Trip reports

Beachy Head

Sunday, 13 September 2009

On a gusty, sunny bright day, the group met at Birling gap car park. We walked towards the cliff (not too close) and observed hundreds of House Martins gathering in the lee of the cliffs, feeding up ready for departure to cross the Channel and on towards their wintering grounds. A couple of Swallows were also mixed in the flock, plus one Sand Martin.
We walked up to Belle-tout old lighthouse. There were not many birds, but on the way back to the cars we passed the top edge of Belle-tout wood and noticed a number of warblers flitting in the branches - identified as "willow-chiffs" (either Willow Warblers or Chiffchaffs). Returning to the cars we moved on to Belle-tout car park for lunch and some shelter from the wind. Whilst enjoying our sarnies we saw and heard the bird of the day - a Raven - playing and tumbling in the wind for a few minutes before folding its wings and dropping straight down the cliff face out of sight.