Heavy rain throughout the night, rain at times, moderate west wind.
Recently fledged Common Whitethroats.
As we enter June, you’d be mistaken if you thought the Atlantic weather charts were from October. The influence of a continental high pressure has broken down giving way to some very uninspiring transatlantic low pressures. Not much seen over the last few days, a Golden Plover over yesterday morning was the only notable.
Hazy cloud, light east wind, warm.
Looking east from Cow Gap.
Another decent morning with a Bee-eater heard calling whilst in Francis Bottom at 06.10hrs, the bird was possibly stationary at first although could not be located, eventually mobile the calls became more distant as it seemed to move off to the west. It’s my 7th time finding Bee-eaters here and involves at least 15+ individuals. The largest group was a flock of 8 in August 2021. Always exciting to encounter in the UK although these occasions when birds are “heard only” give me only a muted satisfaction. A Crossbill passed over and an adult Hobby bolted through Shooters and zipped north.
Warm humid, hazy cloud, clearing, light west wind.
Quail singing this morning.
An excellent morning which proves this time of year is as much (if not more) about listening than looking. In fact both of todays star birds where heard and not seen!. A Quail sang from the meadow behind the pub at 06.20hrs which makes it the third consecutive spring the headland has hosted singing birds Such a lovely sound.
I then walked around the Hollow and back through the coastal path above Francis Bottom, reaching the scattered bushes about 150m west of the pub where I heard an exciting and unfamiliar song. It set the mind whirring, the phrases of song coming intermittently, proximity to the road meant intrusive traffic noise and disturbance from walkers. I was anxious the bird would go silent or just depart. Fortunately it didn’t and settled into the a routine of occasional bouts of enthusiastic song. After I while, I managed to convince myself it was a Marsh Warbler its tempo switch from measured to “going bonkers” were clues as was its excellent repertoire of mimicry which included, Blue tit, Blackbird, House Sparrow, a perfect Cetti’s Warbler, European Bee-eater and most interesting, a Southern African species learned on its wintering grounds, Black-backed Puffback.
Marsh Warbler. The Puffback mimicy comes at 13 seconds in.
A nice bit of Blue Tit mimicry towards the end.
It’s the 5th singer here of this very rare UK breeder, having occurred in the springs of 1970, 1973, 1990, 2021 and 2026.
Still at first building ENE wind by midmorning, very warm again.
Looking east along the coastal path above Francis Bottom.
An improvement for me today with the highlight being a pair of female Honey Buzzard which appeared together over the hollow from (surprisingly) a northerly direction with a Red Kite at 10.40hrs. I assume this pair had made landfall near by and been riding the thermals along the ridge between here and Butts Brow with the roaming Kites, another Red Kite appeared from the same direction shortly after. A Turtle Dove in the hollow near the horse paddock was a nice sight and my first here since 2023! A Yellow Wagtail passing over was the only other “migrant” this morning for me.
One of this mornings two Honey Buzzard.
This mornings Turtle Dove.
Yesterday held a singing Reed Warbler in shooters, and a 2cy Hobby zipped passed Cadence cafe.
Last few days…
Sunrise viewed from the hollow.
Since Thursday 21st May the whole country has been under the influence of building high pressure, bringing with it rising temperatures, continental winds from the SE sector and a change in the birding picture nationally. Despite putting in considerable daily effort, I’ve had no good fortune whats-so-ever. Apart from 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a handful of transient looking Swallow and a single House Martin, I’ve seen little that I could honestly say were migrants. However, Andrew Whitcomb had a great 15 minute spell mid morning on the 24th discovering a female Red-backed Shrike just south of Black Robin Farm and a few minutes later, a Bee-eater passed overhead calling. It is only the third Red-backed Shrike to be recorded since I moved here in November 2013 and the first in spring, it went on to linger for most of the day. A Golden Plover was also heard and approximately 26 Red Kite went east.
Spotted Flycatcher.
Recently fledged Stonechat.
The view from the top of the headland looking more like the Mediterranean today.
The Eastern Subalpine Warbler has not been seen since 17th and presumed gone. Poor weather accompanied by a strong SW on the 18th instigated a bit of seawatching with little seen beyond 2 Arctic Skua, a light passage of 2cy Black-headed Gull & Common Gull, whilst amongst them, at very close range, an immaculate adult summer Little Gull.
Overcast start with a very cold NNW wind, skies clearing.
Looking west from Shooters.
An incredibly cold morning given the date, only notable migrants for me were a singing Sedge Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher at the s-bends, 4 House Martin and 20 Swallow.
Spotted Flycatcher.
The Eastern Subalpine Warbler continues to draw a crowd and with increased eyes, a Honey Buzzard and Pied Flycatcher (the latest spring record in recent years) were seen at Cow Gap on the 14th May. Spring raptors are a scarcity here, possibly due to observer coverage being scant after 10am, however this spring has bucked the trend thus far with 2 Osprey and 3 Marsh Harrier also being seen.
Very light vaguely southerly wind.
Eastern Subalpine Warbler.
It was another day in the hollow and Cow Gap for me, the light overnight winds did raise hopes a little something may have snuck in. Although, upon reaching the very last few metres of “the gully” I felt it was another fruitless morning of a spring blighted by strong NE winds and clear skies. It was then I heard an unfamiliar sylvia warbler singing which triggered both immediate interest and excitement. After a few anxious minutes I caught a partial glimpse of the unmistakable colour pallet of a male Subalpine Warbler! From what I could hear and see the bird appears to be an eastern over western. Although I need to review sound recordings and images. It was then a sprint home to start work!
Clear skies, moderate east wind.
Part of this mornings passage of Whimbrel.
A seawatch from 06.30 to 10.00 with Chris Ball et al, was varied and entertaining, highlights were 4 Pomarine Skua, 5 Arctic Skua, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Sanderling, a light inward passage of Swallow, my first Swifts of the year, whilst an Osprey (picked up way offshore) made landfall at the mouth of the Cuckmere River. Although the headland is great for south bound raptors in autumn, any large raptors in spring are noteworthy. RAB’s Trektellen counts from this morning.
5 Pomarine Skua were seen early evening. (CB)
Clear skies with a very strong ENE wind.
Healthy numbers of Common Whitethroat again this year.
I went into the hollow and Cow Gap, the situation remains the same on land (quiet), just a handful of Swallow east, c8 Linnet and a Redpoll. Common Whitethroat seem to be everywhere this spring, the song audible from every point. Full of mimicry and many throwing in the call of Bee-eater at will which causes one to mis-step here and there! 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, multiple Blackcap where also heard.
The blocking weather is set to continue until the weekend when it turns much more favourable for birding, although I will be in Tarifa, Spain!
A bitterly cold morning with a stiff NNE wind, easing into a light SE with warmer temperatures by afternoon.
Looking west from a frigid Birling Gap.
White Stork circling Belle Tout midmorning.
Two sessions of seawatching and a bit of bush bashing, the situation on the sea improved today but with the wind not being quite right, numbers were mediocre and birds mostly distant although some Pomarine Skua were finally recorded from the headland today. The land was quiet with only the appearance of a ringed White Stork of note. It had some plastic thread trailing from the legs (suggestive of a bird foraging rubbish tips on the continent?) and probably one of the now mobile, migratory Knepp release project birds. 3+ Red Kite drifted east. RAB’s trektellen totals from this morning’s seawatch below.
Most notable from brief seawatch with CB from 17.00 to 18.05hrs were 7 Pomarine Skua, 1 Great Skua and 37 Little Gull east. A highlight from the preceding week was a Serin which arrived in off the sea on the 23rd in front of PB, CB and myself, which livened up a dull seawatch at Birling Gap. My second of the spring and goes some way to address a personal paucity of the species at Beachy Head.
BEACHY HEAD BIRDER 