Sunday 3 November 2002

3rd November 2002 Beachy 6.45am - 11.30am. Strong F6 westerly wind. Heavy downpour in thunderstorm at c.10.30am

Cormorant c.8
Brent c.8 west
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 1
Gyr 1 juv. male  Falconers bird encountered sat high in a tree in Belle Toute and then on the path along the Cliff Path at cow Gap. Superb blue cere to a dar-tipped bill. Dark eye. Feet grey. Forecrown with buff basal colour finely streaked black. Crown dark. Buff supercilium finely streaked dark with a whitish nape-patch. Broad dark eyestripe and broad tear-drop moustachial stripe and surround to pale-streaked ear-coverts. Chin, throat, breast, belly and trousers heavily streaked black with buffish basal colour. Upperparts almost black with virtually fine brown edges to all feathers including coverts, secondaries and primaries. Primaries fell short of tail at rest. Tail heavily barred buff with broader white terminal tail band. In flight underwing coverts contrastingly darker than flight feathers, likewise dark-tipped primaries. Appeared long-winged, long-tailed and rakish in flight being noticeably larger than Peregrine that mobbed it on a single occasion. Superb.
Black-headed Gull c.10
Green Woodpecker 1
Swallow c.10
Pied Wagtail c.5
Black Redstart 3
Stonechat c.2
Song Thrush c.4
Redwing c.8
Blackbird c.15
Ring Ouzel 1 male
Chiffchaff 1
Goldcrest 1
Jay 1
Starling c.300
Redpoll 1
Goldfinch c.20
Greenfinch c.6
Siskin 4
Corn Bunting 1