Sidlesham Ferry Field and Pool near Pagham Harbour was an iconic place for birding as one of the county’s best places to see breeding, wintering, passage and roosting birds at close quarters. It even produced the occasional mega rarity. In recent years many know that the situation has declined, and plans are afoot to put to improve things.

Funding has been secured for £186k investment in the 17ha site, most of which is from a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant and other sources including SOS and Countryside Stewardship payments. There is still a relatively small gap in the funding required part of which SOS is hoping to fill through a public appeal through The Big Give’s Green Match Fund week running from noon on Tuesday, April 22 for a week, ending at noon on Tuesday, April 29. The campaign’s link is Sidlesham Ferry Pool and Field – Big Give

We are hoping to raise £8,000 to contribute to this project half from local people and members which will be pound for pound matched by £4,000 from Big Give philanthropists. Your donation would be doubled!

The project will involve:

• Creating more muddy areas around Ferry Pool and the ditch network in Ferry Field to establish a wider area for birds to feed for invertebrates, this includes breeding birds (particularly flightless wader chicks), wintering birds and those using the location as a feeding/resting ‘pitstop’ during migration. This will involve considerable earth moving by skilled contractors.
• Separating the saline water zone from the freshwater area by creating a bund using the arisings from the earthworks mentioned above to establish greater biodiversity between these habitats. Currently the saline water is encroaching into the freshwater grazing marsh area, impacting on its potential.
• Enabling easier hydrological controls within the freshwater system, to ensure they remain wetter for longer, especially later in the spring and summer when flightless wader chicks need to feed. This will be achieved by:
  –  Making the ditch network a little deeper with wider and shallower side profiles to maintain those important soft feeding areas for longer and
  –  Installing a fish friendly solar powered pump to extract fresh water from surrounding streams to top up when required. This technology has been successfully  deployed in the Netherlands and may other RSPB reserves in recent years and replaces diesel pumps and their carbon impact.
• Installing a 1.9km anti-predator fence around Sidlesham Ferry Field and Pool to protect ground nesting birds and their eggs from mammalian feeding. Fox activity in the area leads to the failure of the nests of Lapwings, Redshanks and Avocets at this site due to this predation. This year there are only two Lapwing pairs are using the site; the potential is many more. To achieve a sustainable population and replace mortality in adults, Lapwings need to produce 0.6-0.8 fledged chicks per pair per year. This site’s breeding productivity is considerably below that requirement and could be considered a population sink. The installation of such fencing immediately increases breeding productivity above the threshold. Some sites with such fencing in Kent and Essex are getting 1.4-1.8 fledged chicks per year and they are breeding in much higher densities typical of the colonial breeding of this species.

SOS have had a long association with this site. Its early members may have been part of the work party that constructed the original hide that overlooked the pool in the mid-1960s. In the late 1970s or early 1980s a £5,000 grant from SOS (partly made via a fundraising campaign to members) secured the purchase of the field by providing funding to Sussex Wildlife Trust. In 2017 a splendid new hide was constructed partly funded through a £20k grant from SOS.

Please consider giving to this appeal. Sidlesham Ferry Pool and Field – Big Give

The SOS Conservation team submitted a response to the Wealden District Council draft Local Plan last year, commenting on a number of proposed development sites. Of particular concern is the Owlsbury area, which extends westwards from the A22 as far as Newick. The entire site extends to 165 hectares and the developers will be seeking planning permission for 1700 houses on the majority of the area. This is significant in that it is the first major development on the west side of the A22 (Uckfield by-pass) and presents a real danger of encroachment into a rural and bird rich area.

Despite the relative lack of public access, our records suggest that the site meets one of the criteria for designation as a Local Wildlife Site in that it supports a significant number of breeding birds which are designated as being of conservation concern. In order to have sufficient data to present a convincing case to object to the proposals when a planning application is made, it would be extremely helpful if any members can provide details of sightings over the past ten years in squares TQ4519 and TQ4619 (we have access to records already submitted via BirdTrack and eBird). Records of scarcer and Red or Amber-listed species are especially valuable, with breeding information. There is some footpath access across the site.

Please report any data to conservation@sos.org.uk

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 12/4/2025) 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.

The BTO/RSPB/NE Heathland Birds Survey includes Tree Pipit as one of the species for which records are requested in addition to the three focal species (Nightjar, Dartford Warbler and Woodlark). To obtain a fuller picture of the breeding distribution and population of Tree Pipits in Sussex, the SOS would also very much welcome all records of Tree Pipits in non-heathland breeding habitat in the county in 2025. Small numbers of Tree Pipits breed on non-heathland sites (e.g. scarp downland and young forestry plantations).

The first Tree Pipits will be arriving back on territory any day now, so we are asking you, especially if you know of such sites occupied by breeding Tree Pipits in recent years, to look for the species up to mid-July and enter records (other than any collected in the course of Heathlands Birds Survey work, including Woodlark surveys on farmland, for which there are separate data entry procedures) on Birdtrack, eBird etc. Please add breeding evidence and a note of the habitat. Thank you.

Pete Hughes, SOS Surveys & Projects Officer

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 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, 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 are planned for late March and early April 2025, to which new volunteers will be invited.

Some highlighted available squares are:

SU8718 near Cocking: this square has been surveyed in most years since 1997 and information is available from the outgoing volunteer about obtaining access permission from landowners; there is the additional bonus in this square of a regular red-tailed hawk!
TQ1606 near Sompting: this square on the lower slopes of Steep Down has been surveyed in every year since 2015 and has good numbers of skylarks and corn buntings and other farmland birds.
TQ4233 Broadstone Warren: this is one of very few BBS squares in Sussex with regular redstarts; information is available from the outgoing volunteer about obtaining access permission from landowners.
TQ5023 Buxted: this square was surveyed in every year between 2005 and 2022 and the route is entirely on minor roads and tracks; there is the added advantage of a train station nearby.

The full list of BBS squares (asterisks indicate priority squares that have been surveyed before) in Sussex which currently need volunteers for the 2025 breeding season (updated 1/4/2025) is as follows:

SU7802 Cobnor Point*
SU8527 near Milland*
SU8605 central Chichester*
SU8615 Westdean Woods*
SU8718 near Cocking*
SU9113 near East Dean*
SU9729 near Northchapel*
SU9923 near Petworth*
SZ7996 East Wittering*
SZ8199 near Birdham
SZ8698 Sidlesham*
TQ0124 near Kirdford*
TQ0322 near Codmore Hill*
TQ0324 near Wisborough Green
TQ0826 Billingshurst
TQ1004 Durrington*
TQ1031 near Slinfold*
TQ1038 near Ewhurst (Surrey)*
TQ1323 Dragon’s Green*
TQ1531 near Broadbridge Heath*
TQ1606 near Sompting*
TQ1636 Kingsfold*
TQ2536 Gossops Green
TQ2638 Langley Green*
TQ2805 Hove*
TQ4233 Broadstone Warren*
TQ4821 Uckfield*
TQ4938 near Blackham*
TQ5023 Buxted*
TQ5026 High Hurstwood
TQ5128 near Crowborough*
TQ5220 Blackboys*
TQ5228 near Crowborough*
TQ5435 near Eridge Station*
TQ5514 near Chiddingly*
TQ5639 Tunbridge Wells*
TQ6817 near Penhurst
TQ7811 Hollington*
TQ8013 Baldslow*
TQ8413 near Three Oaks*
TQ8414 near Three Oaks*

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

The Pevensey Levels breeding bird monitoring scheme is an SOS project which aims to increase the regular recording of birds across the Pevensey Levels during the breeding season and to enable the reporting of results to farmers and land managers. This increase in regular recording will be achieved through the allocation of 1×1-km squares to volunteers so that the recording is targeted in well-defined areas and to maximize coverage and reduce duplication of effort. The project will also incorporate data already being collected from three BTO Breeding Bird Survey squares on the Pevensey Levels.

The squares selected to be surveyed are those that have a reasonable level of access using public rights of way or those that have been requested by farmers or landowners to be included in the project with access permission granted to specific volunteers. There is no attempt to survey a random sample of sites because of the relatively small area of the Pevensey Levels and the simple aim of increasing regular recording rather than calculating population trends.

Volunteers should aim to visit each allocated square twice during each breeding season. The early visit should be made between early April and mid-May, and the late visit between mid-May and the end of June. On each visit volunteers should walk a transect route in the square which covers as much of the square as possible and which takes around 1 -1.5 hours at a slow methodical pace.

The squares selected to be surveyed are as follows (updated 1/4/2025):

TQ6108 White Dyke Farm ALLOCATED
TQ6109 Whelpley Sewer
TQ6110 Gildridge Farm ALLOCATED
TQ6206 Bridge Farm ALLOCATED
TQ6207 Rickney Farm ALLOCATED
TQ6208 Horse Eye
TQ6209 New Bridge (BBS square) ALLOCATED
TQ6210 Sackville Farm ALLOCATED
TQ6306 Chilley Farm
TQ6308 Hurst Haven
TQ6309 Hurst Haven North ALLOCATED
TQ6310 Cherry Croft Farm ALLOCATED
TQ6407 Pylons Farm
TQ6608 Horse Bridge (BBS square) ALLOCATED
TQ6609 Waterhouse Farm
TQ6710 Hogtrough Bridge
TQ6806 Hooe Level ALLOCATED
TQ6807 Old Road Farm (BBS square) ALLOCATED
TQ6808 Court Lodge ALLOCATED
TQ6906 Crooked Ditch
TQ6908 near Hooe village ALLOCATED

If you are interested in taking on one of the unallocated squares listed above please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com for further information and instructions. If you live nearby and know landowners such that you are able to access a square on the Pevensey Levels that is not listed above then please also contact Helen and this square can be added to the scheme. Please contact Helen with any questions or comments about this project.

Three talks from this year’s SOS Conference are now available to watch on our YouTube channel.

David Plummer: Wildlife Photography

Mike Coates: Fenceless grazing – a game changer for conservation

Chris Hewson: BTO Cuckoo Tracking Project

The South Downs farmland bird monitoring project started in 2014 as part the South Downs Farmland Bird Initiative. The project is a collaboration between the RSPB, Natural England, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), the BTO, the South Downs Land Management Group and the Sussex and Hampshire Ornithological Societies. The project combines data from the BTO Breeding Bird Survey with additional data from randomly-distributed squares within the South Downs national park that are surveyed annually in the breeding season. The South Downs Farmland Bird Initiative is a wider project which involves working with farmers and landowners to provide the ‘Big 3’ for farmland birds: safe nesting areas, summer feeding areas and winter feeding areas. Focusing on lapwing, grey partridge and corn bunting, the habitat created also benefits other bird species such as skylark, linnet and yellowhammer, as well as other farmland wildlife including brown hares, rare arable plants and bumblebees. The monitoring project will hopefully help to measure the effectiveness of this work across the South Downs national park.

Just two visits to each square are required during the breeding season to walk a fixed route and record all the birds seen and heard. The ability to recognise common farmland birds by sight and sound is required but no special expertise or previous experience is needed.

The available squares to be surveyed in Sussex in 2025 are listed below (updated 1/4/2025), and the survey instructions are available here. If you are interested in taking on one of these squares for this project, or if you would like further information, please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com.

SU7721 Goose Green
SU8218 Treyford
SU8408 near Chichester
SU8518 Bepton
SU8614 near Singleton
SU9008 Halnaker
SU9013 East Dean
SU9021 near Midhurst
SU9126 near Lickfold
SU9308 near Eartham
SU9725 Hoads Common
TQ0310 near North Stoke
TQ0808 near Patching
TQ0907 near Clapham

The available squares to be surveyed in Hampshire are:

SU4922 near Colden Common
SU4925 near Twyford
SU5419 near Upham
SU5730 Tichborne
SU6029 Cheriton Wood
SU6225 Brockwood Copse
SU6228 near Bramdean
SU6422 near West Meon
SU6513 near Hambledon
SU6529 West Tisted
SU6617 near Chidden
SU6627 Filmore Hill
SU6828 Basing Park
SU7127 Froxfield
SU7229 near Colemore
SU7522 Petersfield
SU7741 Binsted

Big Farmland Bird Count Meeting – Saturday 8th Feb at Madehurst Cricket Club, West Sussex.

As the Big Farmland Bird Count is rapidly approaching, (2nd to the 18th of February 2025) we are again teaming up with farmers, land owners and managers to take a morning looking at the local bird life, creating connections and sharing knowledge.

Although this is very much about the Big Farmland Bird Count in collaboration with the Arun 2 Adur farm cluster, it crosses nicely with the SOS Neighbourhood Survey Initiative and moving forward beyond the farm bird count these surveys could be really useful.

Our event at Peppering Farm last year was a real success with 10 partnerships forming.

We will be meeting the Arun 2 Adur cluster group at 9:30am at the Madehurst Cricket Club, before heading off to New Barn Farm for just over an hour.

This will be followed by lovely light refreshments.

Please let me know if you can make it so we can ensure there is enough tea and coffee ☕

Please email me if you can make it;
Adam Huttly  Adam@red-inc.com

I’m sharing a what3words address to help you find this specific location. Tap to see exactly where it is: https://w3w.co/blotches.moment.uproot

This BTO-organised survey will cover the heathland specialist birds nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler in all breeding habitats rather than being a survey of heathlands so there are many squares available in Sussex that are on farmland or in woodland as well as on heathland habitats.

The survey will involve morning visits for woodlark during the period 15 February to 31 May, morning visits for Dartford warbler during the period 1 April to 30 June, and evening visits for nightjar during the period 25 May to 31 July.

The online survey application is now live so please look at the map at https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/heathland-birds-survey to see the squares to be surveyed and please consider registering and requesting a square.

Most squares that will be covered by regular surveyors on the West Sussex commons and in the Ashdown Forest area have now been allocated so any remaining squares in these areas are open to anybody. There are squares available in these general areas:

South Downs north of Emsworth and Chichester
Eartham Wood and Houghton Forest
West Sussex commons and farmland around Midhurst and Petworth
Rewell Wood and Arundel Park
St. Leonards Forest
Tilgate Forest
Worth Forest
Paddockhurst Park
Wakehurst Place
Chailey Commons
Sheffield Forest
Battle Great Wood

Further information is available at https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/heathland-birds-survey or please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com if you have any questions.