Events

At mid-day, in glorious sunshine, 30 members boarded the Solar Boat for a two hour trip.  The boat moved silently towards Thorney Island and up the Thorney Channel, passing Cobnor Point on the return journey.Species seen: Brent Goose, Common Gull, Turnstone, Dunlin, Curlew, Little Egret, Shelduck, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover and Cormorant.The highlight species: Red-breasted Merganser in small flocks and also a […]

Leader: Glenn Norris(SWT Ecologist) On a beautiful, sunny spring morning on March 19th with barely a cloud in the sky, fifteen members were greeted by Glenn Norris, the Ecologist for Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT), at their Reserve in West Dean Woods, near Singleton to see the Wild Daffodils.The Reserve has been worked as a Hazel […]

Leader: Helen Beal (Reserve Volunteer Worker)The visit included walking through the groves of the famous Yew forest, climbing uphill to the ancient barrows on top of the South Downs and returning through mixed woodland to look for spring flowers.The Yews here are some of the oldest living organisms in the UK, with some estimated to be 2,000 […]

Leader: Alan Perry (HNHS member)Leading the walk across Lavington Plantation, Alan was soon able to locate the scratchy song of the Whitethroat and 12 members heard Chiffchaffs, a male Yellowhammer, Linnets and a distant Cuckoo.  Two key heathland species were encountered:  Woodlarks were heard then seen in flight and Dartford Warblers made brief appearances.Stonechat males […]

Leader: Alan Perry (HNHS member)Leading the walk across Lavington Plantation, Alan was soon able to locate the scratchy song of the Whitethroat and 12 members heard Chiffchaffs, a male Yellowhammer, Linnets and a distant Cuckoo.  Two key heathland species were encountered:  Woodlarks were heard then seen in flight and Dartford Warblers made brief appearances.Stonechat males […]

Leader: Andy Swan (HNHS Member)Standing near the edge of Selborne Churchyard, Andy explained to 11 members the geology of the area which includes Middle Chalk, Lower Chalk, Upper Greensand and Lower Greensand.  All these have given rise to specific types of flora and fauna.When Gilbert White wrote “The Natural History of Selborne” the village was […]

From the Farnham Heath area where 6 Longhorn Cattle were resting and grazing, the walk entered “Tankersford Common” which is not open to the public.Seen were:  Fox, Roe Deer, Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Stonechat, Dartford Warbler and Heath Cudweed. A Whitethroat gave its scratchy song.In an open, sunny area of tussocky grasses with bare patches […]

Leader: Paul Matson (Sussex Ornithological Society member). On a grey morning (not ideal for seeing birds) fourteen species of birds were seen or heard, notably Tree Creeper, Dartford Warbler and Stonechat.  Redwings and Fieldfares had been there previously, but having devoured the berries, most had moved away.  However, a small flock flew over.  Through the […]

Leaders: Doug Maughan and Phil Darley (HNHS Members) The weather conditions were ideal for visiting this National Nature Reserve which has 369 acres of wetland in the Lower Meon Valley alongside the Solent.On the shoreline, with the Black-headed Gulls, were Turnstone busy searching among the pebbles and bathing.For the three hides on the east side […]

Leader: Dee Durham (Area Ranger National Trust South Downs West) Eleven members met with Dee for this walk.She explained that 12 Longworth traps had been set in various habitats and it was hoped that mice and voles would be caught.It was good weather for the walk, but unfortunately all the traps were empty. Dee said […]