Field Meeting

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 […]

Leader: Jon Taylor (HNHS member)Crossing Grayswood’s Village Green a pair of Carrion Crows was probing in the grass. These (and other covid and owl species) bond early in the spring.Jon explained that birds’ calls include songs, usually by the male, when establishing or needing to hold a territory and to attract a mate; and alarm […]

Leaders: Phil Darley and Doug Maughan (HNHS members)Bright sunshine made for good viewing conditions and having watched garden bird species in Fattengares Courtyard’s feeding station, the group of 22 members was divided into two and continued to the hides.There were large numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Mallard and Pintail.A very distant perching White-tailed Eagle was […]

Leader:  Andy Swan (HNHS member) About 24 species were recognised, but many Lichens require microscopy and chemical tests.  St. Mary’s headstones had a reputation as being very interesting in the last century when atmospheric pollution prevented their growth in urban areas.  20 members attended. Found were: orange patches of Caloplaca flavescens on marble surfaces; dark […]

Leader: Paul Nevett (HNHS member) Thick mist remained all morning. In addition to garden birds, Paul drew attention to the occasional Redwing, Bullfinch, Brambling, Redpoll and Goldcrest in the canopy and sightings of Stonechat and Treecreeper.Small pits in the sandstone may have been where lumps of chert were sought for use in gun flints, producing […]

Leaders:  Phil Darley and Douglas Maughan (HNHS members) Seen from the hide overlooking Ferry Pool were Shovelers, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Black-headed Gulls and Mallards.Nearly a dozen butterflies were encountered: Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Small White.At Church Norton a family of Goldcrest was accompanied by Long-tailed Tits and beyond the incoming tide seen were […]

Despite consistently damp weather, the fungal season had been poor and only 31 species (with 40% being wood-rotters) were found on this renowned site.Near the track were “fibrecaps”; fungi with unambiguous smells were Garlic Parachute and Sulphur Knight that smells of coal gas; also found were a coral fungus, the wood-staining Chlorociboria aeruginascens and a […]

Leader: Matt Bramich (Reserve Manager) Seventeen members explored this new venue, once known for fen plants until scrub invaded with lack of grazing. Water percolates downhill, seeping out between Bargate Beds and Sandgate Beds.The valley bottom has five bays where contractors have removed scrub and excavated scrapes, all to encourage the return of a rich […]