PERDIX BIRDER

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.

A seawatch on the 23rd was highlighted by 3 Pomarine and 5 Arctics skuas, 2 Velvet Scoter, c500 Common Scoter, a summer plumaged Black Throated Diver and c350 Commic terns all up channel between heavy rain showers and bouts of poor visibility. Some of the closest views of Skuas I’ve had here, thanks mostly to moderate/strong SE winds.

The 24th was mostly unremarkable except my first Hobby of the year in over the harbour and a 2cy Caspian Gull NE along the cliffs.

The 25th saw a Hawfinch SW calling over the valley, c70 Swallow and a Sand martin, a Black Redstart, 5 Yellow Wagtails (2 males with the cattle) and several parties of Whimbrel seen & heard moving upchannel at height aswell as at the base of the cliffs. A quick look at the sea in the pm with more whimbrel and c100 Bar–tailed Godwits upchannel.

A 2cy and a 3cy (below) Yellow–legged Gull flew along the cliffs mid morning.

Another week into April with the mostly clear skies and light winds seemingly not producing very much for me to look at, although Steve R found the highlight of April so far: a Hoopoe on the 17th above Fan bay, his composite image below.

The 14th was perhaps my best day with a male Ring Ouzel, fem Common Redstart, 2 Black Redstart, 4 Wheatear, 2 Tree Pipit,12 Willow Warblers, 15 Common Whitethroat and 3 Lesser whitethroats across the headland.

Yellow wagtails have been heard and seen in small numbers each day and a male Blue–headed Wagtail flew along the cliffs near fan bay on the 15th. Rich B had another do the same on the 21st plus 2 Ring Ouzel.

Willow Warblers (below) have been present most days in single figures, only 2 counted today singing in Top wood, a vocal flock of 11 Whimbrel and another of 2 Flew north over the lighthouse whilst I counted 30 Swallows in off during the morning. A richly toned Greenland Wheatear was on the old airfield.

A weeks work up in Scotland and a relatively quiet start to April have meant this blog has laid dormant recently. A few things to note however in the past 3 days with the highlight a Cattle Egret that flew in over the harbour this morning just after sunrise (06.15)

A long overdue patch tick for me and a scarce bird locally. Despite the rain at 4am there was very little in the bushes to add to this beyond an increase in Whitethroats (10+ today across the headland) a single Willow Warbler on the farm (3 on the 11th were the first of the year for me) and 2 Lesser Whitethroats singing in the valley.

I got a fright when a White–tailed Eagle appeared at tree height just north of Top wood, moving East towards the village and continuing to Bockhill. A black ringed but untagged 2cy bird, most likely one of the Sussex born, last years juvs.

Yellow wagtails today and y’day, a Tree pipit and single Crossbill on the 11th were the first of the year for me and Black Redstarts are still a daily feature with 5 on the 10th being the higher count, Swallows also being seen daily now with 15 on the 11th the best number so far. Little–ringed plover, Golden plover and Whimbrel have all been heard flying over in recent days too.

A couple of days of bright chilly NW wind with fairly little to report. I counted 18 Red Kites moving SW along the cliff tops the morning of the 27th, the same morning Colin counted 31 just inland of where I was sitting.

Notable birds include a Hawfinch on the 28th which was calling in the Pines garden, I picked it up when it flew SW. White wagtails are still a daily occurance but 4 down with the cattle presented the only grounded birds ive seen for a while.

2 Swallows, 2 Black redstarts, c50 Redwing and a Wheatear on the 29th whilst the Bockhill guys had a Hoopoe fly in off the sea.

Light South Easterly winds with the addition of showers and low cloud made for a decent morning. The first notable birds were two male Ring Ouzels that dropped out of the sky onto the cliff face from high up, picked up whilst trying to locate unseen calling Redwings.

Redwing too were moving and a flock of 55 were in tree tops in the valley whilst 22 flew over with a Blackbird early on.

2 Black Redstarts, a Woodcock, c350 Chaffinches, 3 Brambling, 2 White Wagtails were also tallied during the morning. Other birders out and about locally had an Iceland Gull, 7 White Fronted Geese , a Hawfinch, 2 early Tree pipits and 2 Lovely Wheatears (the latter of which I twitched! thanks to Simon & Javi). so a fairly good day to be out.

Another 2 Black Redstarts the day previous aswell as a Flock of Starling approaching 1,000 birds which I never really see here.