Arrived at Seaford Head this morning, only to find the car park closed for an event, tents and lights everywhere, what with several TV shows filmed there in the last couple of years, its sometimes difficult to remember it's supposed to be a nature reserve!!😏 I decided to relocate to Beachy Head, arrived at Shooters Bottom, only to remember I had no money for the car park!! And they don't take the card and you can't pay on an app!! Things not started to well, The charges don't start til eight so I had a quick wander around, bit gloomy, but plenty of birds flitting around, mainly Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps and a lot of Blackbirds!
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| Chiffchaff |
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| I'm presuming this is just a weirdly moulting Blackbird, rather than a mega rare thrush!! |
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| Goldfinch, several about |
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| Terrible pic of a Blackcap |
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| Chiffchaff |
Paranoid about the blooming parking charges, I relocated to Birling Gap where I parked on the side of the road, I walked the area to Belle Tout, then back along the top of the Horseshoe Plantation, dropping down to the road and back to the car. Flocks of Meadow Pipits were heading west along the cliffs, there were also hundreds of Housemartins streaming West which continued for at least 2 hours, with some Swallows mixed in as well, I'd like to say I examined everyone to try and get in on the American Cliff Swallow band wagon but I would be lying!!😂Plenty of Stonechats, more Chiffies and at least one flock of Finches through, which I think were Linnets. The highlight here were a couple of Wheatears, which photographed well in the early morning light!!
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| Stonechat |
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| Meadow Pipit, these were very flighty, going through in flocks of 20 or so |
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| Wheatear |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Usually take this picture from about 4 miles away |
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| 7 Sisters from the other end! |
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| Housemartin |
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| Common Whitethroat |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Blackcap |
At this point I decided to head west, all the birds were so why not, I realised that despite birding this area quite a few times, I'd never gone this way before!! Also the sun would be behind me which would be a bonus!! I headed off, 3.5 miles to the Cuckmere seemed unlikely, especially as there were a lot of hills, I got about half way which wasn't a bad effort in the heat!! To be honest was just more of the same, Meadow Pipits, Housemartins, Chiffchaffs and a Stonechat on every other bush, or at least it seemed like it!! Found another couple of Wheatears, saw a few Skylarks, a Kestrel that seemed bewildered by the amount of small birds about and actually sat in a field with Meadow Pipits running around it!! I also saw a Buzzard, which was hovering like a Kestrel, but couldn't turn it into anything other than a Common Buzzard, I know they do hover into the wind, but this one was really going for it rather than just hanging in the air!!
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| Blackcap |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Housemartin, lovely to see so many |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Stonechat |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Every Shrike I found, turned into a Dunnock on closer examination 😂😢 |
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| Linnet |
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| Wen you scratch so hard you dislocate your head!! |
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| Kestrel |
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| Common Whitethroat |
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| Stonechat |
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| Wheatear, didn't pose as well as the earlier ones!! |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Goldfinch |
So a pretty good walk, plenty of birds, but couldn't find a Mega, guess they are all in Wales!!! Nice to see so many Housemartins and Meadow Pipits. Wheatears are always a favourite!!!
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