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

Sadly for the SOS Martin Orchard-Webb shall be stepping down from the role of Assistant Recorder, a post he has held for the last six years. Martin’s hard work and diligence over this time is much appreciated by all of us and he will be sorely missed!

Consequently we would love to hear from anyone interested in assuming this position. Tasks involve assisting the County Recorder by working in tandem, ensuring that the list of scarce birds reported (those requiring descriptions) is well maintained and up-to-date. Although the Assistant Recorder does not assess records, he or she will liaise directly (usually by email) with those on the Rarities Commitee, preparing batches of records for circulation and following up on them to ensure that they are assessed in a timely and efficient manner.

Interested parties are kindly asked to send an email to the following address : recorder@sos.org.uk

Wealden Heaths Breeding Bird Survey (West Sussex)
Surveyor needed urgently from 2024

This long running survey monitors 21 breeding species with emphasis on heathland specialists by the simple method of detecting males holding territory. The core heaths of West Sussex have been surveyed for twenty-five years and we are now in need of a surveyor for the important site of Weavers Down SU8130.

Nightjar, Woodlark, Dartford Warbler, Tree Pipit and Stonechat are the prime targets however this heath also good for Redstart and Linnet.

The Survey starts in mid-February, (to find the Woodlarks taking up their territories) and carries on mid-July. We try to cover the individual sites entirely on at least four occasions, including one early year visit as mentioned, and two visits (more if you have the inclination and the time) about two weeks apart during May when song activity is at its peak. There will be at least one evening visit in May or June to detect Nightjar.

The survey is not particularly demanding but the continuous nature, providing so far, twenty-five years of data has enabled us to assist with management advice and other conservation issues such as planning that might affect the heaths.

If you are interested please contact Alan Perry for more details on 01798 344417 or email aledgehill@outlook.com

Membership is only £14 p.a. (£17 joint). If you join from 1 November your membership will run to the end of December 2024, and you will get THREE Sussex Bird Reports for your year’s subscription – the 2021 edition, the 2022 Report, just published , PLUS the 2023 report which will be published  in autumn 2024.

In addition, we are planning a full programme of walks in 2024, an in person Conference in January, and you will receive 4 newsletters a year, by post or email as preferred.

Life membership is a bargain £200 (Joint Life £250), and if you are a full-time student or Under 21, the rate is just £4.50.

Too good an offer to miss?  Click on “Join us” on the toolbar.

The SOS is holding a special meeting in Hailsham on the evening of 27th October, for all volunteers, and potential volunteers. If you are already involved in undertaking surveys or other work on behalf of the SOS, or would like to find out more, do come along to meet other members, and our President, Chris Corrigan. Terry Hallahan of the Sussex Barn Owl Study Group has also kindly agreed to give a presentation about the work of the SBOSG. If you are interested, please email me on chetsford@talk21.com by 13th October and I will send you further details.

David Campbell has set a high standard as our County Recorder since 2020, drawing on his outstanding knowledge of birds and bird identification. He has combined this voluntary role with a very busy working life, but decided recently that the time had come to stand down. The Society is extremely grateful to him for all he has done during his tenure. David Thorns kindly agreed to take over as Recorder, effective from 1 August. David is a very experienced birdwatcher who lived in Sussex for many years before moving to France. He is well travelled overseas and has had several articles and letters published in birding publications such as Forktail, Cotinga and British Birds.

David is now back and based in Eastbourne. He has become familiar with the local birding scene and quickly established his birding credentials by finding several notable birds in the area including two firsts for the county, for which many SOS members have been most grateful. We wish him all the best in his new role and the Society will of course give him all the support he needs as he settles in.

This will be of particular interest to our members and others who live in or near the Adur Valley.

The Adur River Recovery Project aims to improve the overall health of this important and historic Sussex river. This project is one of only 22 landscape recovery projects in the country.

It’s vital that the project hears from local people who visit and live near the Adur.  So, the project’s partners (Knepp Wildland Foundation, Adur District Council, Horsham District Council, Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust and Wilder Horsham District) have developed a survey to find out how people use it, and what they think and feel about it.

The survey (link below) has 26 questions and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/R7VCWKN

SOS Council member Mya Bambrick is undertaking a project called ‘21 Wildlife Walks.’ She will be going on and vlogging 21 different wildlife walks across the UK before her 21st birthday in September, with the aim to raise £2100 for the BTO, raise awareness of species decline and different conservation issues.

Locations include RSPB Arne, Alladale Wilderness Reserve in Scotland, Stackpole in Wales and of course locations in Sussex such as Pulborough Brooks and Warnham Local Nature Reserve. On some of her walks she will be joined by special guests including David Lindo, Juliet Vickery, and Penny Green.

Leica Sport Optics are supporting Mya in this project.

You can find vlogs of her first two walks at RSPB Weymouth Wetlands and Martin Down Nature Reserve on her Youtube Channel

To find out more and donate to this project, follow this link

If you have volunteered to do a bird survey on Ashdown Forest this spring and summer, the Conservators will allow free car parking for the purposes of the survey and for the period of the survey. If you’d like to take advantage of this, and have not already done so, please email me your car make, model and registration as soon as possible, preferably within the next few days. Please also say which survey(s) you are volunteering on. Thank you. Mark Mallalieu (mallalieum@gmail.com).