At the Annual Conference on 27th January there were four inspiring talks highlighting the efforts being undertaken to restore vital habitat and protect and help many different species.  For members and others who missed them on the day you can now catch up with all the presentations:

Rye Harbour https://youtu.be/wZBLUEG7vmA

Barry Yates talk on his 30 years at Rye Harbour Nature reserve detailed the ups (and downs) of species, land acquisition and conservation efforts during that time – though his personal highlight must still be the discovery of “Squeaker” the only British Least Tern which returned every year from 1983-1992!

Lewes Swifts https://youtu.be/MkbVpEcTvlU

The difficulties faced by Swifts are well known, and Mike Ramsey showed how local initiatives undertaken in Lewes by forming a Swift Group, raising awareness and taking practical action to monitor nest sites and install boxes, can really benefit the breeding population of this iconic summer visitor.

Perching Manor Farm https://youtu.be/Zg8zaJm0Djo

During the afternoon session David Ellin explained how a working commercial farm is improving habitat for farmland birds by sensitive farming, reducing pesticide use, using no drill methods and taking advantage of agri-environment schemes. The farm has seen numbers of farmland birds increase – including the return of breeding Lapwings. This family-owned farm won the FWAG National Silver Lapwing award in 2015 for its efforts.

Broadwater Warren https://youtu.be/6XWOEicfYOo

Finally one of the RSPB’s newest reserves, Broadwater Warren, has received much support from SOS, and Alan Loweth showed that the transformation of this previous conifer forest into a mosaic of heathland and wet woodland has led to breeding success for species such as Nightjars, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler. Many thanks to our Conference Organiser David Porter for arranging the event, and to all those who helped both before and during the day.

Many thanks to Jonathan (Jonno) Cook for recording and uploading these. Enjoy !

The time is sadly up for three of our SOSRC members: great thanks to Bola Akinola, Chris Ball and Derek Barber who have just finished their five-year terms and are stepping down – their input and expertise shall be solely missed!

Joining the Committee from 1st January are Andrew House and Jamie Partridge

Andrew has already served on the Committee and is a well-known figure at Selsey where he is a dedicated seawatcher and editor of the ‘Selseybirder’ blog.

Jamie has a great track record at finding BBRC rarities and is passionate about bird identification, having published papers for Birdguides and Dutch Birding. Welcome both!

David Thorns.

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 are still places available at the Conference at Oathall Community College, Haywards Heath, on Saturday 27th January.  It’s a great chance to meet together with other members, enjoy the four very varied presentations arranged by Conference Organiser David, browse the natural history bookstall plus many other displays.  If you have mislaid your booking form, please contact Val on chetsford@talk21.com or ring 01273 494723

SOS Council member Mya Bambrick was presented with the Marsh Charitable Trust Young Ornithologist of the Year award at a ceremony on 2nd November.

Announcing the award, Marsh praised her work as a British Trust for Ornithology Youth Representative, which has seen her organise and lead events ranging from guided walks to beach clean-ups.

Marsh singled out Mya’s work at BTO’s Bird Camps, sharing her expert knowledge of birds and the natural world, her contribution to BTO surveys, and her photography and flm making, as well as her fundraising for BTO.

“Her passion for the natural world, combined with her supreme people and communication skills, makes her a shining example for young ornithologists to follow,” Marsh said.

25 years of the Wealden Heaths Breeding Bird Survey (Sussex) 1998-2022. An extended report (a short version appeared in the 2022 Sussex Bird Report) to include non-priority species, extra commentary and photographs of the individual heaths.

Download here

Alan Perry

WHBBS Organiser

You should soon be receiving your winter newsletter, with a reminder about getting your team together for a 2024 SOS New Year Bird Race.  If you’re old hats at this, or if you want to give it a try for the first time, please contact Val Bentley on chetsford@talk21.com or ring 01273 494723 for further information and the Race Pack. That reminds me – must get the Fab Four team sorted!

SOS Conservation team, at the invitation of the Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) team at the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (SxBRC), is drawing up a list of locations that are important for birds in Sussex, but currently have no level of protection. SxBRC is run by the Sussex Wildlife Trust and has lead responsibility in the county for the LWS system. LWS status does not give statutory protection, but is nevertheless of some value in protecting a site from development. The SOS drew up the criteria for applying LWS status for sites good for birds, and these were accepted by SxBRC. The criteria are based mainly on the range of red- and amber-listed breeding species and the number of species recorded in the last decade. If you would see these criteria in full, please email me at the address below.

Most of the places birded regularly in the county already have some form of protection, from Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) like Pagham Harbour down to the lowest designation of LWS, such as at Wisborough Green. These designations help protect sites if they become the subject of planning applications to local councils. We are most keen to highlight those places of value for birds that currently lack protection of any kind with a view to encouraging LWS designation to be secured, and you may visit a little known site that deserves such status. SxBRC is focussing on LWS designation in particular, but the SOS is also keen to identify sites that may already have this designation, but merit stronger, statutory protection. West Rise Marsh is a good example of the latter.

It would assist the Conservation team if members of the Society provided details of sites, preferably with Ordnance Survey co-ordinates, that they are keen to see protected, but fear may have none, or might merit upgrading. The extent of the site is of little consequence. Notification of a site of concern will not guarantee the application of LWS (or better) status, but we will do our best, assuming the criteria are met. Please email details of your candidate locations to conservation@sos.org.uk in the first instance.

Terry Allen
Conservation Team