New volunteers in Sussex are being sought to help to monitor national breeding woodcock numbers. Annual monitoring of roding woodcocks has taken place at a number of sites across the UK each year since 2003; a summary of the results can be found at http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/woodcock-survey/results.
Three visits to a site are required between 1st May and 30th June, commencing 15 minutes before sunset and lasting a total of 75 minutes. For each visit a volunteer remains at a designated point and counts the number of times that roding birds are seen or heard. Full details, including survey methods, can be found at http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/woodcock-survey.
Listed below (updated 7/2/2022) are sites that have been surveyed previously and where roding woodcocks are likely to be encountered; if you are interested in conducting surveys at one of these sites please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com. Also listed are sites that are already being monitored by existing volunteers. Sites not listed below can also be monitored if they are thought to hold breeding woodcocks; please contact Helen Crabtree with a grid reference and a site name if you are interested in conducting surveys at another site. Although the surveys are conducted at designated points, the sites are 1-km squares, and counting points should be separated by at least 1 km to avoid double-counting of roding birds.
SU8128 Chapel Common
SU8516 Westdean Woods
SU8529 Stanley Common
SU8626 Woolbeding Common ALLOCATED
SU9119 Ambersham Common ALLOCATED
SU9129 Blackdown ALLOCATED
SU9418 Lavington Common ALLOCATED
SU9518 Duncton Common
SU9807 Rewell Wood ALLOCATED
TQ0615 Northpark Wood
TQ2130 St Leonard’s Forest ALLOCATED
TQ3034 Worthlodge Forest ALLOCATED
TQ3309 Stanmer Great Wood ALLOCATED
TQ3327 River’s Wood (Balcombe) ALLOCATED
TQ4230 Chelwood ALLOCATED
TQ4233 Broadstone Warren ALLOCATED
TQ4332 Ashdown Park ALLOCATED
TQ4432 Asdown Ridge ALLOCATED
TQ4528 Marlpits ALLOCATED
TQ4530 Pippingford Park ALLOCATED
TQ4627 Duddleswell ALLOCATED
TQ4630 Old Lodge ALLOCATED
TQ4828 Poundgate ALLOCATED
TQ5223 Waste Wood (Hadlow Down) ALLOCATED
TQ5431 Hornshurst Wood (Rotherfield) ALLOCATED
TQ5536 Broadwater Warren
TQ5736 Hargate Forest
TQ6217 Rushlake Green
Please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com if you have questions about this survey or would like more information.
