Birdwatcher Reports

Bird Report - Review of the Railway Land Birds 2011

January: After a cold and very snowy December, the first bird survey of the year found small gangs of redwing and fieldfare on the Reserve, winter visitors from an even colder Scandinavia. A jay was seen in the woodland, and flocks of long-tailed tits, flitted about amongst the trees and on the former allotments. Large numbers of black-headed and herring gulls were here at the end of the month, as well a couple of (the less common) common gulls.

February: Mild and windy, unsettled but with some sunshine at last, bringing out our over-wintering warblers, the chiffchaffs, early in the month. A great spotted woodpecker was heard drumming with its bill on a branch in the woodland and this was a good time to hear and see large numbers of the bigger birds; wood pigeons, feral doves, jackdaws, the occasional rook, some carrion crows and many magpies, easy to locate high up in the bare trees, and as they fly over, calling raucously to one another. Waxwings were in southern Britain in unusually large numbers and a small flock were seen briefly during a bird survey.

March: Wet and cold at first, dry and warmer in the second half of the month. Peregrine falcon, sparrow hawk, and common buzzard were all recorded this month, each one as it flew over the Reserve. In the Heart of Reeds two water-rail were seen, beautifully camouflaged birds that are not easy to spot as they lurk warily in the reeds. A treecreeper, mouse-sized and dark brown and white, was seen scuttling up the trunk of a willow by the Winterbourne.

April: Unseasonably warm and very dry as our summer visitors arrived. Six chiffchaff and three blackcap (maybe our own overwintering birds) were recorded on 6th April as were willow warblers and a reed warbler; by the end of the month they were joined by several whitethroat, singing their scratchy, irritable song as they perched on the reeds. On 27th April a cuckoo was heard and seen, flying over the Heart of Reeds. Throughout the month, everywhere in the Reserve, wrens were loudly yelling their own, distinctive, cascade of notes.

May: Still warm and continuing dry. The first cuckoo on the Reserve was recorded on 1st May. The first swallow on the 3rd. In the Heart of Reeds there were now reed bunting and sedge warblers alongside the more numerous whitethroat. On the meadows, a little egret was noted for the first time this year, and was then seen regularly. The jay was around and the treecreeper was again out in the open, near the Winterbourne, spiralling its way up a willow, probing the bark for insects.

June: Showery and windy and with warm, sunny spells. House martins joined the swallows and were (almost) the last of the summer arrivals to be recorded. On the brooks mallard and moorhen were out in force and heron were usually seen poised in position over their chosen ditches. A kingfisher put in a fleeting appearance, and was then seen regularly throughout the summer and on into the autumn. Both our usual species of woodpecker were either seen or heard this month, the laughter of the green woodpecker and the ‘kick kick’ of the great spotted woodpecker.

July: Unsettled weather but getting warmer. There was lively action in the reed beds and on 3rd July as many as seventeen reed warblers were seen and heard, chattering and chirring in the Heart of Reeds. A common sandpiper made an appearance on the river bank towards the end of the month and a lesser whitethroat was noticed skulking on the adjacent water meadows. Both these notable sightings were made on an early morning walk, possibly before the dog walkers had got going. Many dunnock, song thrush, starling and blackbird were also recorded.

August: A quiet month, as birds rearing young were resting quietly and having a good moult. The reed beds were now very much calmer and the ubiquitous gulls had completely deserted the area, Three linnet were seen in the former allotments.

September: Families of blackbird, blue tit, great tit, robin, wren and chiffchaff, including many young birds, were now out an about and large numbers were recorded. There are about 35 nestboxes on the Reserve and almost every box is successfully used. Grey wagtails were seen near the Linklater Pavilion, another sighting made on an early morning walk when few people and dogs were about.

October: The woodlands and former allotments were alive with birds this month. As well as goldfinches and chaffinches all three species of tit, blue, great and the dainty longtailed variety, were busily feeding in their various ways.

November: Two goldcrest and the elusive treecreeper were recorded, perhaps more easily seen now that trees and undergrowth are losing their leaves. A single pheasant made an appearance as did a pied wagtail on the sidings. Pied wagtails are fairly common birds in open country but only seem to be seen on the Reserve in the winter months. A green sandpiper was seen by the river.

December: Water-rail were heard in the vicinity of the dipping pond. They grunt and squeal like piglets as they furtively skirt through the reeds. A small flock of greenfinches was spotted near the old signal box. The goldcrest were still around, now seen in the woodland near to the Leighside ponds. A flock of goldfinch was also to be seen, busy on the last few seedheads remaining on the sidings. Then finally, at the end of the month, a female goosander put in an exotic appearance on the river near to the Linklater Pavilion.

Total species on the Railway Land : 65 bird species seen in 2011


Chris Roach, Leonie Mercer and the Lewes Railway Land Bird Group

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.