A slight change of scenery today. Areas covered included the Hotel Garden, Icky Ridge, Francis Bottom (incl. the Gropper Field), Cow Gap and Whitbread Hollow and back up through the rides up to the Hotel, alongside Richard for most of the circuit. Migrant numbers were however low and even Hirundines overhead took some time to get going. The Gropper field held at least four
Grasshopper Warblers, although my bare legs took a battering to say the least. The only other bits of interest were four
Redstarts and a short raptor watch afterwards with Geoff produced a female
Merlin. A disappointing weekend and I wonder if it will get any better before my Namibian trip at the start of October, it can't get that much worse and still plenty of time to go.
Totals are:
Whitethroat - 26
Chiffchaff - 2
Redstart - 4
Yellow Wagtail - 19
Garden Warbler - 1
Blackcap - 24
Lesser Whitethroat - 2
Grasshopper Warbler - 4
Whinchat - 1
Reed Warbler - 3
Grey Wagtail - 3
Sedge Warbler - 2
Merlin - 1
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| Grasshopper Warblers at Francis Bottom |
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Icky Ridge - mad that's its fractionally over 12
years since the Icterine Warbler spent a day here,
for which this ridge is now known.
One of two Icterines I've seen at Beachy.
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