Birdwatcher Reports

Since last autumn (2007) a group of volunteers has been routinely counting the birds seen on the Railway Land Nature Reserve. Visits of about two hours have been made early in the morning roughly every fortnight and it is hoped to make the visits more frequently during the breeding season. A total of 58 species has been spotted so far. This compares with 64 seen over a whole year by an observer in the 1980s: it is expected that this will be surpassed when a full year’s observations have been made. Combining the two lists produces a site total of 78 species to date. This excludes anecdotal evidence received of sightings or hearings of a few other species, such as redshank, barn owl, nightingale and yellowhammer, even though these would not be unexpected given the habitats on the Reserve.

Species seen in both the 1980s and in 2007-08 (44): these naturally are mostly the common species to be expected in such a locale. Such include grey heron, mallard, kestrel, moorhen, black-headed and herring gulls, pied wagtail, swallow, meadow pipit, house sparrow, and the obvious pigeons, thrushes (including mistle), tits (including long-tailed), crows, warblers (willow warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap and both common whitethroat and lesser whitethroat) and finches (including goldfinch), as well as other common passerines such as starling, dunnock, robin and wren. Worth specific comment are other rather less obvious species: there are sightings spanning the two decades of water rail, kingfisher, green and great spotted woodpecker, grey wagtail, the wintering thrushes, redwing and fieldfare, goldcrest and bullfinch. As far as birds of prey are concerned, the only one besides kestrel to be seen in both periods is the sparrowhawk, which already appears to have begun its revival in the area twenty years ago.

Species seen in the 1980s but not so far in 2007-08 (20): these can be roughly divided into ‘surprise omissions’ (that is species which one would now expect to record over the winter period but have not so far been reported), comparative rarities (which one would not usually expect to record but might if one were lucky) and summer visitors (which may be expected to be added to the modern list when a full year’s observations have been made). These categories are inevitably a little arbitrary but in the first one might include lapwing (given the large wintering flock on Lewes Brooks), snipe (again common at Lewes Brooks), tawny owl (though no survey has taken place at night), coal tit (a real surprise omission this), skylark and linnet (though the last two are not always evident locally in winter), and perhaps nuthatch and treecreeper. The second category of comparative rarities ranges from coot (obviously not rare in Sussex, but unusual in the immediate vicinity of Lewes) to real rarities such as serin and twite. In between are species not easy to see like jack snipe, woodcock, lesser spotted woodpecker and siskin. Finally the summer visitors recorded in the 1980s but not yet in 2007-08 are cuckoo, swift, house and sand martins and spotted flycatcher.

New species seen in 2007-08 but not in the 1980s (14): this is probably the most interesting aspect. To a trifling extent it reflects the decision (e.g. the inclusion of mute swan) to extend the survey to include the adjacent river and cliffs, but more significant are those changes which seem to be the result of either global warming (the appearance of little egret) or improved habitat through the declining use of pesticides: the latter particularly affects birds of prey, such as peregrine, and carrion feeders, such as raven, both of which have been added to the site list. Other interesting additions, though mostly in small numbers, are little grebe, cormorant, Canada goose, great black-backed gull, stock dove, stonechat, garden and reed warblers and jay.

Frequency of sightings in 2007-08: the most common species are obviously those one would expect. The most abundant, unsurprisingly given the large colony on the cliffs, is jackdaw. Counts in double figures have usually or always recorded for black-headed and herring gulls, woodpigeon, blackbird, blue tit, magpie and carrion crow, and sometimes for mute swan, Canada goose, collared dove, robin, great and long-tailed tits, chaffinch and house sparrow. Other species always or almost always recorded, though in smaller numbers, are grey heron, mallard, moorhen, wren, dunnock, song thrush, goldfinch and greenfinch. At the other end of the scale there have been only one or two recordings of little grebe, little egret, sparrowhawk, kestrel, peregrine falcon (two together), water rail, stock dove, meadow pipit, stonechat, redwing, fieldfare, goldcrest, jay and bullfinch, and only a few more of cormorant, green and great spotted woodpecker, pied and grey wagtail, mistle thrush and raven. Finally the survey caught the tail-end of the autumn migration and there were sightings of swallow, chiffchaff, common and lesser whitethroats, and willow, garden and reed warblers. There was only one sighting of a wintering chiffchaff.

Omissions: there are a number of species which more or less surprisingly have not appeared on either list. Apart from the incidental sightings recorded at the beginning of this article and not included in this discussion, an immediate wish-list might include teal, lesser black-backed and common gulls (numerous in winter on Lewes Brooks or by the Ouse just south of the town), common buzzard, merlin, pheasant, short-eared and little owls, sedge warbler, brambling and corn and reed buntings. Perhaps one day one will also be able to add bittern, wigeon, shoveler, hen harrier, golden plover, green and common sandpiper, water pipit, ring ouzel, march tit, wheatear, black and common redstarts, grasshopper and Cetti’s warblers, and redpoll.


Michael Hawkins.

February 2008.

The Ranger and volunteers are running a new survey in 2007. Forms can be picked up from Lewes District Council offices in Southover Street or e-mail the Ranger, Dan Ross, at dan.ross@lewes.gov.uk.

Our first bird survey was designed to obtain baseline data so that we could compare it in the future. Ornithologsts worked alongside school pupils in what was a marathon survey. Every week between 4th November 1987 and 5th April 1990 over lunch time, at two spots, 5 minutes were spent noting which birds could be seen and not a single week was missed. The Trust would like to repeat this survey over a similar period, perhaps with the same schools! These were: Wallands Primary, South Malling Primary, The Old Grammar, Northease Manor, Southover Primary, Western Road Primary, The Pells Junior School, and Priory School. The resulting list of species can be found in the 'Things that Live Here' section on the left.