Two for one on a windy south coast

Part One Shooters bottom 18/09/2020 

Two trip reports today firstly yesterday Margie and  I paid an  ill-advised visit to Shooters Bottom, windy? yes it was!! could hardly stand up!! Nearly garrotted by my hat on several occasions, on the plus side the parking machine was out of order so at least it didn't cost us anything!! Birds were sensibly keeping their heads down ,best was a Wheatear seen from the car on the way in and a Hobby on the outskirts of Seaford on the way home! Apart from that a couple of Stonechats, a small flock of Goldfinch and a Sprawk seen a couple of times was about it!! Haven't visited here for a while lots of new cracks on the cliffs around Belle Tout wouldn't fancy living there myself!!! 😲 a few pics below

Lighthouse

Seaford Head in the distance

Goldfinch

Stonechat

Stonechat

Stonechat

Belle Tout

Cliff Edge by Margie

Belle Tout and Seaford Head by Margie

Belle Tout by Margie

Seed Head by Margie

Part Two Seaford Head 19/09/2020

So today was still windy, but much less than yesterday so I decided a wander around Seaford Head was in order ,another reasonable sunrise greeted my arrival, but again birds were at a premium though managed to find a few down Hope Gap. mostly Chiffchaffs, but a few Blackcaps and Whitethroats were also about as well as the usual Stonechats, Dunnocks and Robins, quite a few Mippits going through in small flocks and the occasional small flock of Swallows following the coast East.

Sunrise

Robin

Chiffchaff

Great Tit

Stonechat

Stonechat

Long-tailed Tit

Kestrel

I had a wander over to the Dung Heap where a large flock of flighty Meadow Pipits were hanging out and nearly trod on a Skylark! There was a Wall Butterfly sunning itself!

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Wall Butterfly

Belle Tout from Seaford Head

I wandered down to the Cuckmere, a Buzzard was hiding from the wind on a bush,  the wind was as bad in the Valley  so didn't stay long, though a Heron gave good photo opportunities as it flew across,but I gave it up and headed back to Hope Gap, where the Stonechats showed well at the bottom.

Buzzard sheltering from the wind

Heron

Stonechat

Chiffchaff

Stonechat

 I headed back up Hope Gap similar fair again although the warming sun brought the Butterflies out loads of Blues, all of which I think were Common Blue, and Whites another 4 Wall Butterflies and the best was a Clouded Yellow which actually settled and posed for some pictures which amazed me as they usually bomb around like right nutters, A Sparrowhawk was seen of the premises by a Rook.

 With the 9 miles from Thorney in me legs starting to bite, I was starting to tire so gave it up and headed home to settle down for an afternoon of Footy and Ruby Ale, nearly suffered two heart attacks as the mighty whites limped over the line against Fulham!! Some pics of the Butterflies below

Sparrowhawk

Sprawk with Rook escort