E, 4W
Scoter 20E
Mallard 2E
Kittiwake 24E
Common Gull c.300
Black-headed Gull 59E
Guillemot 94E
Razorbill 197E
Auk sp. 159E, 26W
Curlew 3W
Oystercatcher 23E, 1W

Newhaven Harbour
Caspian Gull 1 first-winter

Hove Lagoon
Grey Phalarope 1

 

 

 

 

First-winter Caspian Gull at Newhaven Harbour

 

Grey Phalarope at Hove Lagoon

11th January 2013 Old Lodge

Redpoll h
Parrot Crossbill 9 or 10
Common Crossbill 1

Male Parrot Crossbill at Old Lodge

the flock consisted of 10 birds seen when in flight but a solitary Common Crossbill was seen soon after that may have flown with the flock?

Approaching dusk at Old Lodge



5th January 2014 Newick Sewage Farm

Swallow 1
Grey Wagtail 2

4th January 2014 Birling Gap 9am-12am S6

Brent Geese 488E, 7W
Wigeon 4E
Scoter 1E
Red-throated Diver 4E
Diver sp. 1W
Great Crested Grebe 1E, 2W
Fulmar 10
Gannet 35E
Little Egret 1 on beach then flew west
Bonxie 5E (1 9.36am, 1 9.38, 1 9.39, 2 9.42) - JFC looked up the previous Beachy January daily maximum that was 2 on the 13/1/13
Little Gull 1 adult winter at 10.42am arrived from the west and flew back west - JFC looked up the previous Beachy winter daily maxima that are 5 on the 25/12/89 (Leach's Petrel day) and 3 on the 30/1/09
Kittiwake 20E
Auk sp. 134E
Guillemot 3E
Razorbill 1E
Curlew 3W

Newhaven Harbour
Eider 5
Purple Sandpiper 8 on east pier

Birling Gap

Further significant cliff falls yesterday necessitated the National Trust moving the fence back from the cliff edge. The horizontal projection just visible from the Safety Boat Association hut are the tram tracks!

 

Birling Gap Safety Boat Association Hut

 Lots of roof slates have been displaced in the last week. The Coastguards mentioned the cliff edge is already undercut in this area too with almost a cave appearing. Permission exists for the hut to be moved back from the cliff edge but will anyone act in time?

 

Brent Geese passing Birling

The easterly passage of Brent Geese seems to commence earlier every year! 

 

 

Adult winter Little Gull with Black-headed Gulls off Birling

Arriving from the west with a feeding flock of Black-headed Gulls, despite briefly foot-paddling, they all too quickly departed back westwards unfortunately before I could attempt to digiscope them





1st January 2014 Birling Gap 8am-10am S6 Overcast

Sea-watched for two hours before the onset of heavy rain. 

Brent 179E, 7W
Wigeon 35E, 6W
Scoter 1W
Red-throated Diver 5E
Diver sp. 1E
Great Crested Grebe 3E, 2W
Fulmar c.10
Gannet 10E, 25W
Oystercatcher 5W
Bonxie 1E at 8.23am
Kittiwake 15E
Guillemot 5E
Razorbill 10E
Auk sp. 5E

A significant cliff fall at Birling has halved the land between the sea-watch hut and the cliff edge!