Seaford Head 31/8/11

A very quiet this morning today was somewhat livened up in the last ten minutes of the walk.

Anyway totals consisted of single Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Sedge Warbler and Tree Pipit; 63 Blackcaps, 37 Whitethroats, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, 3 each of Wheatear and Whinchat and 93 Yellow Wagtails.
Whinchat by navigational aid.

Blackcap in Hope Gap.

Chiffchaff by the coastguard cottages.

Pied Flycatcher by the car park.

Weir Wood Reservoir 30/8/11

Nice but brief views of the juv. NIGHT HERON this evening at the west end of Weir Wood. It showed twice, once in flight and once sat in the open for about 20 seconds before going out of view.

Also present were 2 Little Stints; 4 Green Sandpipers; Wood Sandpiper; 2 Greenshank; Dunlin; Ringed Plover and a Barn Owl.

This Night Heron represented my second in Sussex, the previous in the exact location, and also a juvenile.

Beachy Head 27/8/11

A trip up to the Beachy Head Hotel Garden resulted in 2 Pied Flycatchers, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, a couple of Willow Warblers and lots of Whitethroats.

However the highlight were 2 Honey Buzzards that circled above before heading out to sea.

Also a Clouded Yellow was seen at the Old Trapping Area.

2 Honey Buzzards at Beachy Head.

Seaford Head 24/8/11

Another really good morning. Started off with on and off showers and the light was dull all morning hence the poor photos. The cliff edge was missed out today due to the early weather.

Another patch tick today in the form of a Ruff on the west side of the Cuckmere.

Other birds noted included 9 Spotted Flycatchers; 3 Redstarts; 3 Tree Pipits; 39 Yellow Wagtails; 41 Whitethroats; 17 Lesser Whitethroats; 37 Willow Warblers; 12 Chiffchaffs; 21 Blackcaps; 2 Garden Warblers; 3 Reed Warblers and singles of Grasshopper Warbler and Wheatear.

Redstart along the western path of the Cuckmere.

Spotted Flycatcher by the wood.

Seaford Head 22/8/11

A great morning today with vast range of species.

Birds noted were 2 Spotted Flycatchers; 2 Redstarts; 57 Yellow Wagtails; 18 Wheatears; 2 Tree Pipits; 3 Sedge Warblers; 3 Garden Warblers; 5 Reed Warblers; 39 Willow Warblers; 7 Lesser Whitethroats; 40 Whitethroats; 5 Blackcaps; 2 Chiffchaffs and singles of Grey Wagtail; Whinchat and Greenshank.

Hundreds of Swallows were also moving west along with Sand and House Martins and 4 Swift.

Also a Adder was seen a few seconds before nearly stepping on it.

First Spotted Flycatcher by the navigational aid.

Second Spotted Fly. at coastguard cottages.

Wheatear on the beach.

Adder along western path in the Cuckmere.

Seaford Head 20/8/11

My first visit to the patch in a while. However it yielded a patch tick in the form of a Black-tailed Godwit.

Other highlights included 2 Hobbies; 1 Spotted Flycatcher; 2 Whinchats; 9 Wheatears; 15 Yellow Wagtails; 30 Whitethroats; 4 Lesser Whitethroats; 14 Willow Warblers; 1 Blackcap and a Greenshank also on the west side of the Cuckmere.

Awful picture of a Hobby over the car park.

Wheatear at the dung heap.

Black-tailed Godwit along the river.

Spotted Flycatcher by the wood.

Bird Fair outing 19/8/11

Went up to the bird fair at Rutland Water today. On the way i visited Grafham Water and saw the juv. WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN. It showed well around the fishing booms with a juv. Black Tern and several Common Terns. Also an adult Yellow-legged Gull was seen well.

The bird fair was well worth the trip, with lots of trips to think about for the next couple of years. My wallet is somewhat lighter though.

juv. White-winged Black Tern

White-winged (left) & juv. Black Tern (right) at Grafham Water.

On the way home i visited the Farthing Downs near Coulsdon, Surrey, and despite spending a couple of hours in the M25 rush hour traffic, i finally arrived and had great views of a HOOPOE feeding on the path. It showed well and was very obliging.

Hoopoe at Farthing Downs.

Isles of Scilly 15/8/11

The last day on Scilly, but still managed to see a flyover BEE-EATER, a pod of 200+ Common Dolphin and a Green Sandpiper over the Garrison.

The undoubted highlights from the trip were Wilson's Stom-Petrel and Great Shearwater flying a few feet from the boat, Sabine's Gull, Bee-eater and a Minke Whale. On the return Scillonian and large group of us saw at a a distance on a couple of occasions a huge black dorsal fin which in my and other's opinions could only have been a Killer Whale!!!!

Great Shearwater 14/8/11

Isles of Scilly Speckled Wood

The Scillonian

Isles of Scilly 14/8/11

Great Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Fulmar

Blue Shark - 140 pounds, caught, tagged and released.

Common Dolphins

All day pelagic - 2-3 GREAT SHEARWATERS, 1 SABINE'S GULL, 1 GREY PHALAROPE, 4 Sooty Shearwaters, 14 Storm-Petrels, pod of Common Dolphins and a MINKE WHALE. Unfortunately we missed a Leatherback Turtle by a couple of seconds!!!!

Isles of Scilly 13/8/11

Balearic Shearwater

Adult Sabine's Gull

European Storm-Petrel

Oceon Sunfish

juv. Gannet

All day pelagic - 1 GREAT SHEARWATER, 1 SABINE'S GULL, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Pomarine Skua, 10 Great Skuas, 40 Storm-Petrels, 4 Harbour Porpoise and 2 OCEON SUNFISH.

Isles of Scilly 12/8/11

Wilson's Storm-Petrel 6mls. south of St. Marys.

Great Skua 6mls. south of St. Marys.

Woodchat Shrike at Helvear Farm, St. Marys.

Scllonian Crossing - Lots of Manx Shearwaters, 4 Storm Petrels and many common seabirds.

Pelagic - 2 WILSON'S STORM-PETREL, lots of Storm-Petrels, 10 Manx Shearwaters and 3 Great Skuas. Also 1 Blue Shark caught, tagged and released.

Seaford Head 6/8/11

Only half the circuit was covered today due to boredom setting in. However total consisted off 7 Wheatears; 2 Sedge Warblers; 22 Whitethroats; 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 6 Willow Warblers.

Sedge Warbler by navigational aid.

Windover and Deep Dean

Grayling and Silver Spotted Skipper.

20+ Grayling in the Deap Deen valley this afternoon, as well as 3 Silver Spotted Skippers. Also seveal Dark Green Frits and hundreds of Chalkhill Blues.

Seaford Head 2/8/11

Totals for this morning consisted of 4 Nightingales; 1 Wheatear; 56 Whitethroats; 9 Lesser Whitethroats; 32 Willow Warblers; 5 Reed Warblers; 2 Chiffchaffs; 3 Blackcaps and a Garden Warbler.

Willow Warbler in Hope Gap

Reed Warbler at the coastguard cottages.