Birling Gap

A beautiful day, the first one past the winter solstice. The sea at Birling Gap was calm and the wind was light.

I immediately saw a Black Redstart in the car park. It fed along the top of the cliff and down on the beach where is was joined by a Rock Pipit and a Pied Wagtail.

Out to sea were distant Gannets, Cormorants and a Great Northern Diver. Closer to the cliffs were at least three pairs of Fulmar. These birds repeatedly landed then took off, to wheel around. There were also many Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, Black-headed and Common Gulls.

Up on the Lookout a large group of Exmoor Ponies are in residence in the scrub. There were several calling Dunnocks and a male Dartford Warbler.

Descending the hill down towards Horseshoe Plantation, the air was full of the calls of Corn Bunting. At least twenty of these birds were in the large set-aside field across the road, singing enthusiastically from the dead seed heads.