The fourth national Non-Estuarine Waterbird Survey (NEWS) will be running this coming December and January. This is a repeat of NEWS III in 2015-2016 and before that NEWS II in 2005-2006.
The survey will involve a single visit during the period 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2027 to each selected stretch of the non-estuarine coast to count mainly birds using the intertidal area. The main target species are turnstone, purple sandpiper, sanderling and other species that use the intertidal area and that are not monitored well by the estuarine WeBS counts.
Each stretch of the Sussex non-estuarine coast is 3-4 km in length and very nearly the entire non-estuarine coastline of Sussex is included in the survey. The available sites can be viewed on this map and volunteers can request to be allocated sites. Helen Crabtree will be organising sites in West Sussex and Dave Boddington sites in East Sussex. Site requests through the vacant sites map will go to the relevant person. Alternatively please contact us directly at hcrabtree@gmail.com and davebodds@yahoo.co.uk for further information or to volunteer to cover a site.
The available sites are (updated 27/9/2026):
East Head
East Wittering and Bracklesham
Bracklesham Bay
Selsey Bill ALLOCATED
Selsey to Church Norton
Pagham ALLOCATED
Aldwick to Bognor Regis ALLOCATED
Bognor Regis to Felpham
Felpham to Atherington
Atherington to Littlehampton
Littlehampton to Rustington
Rustington to Goring ALLOCATED
Goring to Worthing ALLOCATED
Worthing to East Worthing
East Worthing to Lancing ALLOCATED
Shoreham Beach ALLOCATED
Southwick
Portslade
Central Brighton
Brighton marina
Rottingdean
Telscombe
Peacehaven
Newhaven
Seaford
Seaford Head
Cuckmere Haven
Birling Gap
Beachy Head
Eastbourne west
Central Eastbourne
Sovereign Harbour
Pevensey Bay
Norman’s Bay
Bexhill
Glyne Gap
West Hastings
Central Hastings
East Hastings
Fairlight
Fairlight Cove
Pett Level
Winchelsea Beach
Rye Harbour
Camber Sands