Bird Watching
This group was formed in January 2023 and now has a healthy membership of twelve. Our aim is to identify and learn more about the birdlife of East Sussex. By the nature of the group, it could be counterproductive if we grow too quickly. However, not everyone can make each meet up, so it works out well, and new members are always welcome!
We meet on the third Wednesday morning each month, in small groups outdoors and arrange car sharing if travelling outside of the local area. How much we see can be weather dependent. Depending on the time of year, we may visit coastal estuaries and RSPB or Sussex Wildlife Trust reserves, as well as local woodlands and reservoirs. We also meet up between trips each month for coffee at Tottingworth Farm cafe, to share any useful information and keep up group interest and momentum. This is important when occasionally we have to postpone field trips, due to inclement weather, as was the case in February this year.
2023 Trips:
March - Waldron Woods
April - Old Lodge reserve in Ashdown Forest.
May - Ticehurst and Bewl Water, circular walk.
June - Pett Level, coastal lagoons and beach. (19 species seen)
July - Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Spectacular at High Tide today.
August - Always a quiet month for birding, so we met for coffee at Tottingworth Farm cafe to plan for the coming season.
September - Meeting postponed due to first storm of the season.
October - Arlington Reservoir circular walk.
November - A stunning day at Dungeness RSPB reserve, in brilliant autumn sunshine. Despite several paths being closed due to flooding from recent heavy rain, at least 22 species were recorded today:
Slavonian grebe, greenfinch, chiff chaff, mute swan, Bewick swan, lapwing, cormorant, moorhen, gadwall, teal, wigeon, shoveler, great crested grebe, mallard, Marsh harrier, hen harrier, wren, hedge sparrow, various gulls, terns, female golden eye, little grebe and tufted duck.
December - the group met up for a Christmas social at Tottingworth Farm cafe, to plan for the year ahead.
2024:
January- An exceptionally cold day at Bedgebury Pinetum, with much of the lakes frozen over, but winter colours were still stunning at this time of year. (10 species seen)
February - we postponed the trip to Rye Harbour due to inclement weather, but rearranged and were rewarded with a spectacular day, two weeks later on 6 March. (35 species seen)
Little grebe, great crested grebe, cormorants, little egret, great egret, Brent goose, shelduck, mallard, wigeon, tufted duck, pochard, cock pheasant, coot, oystercatcher, avocet, golden plover, ringed plover, grey plover/knot?, Dunlin, redshank, curlew, black headed gull, black backed gull, common gull, terns, rock pipit, skylark, starlings, blackbird, House sparrow, hedge sparrow, magpie, carrion crow, herring gull, teal.
Future field trips planned:
March - West Rise Marsh, Eastbourne
April - RSPB Broadwater Warren, Kent
May - Friston Forest
June - Knepp Wildlands Estate, West Sussex
July- Malling Down, Lewes
August - tbc
September - Seaford Head
October - Elmley Nature Reserve, Kent
November - Filsham Reedbeds, St Leonard’s.
December - Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, Kent
Further Information:
Members of the group are encouraged in their bird identification skills, with information about useful websites and apps (e.g. Merlin) being shared. We are becoming more familiar with habitats and where to look for particular species. Before each trip members are encouraged to research some facts about a particular species we are likely to see, based on recent sightings in the area. One way to improve our general knowledge as we go along!
Can I extend my thanks to Jim McErlean who has agreed to co-lead this group alongside me. His lengthy knowledge of birds and other wildlife is of real benefit to the group.
If you are interested in joining us, don’t feel you need to be an expert! We are all learning from each other and it’s just great to be outdoors appreciating all of nature with like minded people. While our focus is on the birds, we also enjoy looking at trees, flowers, animals and whatever we might come across. Some of us have become interested in learning more about butterflies, dragonflies and fungi for example.
Later in the year we are exploring ideas about a trip away overnight to a reserve a bit further afield.
For further information about joining us, please contact Val Hodgson