Month: May 2025

Very light SW winds and a significant sea fog by 7 am. Phil C texted to let me know he had a Honey Buzzard in off at Hope point at 6.43 am.

Rich B and I birded our way to South Foreland and back and decided the fog was too much of a problem by midday so planned to give up. Just as we were saying our goodbyes on Foxhill down the silhouette of a Honey Buzzard appeared over the harbour and flew West, presumably in off over the Eastern docks.

A white morph male, just at the last minute meaning I haven’t gone without seeing one here this May. The bird circled around abit over Broadlees bottom and eventually continued inland, lovely. This is the 30th individual that ive seen here.

A singing Black redstart in town today, 2 Hawfinches & a Hobby on the 28, Hen Harrier and Marsh harrier on the 23rd, a Spotted Flycatcher on the 24th are the notable birds since my last post.

A cool and overcast start to the morning with yet another moderate NE breeze. 2 singing Reed Warblers on Foxhill down and Langdon and a trickle of Swallows and House Martins was all of note until I reached the lighthouse and heard a few fluting notes of Golden Oriole coming from the valley.

I ran towards the singing bird and emerged at the top of the valley as it continued to sing a few more phrases whilst I scanned for it optimistically. The bird now sounded further away and gave a couple of ‘cat calls’ one of which was all I, just about, managed to record in the video below. No further sign after sadly.

A Hawfinch Flew North over the valley as I contiued my search, a small group of 6 Med gulls flew very High and North and a 2cy Caspian Gull joined 100’s of immature Gulls also flying North along the cliff tops.

A survey inland kept me from getting up the cliffs first thing but the late start in this case worked out well. Just as I reached the far end of Foxhill down I flushed a brilliant male Red backed Shrike from a low perch, it flew away from me and perched up beautifully.

In an attempt to get around the strong light I lost it but saw it disappear around a few bushes over the next 30 mins. Some locals arrived and we relocated it in the same spot I’d found it in originally, it showed well on and off all morning, catching bees, coughing up pellets, It even sang, mimicking reed warbler, woodlark and swallows.

Whilst watching it with Paul Holt, Phil Smith and Jack Chantler, Paul picked up a falcon coming towards us low, we all managed to get on it and call it simultaneously, a 2cy female Red footed Falcon! , a rush of excitement as it flew NE towards the old airstrip and out of sight.

More to come from these brilliant little raptors I should think.

Other birds during the morning were 2 Swift, c30 House Martins and c50 Swallows, I didnt get further than Foxhill down!

Moderate Easterlies turning NE again but lightening in strength. A Turtle Dove saved the day from almost nothing notable. The bird flew over the vinyard and Dolphin’s leap garden heading for the lighthouse along the cliff tops.

Otherwise 2 Redshank flew in high over the cliff tops, c30 Swifts and the same number of House martins flew into the wind along with c50 Swallow during the morning.

Light Easterlies increasing in strength throughout the day and Shifting NE later – A quiet start to the day with 50+ Swallow, 10 Swift, 2 White Wagtails and a few Whimbrel heard moving. Just as Rich and I were about to give up, a White Stork came in High over the harbour and almost directly over our heads on Fox hill down.

The bird continued North and a couple of minutes later there were 3 circling together towards Whitfield which then headed North, presumably all three had come in together. Perhaps ‘Knepp’ birds but the close individual was unringed and we both got abit of a buzz to see it arrive all the same.

A Marsh Harrier and a ring tail Hen Harrier (below) appeared over the cliff tops near the light house within 30 mins of each other on the 9th

Breeding birds seem to be in good numbers this spring with many Yellowhammer territories apparent on the headland, Whitethroats,Skylarks and Corn buntings particularly numerous too.

Another warm morning with almost undetectable winds that seemed to move from NE to SE during the first few hours of the day and a change in my luck it would seem.

The bird of day was undoubatbly a Red–Rumped swallow that flew past the lighthouse at 09.45. Picked up calling over the light house lawn as I arrived at the eastern gate, a nice view of it as it zipped through and then continued SW. My third encounter with this species here and another ‘only time for bins or camera’ situation only, a real thrill, one day one will linger I’m sure.

Previous to that I’d been watching a Tree pipit on the path above the enclosure, which I saw again perched in the dead Ash trees in a similar spot later on.

The rest of the day was spent hoping for more in the skies, c30 Swallow and my First 3 Swifts were a warm up for an Osprey North over the lighthouse at 1pm.

Previous days have been fairly disappointing however highlights have been: Ring ouzels on the 27th and 28th, a Marsh Harrier in off on the 29th, a walk along the cliff bottoms on the same day held a smart 2cy Caspian Gull aswell as views of Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper on the deck.