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 18/3/2024) 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
SU8211 Bow Hill
SU8516 Westdean Woods
SU8525 Woolbeding Common ALLOCATED
SU8529 Stanley Common
SU8626 Woolbeding Common
SU9119 Ambersham Common ALLOCATED
SU9129 Blackdown ALLOCATED
SU9418 Lavington Common ALLOCATED
SU9518 Duncton Common ALLOCATED
SU9523 Upperton Common ALLOCATED
SU9727 Ebernoe Common ALLOCATED
SU9807 Rewell Wood
SU9906 Tortington Common
TQ0523 Adversane ALLOCATED
TQ0615 Northpark Wood ALLOCATED
TQ1229 Itchingfield ALLOCATED
TQ2130 St Leonard’s Forest ALLOCATED
TQ2233 Holmbush Forest ALLOCATED
TQ2429 Warren Wood
TQ3034 Worthlodge Forest ALLOCATED
TQ3327 River’s Wood (Balcombe) ALLOCATED
TQ4230 Chelwood
TQ4233 Broadstone Warren ALLOCATED
TQ4332 Ashdown Park ALLOCATED
TQ4432 Ashdown Ridge ALLOCATED
TQ4528 Marlpits ALLOCATED
TQ4530 Pippingford Park
TQ4626 Fairwarp ALLOCATED
TQ4627 Duddleswell ALLOCATED
TQ4630 Old Lodge ALLOCATED
TQ4732 Wrens Warren ALLOCATED
TQ4828 Poundgate ALLOCATED
TQ5223 Waste Wood (Hadlow Down) ALLOCATED
TQ5431 Hornshurst Wood (Rotherfield) ALLOCATED
TQ5526 Walsted Wood ALLOCATED
TQ5536 Broadwater Warren
TQ5732 Saxonbury Hill
TQ5736 Hargate Forest
TQ6217 Rushlake Green ALLOCATED
TQ7920 Brede High Wood ALLOCATED
TQ8020 Brede High Wood ALLOCATED
TQ8121 Chitcombe ALLOCATED
TQ8521 Beckley Woods ALLOCATED

Please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com if you have questions about this survey or would like more information.

An event is being planned for Saturday 3 February 2024 that will bring together volunteer birdwatchers and farmers within the Arun to Adur Farmers Group. The intention is that volunteers will go out in small groups with farmers at a central location (to be confirmed but within the Arun to Adur area) and help to increase the confidence of the farmers in identifying and counting the farmland birds present. After a morning spent looking for birds the plan will be to then meet back with other volunteers and farmers for some networking and food. Hopefully some useful connections will be made and volunteers will optionally be able to make arrangements to meet farmers at other farms on later dates to help them to complete the GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count.

If you would be interested in meeting some farmers and sharing your bird knowledge with them then please come along!  Please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com if you would like to attend and you will be sent details of the meeting time and place.

There is still time to sign up to take part in the full national survey of breeding woodcock running in 2023 organised by the BTO with the GWCT as partners. The last full national survey of breeding woodcock was in 2013. Indications from annual monitoring since 2013 suggest that the population may have decreased. The 2023 survey will help to provide the best possible assessment of the population status, as well as further helping to understand the causes of the population decline and also to inform the woodcock shooting policy review.

This survey will require two or three dusk visits to selected sites in May and June to make point counts of roding woodcock. Please see the report here about the results of the 2013 survey in Sussex for information about the survey methods. In 2023 there are some changes to the method of habitat recording but the method of counting encounters with roding woodcock will remain exactly the same.

Priority sites are those that were surveyed in 2013 and those for which volunteers are being sought are listed below (updated 4/5/2023). The survey involves counting woodcock encounters from a fixed point which should be chosen within or on the edge of the largest area of woodland within or close to the square.

SU8811 Charleton Down: this includes parts of Goodwood Country Park
SU9115 Eastdean Wood: part of a large wooded area above Graffham Down
SU9119 Ambersham Common
TQ4032 Hindleap
TQ4131 Wych Cross
TQ4427 Nutley
TQ4429 Marlpits
TQ4629 Camp Hill
TQ4631 Gills Lap
TQ4729 near Camp Hill
TQ4932 Marden’s Hill
TQ5031 Crowborough Common
TQ5736 Hargate Forest
TQ7623 Lordship Wood: this is a large mixed forest just east of Robertsbridge
TQ8521 Beckley Woods
TQ8614 Guestling Wood

If you would like more information or are interested in helping with this project please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com or select a site online at https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/woodcock-survey where there are more squares available than the priority sites listed above.

This is the time of the year to sign up to take part in the BTO Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) for this coming breeding season. Some squares have recently become available and there are plenty of squares available right across the county; some of these squares are accessible if you have limited mobility or if you are reliant on or choose to use public transport.

This national monitoring scheme is administered by the BTO and jointly funded by the BTO, JNCC and RSPB. It has been running since 1994 and its primary aim is to provide population trends for common and widespread bird species in the UK. Population trends for Sussex are also produced and published in the Sussex Bird Report. Survey plots are randomly-selected 1-km squares of the National Grid, and the same squares are surveyed each year. Volunteers visit their squares three times each year during the breeding season, once to record simple habitat data, and twice to walk a fixed route, recording birds seen and heard. There are more than 200 BBS squares across Sussex, covering every type of habitat, and new volunteers are always needed.

Volunteers must be able to recognise common and widespread birds by sight and sound, and must be able to physically get around a survey route reasonably early in the morning, but beyond those requirements absolutely anybody is welcomed into this survey scheme. Previous experience of survey work is not necessary and help and support from experienced volunteers can be arranged if required; there are also some informal practice sessions arranged in Sussex in March and April this year. Finally there is no requirement to conduct surveys alone – take a friend with you!

The following BBS squares may be accessible to you if you have limited mobility (including using a wheelchair) as the survey routes are entirely on pavements and minor roads:

SU8605 central Chichester
SZ7996 East Wittering
TQ2638 Langley Green
TQ2836 central Crawley
TQ4612 near Ringmer
TQ5130 central Crowborough
TQ5639 Tunbridge Wells
TQ5901 Willingdon

The following BBS squares may be accessible by train as they are close to rail stations (other squares may be easily accessible by bus):

SU8605 central Chichester
TQ2836 central Crawley
TQ4821 Uckfield
TQ5130 central Crowborough
TQ5738 Tunbridge Wells
TQ5901 Willingdon

The full list of BBS squares (asterisks indicate priority squares that have been surveyed before) in Sussex which currently need volunteers for the 2023 breeding season (updated 13/4/2023) is as follows:

SU7800 near West Itchenor
SU7808 near Woodmancote*
SU8102 near Bosham Hoe*
SU8307 near West Stoke*
SU8527 near Milland*
SU8605 central Chichester*
SU8612 West Dean
SU8624 Tote Hill near Midhurst
SU9207 near Boxgrove*
SU9729 near Northchapel*
SZ7996 East Wittering*
SZ8199 near Birdham
SZ8696 Pagham Harbour*
SZ8698 Sidlesham*
TQ0124 near Kirdford*
TQ0502 Rustington*
TQ1337 Okewood Hill (Surrey)*
TQ2022 Cowfold*
TQ2122 Cowfold*
TQ2536 Gossops Green
TQ2638 Langley Green*
TQ2828 Staplefield*
TQ2836 central Crawley
TQ4612 near Ringmer*
TQ4821 Uckfield*
TQ4938 near Blackham*
TQ5026 High Hurstwood
TQ5128 near Crowborough*
TQ5130 central Crowborough
TQ5220 Blackboys*
TQ5228 near Crowborough*
TQ5435 near Eridge Station*
TQ5738 Tunbridge Wells*
TQ5829 near Mark Cross*
TQ5901 Willingdon*
TQ6419 Earl’s Down*
TQ7111 near Ninfield*
TQ7811 Hollington*
TQ8518 Udimore*
TV5797 near East Dean*

For further information, please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions about the survey or about any of the available squares.

Thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of so many amazing volunteers 184 squares have been surveyed for the BBS in the Sussex region this year which is a new record!

Available here are trend graphs plotted for 36 common species using Sussex BBS data for 1994 to 2021; these can be compared with national and regional trend graphs available at http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/bbs/latest-results/trend-graphs. The trend graphs are plotted using the percentage changes each year since the start of the survey in 1994, presented as indices relative to an arbitrary index of 1.0 in 1994. Some of the graphs show encouraging stability of population levels or even increases. House sparrow and song thrush numbers in Sussex appear to be increasing slightly after years of stability, and the long-term declines in starling and mistle thrush numbers appear to have halted. Population levels of skylarks and yellowhammers in Sussex appear to be more or less stable. Obviously the real concerns are cuckoo, chaffinch, greenfinch and swift; the real value of the BBS is in identifying these most seriously declining species.

Now is a good time of the year to consider taking part in the BBS, because if you take on a square you will also have the option to take part in the Sussex Winter Bird Survey (SWBS) by surveying the same square over the coming winter, beginning on 1 November 2022.

The BBS is a national monitoring scheme administered by the BTO and jointly funded by the BTO, JNCC and RSPB. It has been running since 1994 and its primary aim is to provide population trends for common and widespread bird species in the UK. Population trends for Sussex are also produced annually. Survey plots are randomly-selected 1-km squares of the National Grid, and the same squares are surveyed each year. Volunteers visit their squares three times each year during the breeding season, once to record simple habitat data, and twice to walk a fixed route, recording birds seen and heard. There are more than 200 BBS squares across Sussex, covering every type of habitat, and new volunteers are always needed. Volunteers must be able to recognise common and widespread birds, but previous experience of survey work is not necessary. Help and support from experienced volunteers can be arranged if required, and some informal group practice sessions will hopefully be planned for March 2023 to which new volunteers will be invited.

The BBS squares (asterisks indicate priority squares that have been surveyed before) in Sussex which currently need volunteers for the 2023 breeding season are (updated 6/1/2023):

SU7800 near West Itchenor
SU7808 near Woodmancote*
SU8102 near Bosham Hoe*
SU8307 near West Stoke*
SU8527 near Milland*
SU8602 Chichester Canal*
SU8605 central Chichester*
SU8612 West Dean
SU8624 Tote Hill near Midhurst
SU8926 Henley Common
SU9113 near East Dean*
SU9127 near Fernhurst*
SU9207 near Boxgrove*
SU9304 Westergate*
SU9729 near Northchapel*
SZ7996 East Wittering*
SZ8199 near Birdham
SZ8696 Pagham Harbour*
SZ8698 Sidlesham*
TQ0124 near Kirdford*
TQ0503 north Rustington*
TQ2022 Cowfold*
TQ2122 Cowfold*
TQ2536 Gossops Green
TQ2638 Langley Green*
TQ2733 Tilgate Forest*
TQ2828 Staplefield*
TQ2836 central Crawley
TQ4612 near Ringmer*
TQ4738 near Blackham*
TQ4821 Uckfield*
TQ4938 near Blackham*
TQ5026 High Hurstwood
TQ5128 near Crowborough*
TQ5130 central Crowborough
TQ5220 Blackboys*
TQ5228 near Crowborough*
TQ5435 near Eridge Station*
TQ5511 Lower Dicker*
TQ5738 Tunbridge Wells*
TQ5829 near Mark Cross*
TQ5901 Willingdon*
TQ6419 Earl’s Down*
TQ7111 near Ninfield*
TQ7811 Hollington*
TQ8326 Northiam Station*
TQ8413 near Three Oaks
TQ8518 Udimore*
TQ8722 Peasmarsh*

For further information, please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com.

The new WeBS season starts in September and there are sites across Sussex that need new volunteers; now is a really good time to get started with this survey.

WeBS is the principal monitoring scheme for non-breeding waterbirds in the UK which aims to provide data for the conservation of their populations and wetland habitats. The data collected are used to assess the size of waterbird populations, assess trends in numbers and distribution, and identify and monitor important sites for waterbirds.

Once-monthly, synchronised counts are carried out (primarily September to March) at as many wetland sites as possible. Counts can take anything from 15 minutes to 3 hours depending on the size of the site. Dates of the counts are pre-determined by the BTO and are set on Sundays. It is generally accepted that a count can be carried out a day or more either side of these dates if counters have other commitments and there is not an interchange of species with other neighbouring sites.

Sites requiring new volunteers are listed below (updated 25/10/2022). For further information please contact:

CHICHESTER HARBOUR: Pete Hughes (peter.hughes@conservancy.co.uk)

Three vacant sectors: counts carried out each month September to March on a Saturday

ARUN VALLEY: Helen Crabtree (hcrabtree@gmail.com)

Pulborough Brooks (to join existing team): counts carried out each month on a Monday morning

COASTAL SITES: Dave Boddington ( davebodds@yahoo.co.uk)

INLAND SITES: Helen Crabtree (hcrabtree@gmail.com)

Bewl Water (to join existing team)
Bodiam Castle Moat
Darwell Reservoir
Ditchling Common
Forest Mere
Pond Lye
Gravetye Lakes
Herstmonceux Castle Lake
Lurgashall Mill Pond
Manxey Level  (Pevensey Levels)
Manxey Moat  (Pevensey Levels)
Mark Dyke  (Pevensey Levels)
Marsh Foot and Church Farm (Pevensey Levels)
Old Haven  (Pevensey Levels)
Wakehurst Place Lakes
Whelpley Level (Pevensey Levels)

Volunteers with Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) squares have the option to survey their squares for butterflies during July and August, as part of the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS) which is a collaboration between the BTO and Butterfly Conservation. Volunteers taking on new squares now can take part in the WCBS and then have the option to survey their squares over the winter for the Sussex Winter Bird Survey before breeding bird surveys begin next April.

The BBS is a national monitoring scheme administered by the BTO and jointly funded by the BTO, JNCC and RSPB. It has been running since 1994 and its primary aim is to provide population trends for common and widespread bird species in the UK.

Survey plots are randomly-selected 1-km squares of the National Grid, and the same squares are surveyed each year. Volunteers visit their squares three times each year during the breeding season, once to record simple habitat data, and twice to walk a fixed route, recording birds seen and heard. There are more than 150 BBS squares across Sussex, covering every type of habitat, and new volunteers are always needed.

Volunteers must be able to recognise common and widespread birds by sight and sound, but previous experience of survey work is not necessary. Help and support from experienced volunteers can be arranged if required.

For the WCBS, volunteers walk their usual BBS routes and record butterflies. Volunteers must be able to recognise common butterfly species but no special expertise is required.

The BBS squares (asterisks indicate priority squares that have been surveyed before) in Sussex which currently need volunteers are (updated 23/8/2022):

SU7800 near West Itchenor
SU7808 near Woodmancote*
SU8102 near Bosham Hoe*
SU8307 near West Stoke*
SU8527 near Milland*
SU8605 central Chichester*
SU8624 Tote Hill near Midhurst
SU8926 Henley Common
SU9017 Heyshott*
SU9113 near East Dean*
SU9127 near Fernhurst*
SU9304 Westergate*
SU9729 near Northchapel*
SZ7996 East Wittering*
SZ8199 near Birdham
SZ8696 Pagham Harbour*
SZ8698 Sidlesham*
TQ0124 near Kirdford*
TQ1323 Dragon’s Green
TQ2022 Cowfold*
TQ2122 Cowfold*
TQ2828 Staplefield*
TQ2836 central Crawley
TQ3122 near Haywards Heath*
TQ4612 near Ringmer*
TQ4738 near Blackham*
TQ4938 near Blackham*
TQ5026 High Hurstwood
TQ5130 central Crowborough
TQ5128 near Crowborough*
TQ5220 Blackboys*
TQ5228 near Crowborough*
TQ5435 near Eridge Station*
TQ5511 Lower Dicker*
TQ5738 Tunbridge Wells*
TQ6000 Eastbourne Upperton*
TQ6419 Earl’s Down*
TQ7111 near Ninfield*
TQ7811 Hollington*
TQ8326 Northiam Station*
TQ8413 near Three Oaks
TQ8518 Udimore*
TQ8722 Peasmarsh*

For further information, please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com.

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 29/8/2022) 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
SU9129 Blackdown ALLOCATED
SU9418 Lavington Common ALLOCATED
SU9518 Duncton Common
SU9807 Rewell Wood
SU9906 Tortington Common 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

Please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com if you have questions about this survey or would like more information.

There is still plenty of time to sign up to take part in the BTO Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) for this breeding season. Some squares have recently become available and there are plenty of squares available right across the county.

This national monitoring scheme is administered by the BTO and jointly funded by the BTO, JNCC and RSPB. It has been running since 1994 and its primary aim is to provide population trends for common and widespread bird species in the UK. Population trends for Sussex are also produced and published in the Sussex Bird Report.

Survey plots are randomly-selected 1-km squares of the National Grid, and the same squares are surveyed each year. Volunteers visit their squares three times each year during the breeding season, once to record simple habitat data, and twice to walk a fixed route, recording birds seen and heard. There are more than 200 BBS squares across Sussex, covering every type of habitat, and new volunteers are always needed.

Volunteers must be able to recognise common and widespread birds by sight and sound, but previous experience of survey work is not necessary. Help and support from experienced volunteers can be arranged if required.

The BBS squares (asterisks indicate priority squares that have been surveyed before) in Sussex which currently need volunteers for the 2023 breeding season (updated 31/12/2022) are:

SU7800 near West Itchenor
SU7808 near Woodmancote*
SU7907 near Funtington*
SU8102 near Bosham Hoe*
SU8307 near West Stoke*
SU8605 central Chichester*
SU8612 West Dean
SU8624 Tote Hill near Midhurst
SU8926 Henley Common
SU9113 near East Dean*
SU9228 near Blackdown*
SU9304 Westergate*
SU9729 near Northchapel*
SU9915 near Bignor
SZ7996 East Wittering*
SZ8199 near Birdham
TQ0124 near Kirdford*
TQ2022 Cowfold*
TQ2122 Cowfold*
TQ2828 Staplefield*
TQ2836 central Crawley
TQ4738 near Blackham*
TQ4821 Uckfield*
TQ4938 near Blackham*
TQ5026 High Hurstwood
TQ5130 central Crowborough
TQ5128 near Crowborough*
TQ5220 Blackboys*
TQ5228 near Crowborough*
TQ5435 near Eridge Station*
TQ5639 Tunbridge Wells*
TQ5738 Tunbridge Wells*
TQ6419 Earl’s Down*
TQ7111 near Ninfield*
TQ8326 Northiam Station*
TQ8413 near Three Oaks
TQ8518 Udimore*
TQ8613 Guestling Green
TQ8722 Peasmarsh*

For further information, please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com.