This BTO-organised survey will cover breeding nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler (in all habitats and not just in heathland) and will take place in the breeding season of 2025. In Sussex this survey will obviously be focussing on the West Sussex commons and the Ashdown Forest but there will be other sites to cover including farmland sites to survey for breeding woodlark.

The survey will involve morning visits for woodlark during the period 15 February to 31 May, morning visits for Dartford warbler during the period 1 April to 30 June, and evening visits for nightjar during the period 25 May to 31 July.

The full list of sites to be surveyed is being finalised but includes all sites in Sussex with recent records of any of the target species. Online sign-up will be available in January but if you would like to register your interest in surveying a particular site then please get in touch with Helen Crabtree now at hcrabtree@gmail.com. Importantly, if you already survey a heathland site regularly, for example for the Wealden Heaths BBS or on the Ashdown Forest, please get in touch now so that we can discuss how best to cover this BTO survey in your area. 

Further information is available at https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/heathland-birds-survey or please contact Helen Crabtree if you have any questions.