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 […]

  An original painting by John Reaney (dec’ d) of a Marsh Harrier alarming Coots. John was a keen long-standing member of SOS and his artwork is in the 1996 Avifauna of Sussex Birds. He was also a member of the Society of Wildlife Artists who exhibit annually at the Mall Gallery. When purchased in […]

Now is the ideal time to sign up to take part in the BTO Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) for this breeding season and to arrange to come along to an informal practice session with other volunteers. Some squares have recently become available and there are plenty of squares available right across the county. This national […]

This winter, we are facing the worst outbreak of bird flu we have known and if this outbreak follows previous patterns there is likely to be a larger peak later in the winter. Impacts are already significant in the north of England and Scotland for Svalbard Barnacle Geese. The infection in wild birds is now […]

Since 1948 a Sussex Bird Report has been produced annually. From 1962 onwards, these have been published by the Sussex Ornithological Society. Hitherto digital copies of the reports between 1948 and 2010 were available on a DVD but now all the reports up to 2017 are accessible on the society’s website. Additionally there is a […]

A brief commentary and graphs for 2021 have been added to the Wealden Heaths Breeding Bird Survey section of the site

NEW YEAR BIRD RACE 2022  January 2021 saw a pandemic-affected Race where it was only individuals or teams of two who could take part, and they had to stay local. However, 15 “teams” raised nearly £1200 through donations and sponsorship, and amassed a species list of 119. Living near one of the coastal hotspots was […]

The SOS has combined with the Woodland Trust, CPRE Sussex, SWT and the RSPB to issue the following Joint Press Release (Click Here) opposing Center Parcs’ plans to site a new holiday village in Oldhouse Warren, alongside the M23. This press release is being sent to national and Sussex press and TV. Although Oldhouse Warren […]

The Sussex Bird Report, No. 73, 2020 Fingers crossed this report will prove relatively error-free, but please note the following. Long-tailed Tit. The last sentence on page 145 should read: ‘During the GBW they were recorded in 61% of gardens surveyed with an average peak count of four. [JA Hobson]’ Northern Treecreeper: the text on […]

The latest Bird Report will be landing on members’ doormats very shortly! As well as the regular features including, among others, Review of the Year, Systematic List of all the species seen in Sussex in 2020 and Ringing Report there are special papers on: The first successful breeding of White Storks in Britain in recent […]