Field Meeting

Leader David Bridger (Ranger for SWT) This site is one of many in the western Weald where old conifer plantations are being reduced to encourage the recovery of heathland, and the current management strategy was explained to the 13 members attending by the site ranger, David Bridger. We soon saw one of the conservation measures […]

Leaders: Margaret Tomsett and Andy Swan (HNHS members) Conditions were near-ideal for moths in the first half of the night, but there was a lot of rain in the early hours of the morning. Nevertheless, there were plenty of moths to see, despite puddles in the bottoms of some of the traps.The variety was impressive, […]

Leader: Arthur Greenwood (HNHS member & N.T. Volunteer)We began at the Witley Centre, under cloudy skies, with a hint of rain. Mr Greenwood gave a short recent history of the Common, which is now a site in the newly designated Wealden Heaths National Nature Reserve (NNR), with all six UK reptile species, and a population […]

Leader: Andy Swan (HNHS member) 12 members met with leader, Andy Swan, for a morning foray onto Noar Hill on the hottest day of the year so far. A large number of Musk Orchids were soon located, growing in several widely dispersed clusters: it was thought that it seems to be increasing here, thanks to […]

Leaders: Michael and Jane Joseph (Wildlife gardeners) On arrival, whilst enjoying refreshments, we heard an outline of the 40 years of work by Jane and Michael Joseph that had produced the current garden. The Common Spotted-orchids growing in the front lawn were immediately conspicuous and our hosts thought that seed from their orchids had spread […]

Leader: Mark Crisp (Warden)10 members traversed the south part of Tankersford Common, approaching from Pierrepont Farm. The Common is part of RSPB’s Farnham Heath reserve, and is the site of their successful re-introduction programme of the Field Cricket (Gryllus campestris). When the group arrived at the site at about 11.00am, the weather was breezy, cloudy […]

Leader: Veronica Carter (HNHS member) Conditions were perfect as our group of 10 crossed from Iping Common onto Stedham Common. It was a perfect day for reptiles to be sunning themselves. The rare lowland heath is lightly wooded with paths and firebreaks edged by heather and bracken. Reassurance was given that no one had died […]

Leader: Sarah Shepley (HNHS member) On a beautiful spring morning 21 members visited Ebernoe Common with a view to see and hear birds, led by Sarah Shepley. The walk commenced in Furnace Field, which has a gorse thicket growing across the middle: an ideal habitat for Nightingales. Everybody was enthralled by the song, and the […]

Leader: Andrew Thompson (Fisheries Bailiff for Leconfield Estate)On private land, Andrew, the Fisheries Bailiff for the Estate, showed 25 members the work that is being done to restore the River Rother to its flood plain. The banks are being lowered and so, when in the past winter there were 4 floods, a reed bed is […]

Leader: Rob Wiggins (RSPB)In ideal conditions it was a remarkable morning as a total of 45 bird species was seen at this newest and ever-evolving reserve of the RSPB. Established in 2010 when flood protection, a new dyke and the breaching of the shingle wall took place, it has a large number of wildfowl, waders […]