May

           Total number of species for the year 155

31st

Brendan and Phil had a Subalpine Warbler in the Paddock at 06:00 before the rest of us had arrived, serves us right. Around the area was a Reed Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Little Owl sunning itself in the hedge. At 11:30 there were 2 Red Kites and 4 Common Buzzards over the village.

30th

Very few birds in the area but when the wind got up for an hour and a half from

07:30-09:00 there was a movement north along the cliff-top of 114 Swifts, 153 Swallows, 210 House Martins and 2 Sand Martins.

Porpoise seen for first time this month

29th

Even less today

28th

Why is it that Spurn gets all those wonderful Shrikes, Icterines, Rosefinches and the rest whilst we only get singles of Golden Oriole, Greenland Wheatear and Manx Shearwater

27th

Moving through the area were c.200 Common Swifts and at sea a Black-throated Diver, 23 Common Scoters, a Bonxie and a few terns flew north.

26th

No birding was possible in the horrible weather but from 15:30-17:30, when the rain eased, we had a seawatch that produced 21 Common Scoters, 7 Sanderling,

3 Turnstones, an assortment of Common, Arctic and Sandwich Terns and

16 Manx Shearwaters.

25th

Small movement of 50+ Swifts, a Hobby, a Tree Pipit and at 10:06 2 Pomarine Skuas.

24th

A somewhat 'slow' day in which we had 300+ Common Swifts moving north along the cliff-top, 13 Crossbills around the farm and a ringtail Hen Harrier 'in off' which was a new species for the year.

23rd

No birds of note around the area in the afternoon apart from this Honey Buzzard that flew over the village at 17:30

18th

Very little movement at sea today only a Great Northern Diver, 3 Black-throated Divers, 1 Greenshank, 6 Turnstones,62 Commic Terns and an Arctic Skua.

In the area there was a White Wagtail and a Stonechat.

17th

The only three locals still around this weekend were rewarded on a seawatch between 07.00 and 11.00 with a Great Northern Diver, 2 Black-throated Divers,

6 Shelducks, 2 Shovelers, 41 Common Scoters, 2 Whimbrels, 14 Turnstones,

17 Sanderling and a Ringed Plover. Also 163 Commic Terns, 6 Little Terns,

32 Sandwich Terns and a new bird for us, to wit a Roseate Tern. The bird which flew upchannel at 07.45 was the first of this species in 14 years of watching at Bockhill.

11th

What an anti-climax after yesterday, we had a Marsh Harrier in off the sea at 06:30 and at 09.30 9 Crossbills flew north along the cliff-top.

10th

From 06:00 onwards the locals, plus Simon from Essex and Bob and Liz Gomes, gathered on the cliff-top in anticipation of a movement of raptors. We certainly were not disappointed when first a Red Kite was seen at 07:55 flying W and then a Rough-legged Buzzard at 09:40 circling over the golf course and moving off NW. At 11:05 a Montagu's Harrier came in from the W and flew off N and shortly afterwards the Rough-legged Buzzard re-appeared,this time with a Harris's Hawk nearby. Red Kites were seen again several times over the ridge west of the Monument until we all departed at 15:00.Hobbys and Sparrowhawks were seen during the morning and afternoon. It was very difficult to assess the numbers of Red Kites, Hobbys and Sparrowhawks but on at least one occasion there were 4 Kites together, 3 Hobbys together and 7 Sparrowhawks together.

9th

Richard Jenkinson, watching at the Monument between 08:40 and 16:00, saw a

Rough-legged Buzzard at 10:15, 3 Red Kites flying SW at 10:45 and an Osprey in off the sea at 15:00. The Kites and Rough-legged Buzzard re-appeared several times. In addition to these birds there were 4 Sparrowhawks, 2 Hobbys and a Common Buzzard.

5th

A light NW breeze, always a good wind for us, produced a movement along the cliff-top of 100+ Swallows, 4 Yellow, 2 Alba and single White and Grey Wagtails, 162 Woodpigeons, 6 Collared Doves, a Turtle Dove, 37 Carrion Crows, a Tree Pipit, 5 Crossbills, 21 Siskins, and 102 Chaffinches.

Around the area there was a Golden Oriole at Kingsdown and a Garden Warbler in the Paddock.

At sea we had 6 Pomarine Skuas at 07:46 and 6 at 08:35.

4th

Another beautiful day with few birds of note, 3 Hobbys, 5 Yellow Wagtails, a single Wheatear and 4 Firecrests.

However at 11:16am we were all delighted to see a Red-rumped Swallow, our 6th since May 2000, fly north along the cliff-top towards Kingsdown.

3rd

We were all on the cliff-top by 06:00, Phil was there at 04:30 !!!, but it did not produce the expected 'goodies' and the only birds of note were 21 Pomarine Skuas,

(2 at 06:36 and 19 at 11:08), 2 Hobbys and a Marsh Harrier.

2nd

Richard Jenkinson had a Black Kite  moving SW during the morning, our second for the year, and in the evening 4 Mute Swans flew downchannel.