Wildlife October 2019

The magazine of the Sussex Wildlife Trust

Issue 185

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Autumn/Winter 2019

Y C N E G R E M E CLIMATE Our natural world is in a critical condition. We continue to lose our most precious wild places and vast numbers of our insects and birds. The Government declared a Climate Emergency in May 2019 but our existing laws are still too weak and the ecological crisis we face is not being taken seriously enough.

Following on from The Time Is Now mass lobby at Westminster in June 2019, this September saw millions of people support a Global Climate Strike. The message is clear: this is a global emergency that demands urgent action.

As a movement, The Wildlife Trusts stand united with all those who share our belief that nature is valuable in its own right and essential to our existence. Sussex Wildlife Trust believes that: We must come together to restore our habitats on a landscape scale and bring our seas back to life if wildlife is to thrive again.

It’s time to stop the damage and turn the situation around

It’s time to accelerate action on the climate crisis including the restoration of natural habitats that can lock up carbon

It is not acceptable to continue showing a lack of respect for our natural world by building new roads for carbon-hungry cars or bigger airports across ancient woodland and other vital wildlife habitats

Chalkhill Blue © Bob Eade

It’s time for a new Environment Act that will truly give nature and people a safe and healthy future

The challenges are huge but there is still time to create a thriving and sustainable future.

We have a range of positive, peaceful and practical ways you can contribute to our planet’s future at this crucial time, including adding your voice to our Wilder Future campaign and asking your MP to speak up for nature’s recovery. Together, we can make a better future for our wildlife and set out a plan for nature's recovery to create a Wilder Sussex, for all of us.

Hedgehog © Tom Marshall

Find out more about our vision for a Wilder Sussex and how you can help make it happen:

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildersussex

Swallow © Ian Redman

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Membership

Meet the team…

From the Chief Executive

Debbie Chalmers

I joined the Trust in 2014, having worked in fundraising for other environmental charities including The National Trust and Kew Gardens.

I have lived in Sussex for almost 20 years and especially love the rich diversity of its landscapes and habitats.

Jamie Warren

I moved into the charity sector 13 years ago after many years of working in retail and it has proved one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made.

I joined the Trust in 2015 as Membership Services and Database Coordinator. In my spare time I play bass in an Elvis tribute band.

Helen Graham

When I joined the team in 2013 I discovered just how passionate local people are about wildlife and the natural environment. I am now a Membership Officer, which is fantastic because I get to talk to our members which I love doing.

Gill Fletcher

Having been connected with the Trust since 1989, when I held the post of Office Manager, I am very pleased to now be continuing in my new role of Events and Engagement Officer, organising the ‘member only’ events. I have lived in Sussex all my life and enjoy daily walks in our beautiful countryside.

You can contact our membership department on 01273 497532 or email: membership@sussexwt.org.uk

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Red Kite © Dennis Hunt

Wildlife and Countryside Survey 2019 For the past four years we have conducted an annual survey to gauge Sussex residents’ experience of local wildlife, and to ask your views on how we should prioritise our work.

This year almost 7,000 people from across Sussex let us know their views on wildlife, either online or by completing a paper survey. Your responses give us important insights, invaluable in helping us to plan our work and respond to future challenges.

Headline results show that:

• Just 12% of responders had been lucky enough to see a Barn Owl. These beautiful birds are breeding successfully at Woods Mill, which is a great place to spot them hunting on a still evening • 85% of people enjoy watching wildlife in their garden, by far the most popular place to observe local flora and fauna.

The UK's gardens are larger than all of

our National Nature Reserves combined, so they’re a really important place for wildlife • Over 25% of responders have seen a Red Kite in Sussex. The Red Kite became extinct in England in 1871 due to persecution, so it’s great to hear more people are seeing them once again in Sussex, thanks to the work of conservationists over many decades. You can see them almost anywhere in the county but our reserve at Levin Down affords fabulous views • Around 80% of people said that the opportunity to see rare wildlife will encourage them to visit the new Rye Harbour Discovery Centre Thank you to all the existing members who responded, and to the 280 new members who joined the Trust at the same time.

Wildlife magazine is published twice a year, in April and October.

In between issues you can keep up to date with news and events on our website sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk where you can also sign up for our monthly e-newsletter.

Wildlife magazine is now available in a digital format, which you can choose to receive as well as, or instead of, the printed edition. If you'd like to read Wildlife online in the future please contact the membership team to let us know your preferences.

We will email you each time it is published, so we will also need your email address.

Our promise

We are committed to keeping the personal details of our members and supporters safe.

We store your details securely and use them to manage your membership, including sending this magazine. Sussex Wildlife Trust does not sell, trade or rent your personal information to others. We sometimes use the services of third parties such as mailing houses to issue communications on our behalf, and require them to protect your personal information to the same degree that we do. If you provide your telephone number and email address we may contact you by these methods.

We sometimes send information about other aspects of our work such as conservation news, events, fundraising appeals and volunteer opportunities. Should you prefer not to receive this information you can opt-out of mail, telephone or email contact by notifying us on membership@sussexwt.org.uk or telephoning 01273 497532.

Our full Privacy Notice explaining how and why we use your personal data can be found online at sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/privacy. Printed copies are available from the Membership team.

In my first year as Chief ExecuWve you have shown you are a growing force to be reckoned with. Sussex Wildlife Trust membership has been steadily rising – to nearly 35,000 individuals. The staff team are immensely proud of this figure and of the strength it gives the Trust to act and speak up for wildlife.

I know that all of you are playing your part in a variety of ways to champion wildlife and our connecWon to nature. In addiWon, your financial support is clearly criWcal to the Trust’s ongoing work.

I’ve met many of you as Chief ExecuWve – at the AGM, at new member events, at guided walks, at legacy pledger events, through volunteer acWviWes, with your children at events in the woods, in Westminster and at Wildlife Guardian events. I’ve also bumped into you at weekends while I’ve been walking on the beach, on the downs, on reserves and in our towns.

I’ve talked to you about your love of nature and the places that are special to you. I’ve seen your beauWful photos, read your tweets and posts on social media, answered your arWculate le3ers and supported your hear2elt campaigns.

My decision-making is frequently carried out with you in mind – I o$en ask myself whether you would approve of a parWcular spend, or a changed focus in our work.

Thank you for acWng as our conscience at the Trust.

I’m bowled over by the love, dedicaWon, energy and commitment that you demonstrate.

Thank you so much for the support you show and give to your local Wildlife Trust.

Inside this issue…

REGULARS

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Wildlife News

Fashion without waste and a royal seal of approval.

On the reserves

Exciting finds on our nature reserves and a warm welcome to Reg, new Reg © Miles Davies member of our land management team.

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Membership

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WildCall

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Book Review

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Charlotte Owen explains the phenomenon of Starling murmuration.

Enter our free book draw.

Sussex Life carries a regular monthly section featuring Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Copies are available from your local newsagent or by annual subscription.

Contact Sussex Life tel: 01858 438832

The aim of the Sussex Wildlife Trust is to conserve the Sussex landscape, wildlife and its habitats, and to use its knowledge and expertise to help the people of Sussex to enjoy, understand and take action to this end.

Front cover: Red Kite © ARCO/naturepl.com

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

A rare sighting of the Sussex Emerald

by Barry Yates at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and news of the Discovery Centre.

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Annual Review

Tor Lawrence CEO reviews our achievements during 2018/19 highlighting the environmental challenges we face.

The secret life of the Great Crested Grebe

A glimpse into the life of this stunning water bird driven almost to extinction because of fashion demands in the late 1800s.

News from the membership team and a tried and tested recipe for success.

For membership details please telephone 01273 497532

Tor Lawrence

FEATURES

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A walk around…

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Climate Emergency

Join Volunteer Reserve Manager Bill Young for a walk around Levin Down nature reserve near Chichester.

Find out more about our vision for a Wilder Sussex, and how you can help our planet combat the threat of climate change.

Wildlife is produced and published by: The Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 9SD. Tel: 01273 492630 Email: enquiries@sussexwt.org.uk Website: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk Editor: Amanda Reeves

Design: Barry Sharman Design Tel: 07801 659094 Email: barry@barrysharman.com Advertising: Amanda Reeves Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9SD Email: amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk

The Sussex Wildlife Trust is a company limited by guarantee.

Registered Company No: 698851 Registered Charity No: 207005

Chairman of Council: Dr Sean Ashworth Chief Executive: Tor Lawrence

CBP000121190303155716

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WildlifeNews WETLAND SUCCESS We are delighted to have been awarded a grant of £7,525 for work at Filsham Reedbed from Sussex Lund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, which is administered by the High Weald AONB Partnership.

Tor Lawrence and Dr Tony Whitbread © Miles Davies

Fran Southgate © Emma Chaplin

ON THE ROAD

Look out for our Living Landscapes Adviser Fran Southgate, when she's out and about in Sussex in our newly-branded van on Natural Flood Management work as part of our Sussex Flow Initiative project. The van will also be used by our education outreach staff and volunteers visiting schools across the county.

Sussex Flow Initiative is a Natural Flood Management project formed in 2014 as a partnership between the Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust and Environment Agency. The Project was originally set up

to help reduce flooding in the Ouse river catchment in central Sussex but in 2016, Lewes District Council joined the partnership, and in 2018 the project was expanded to include the Powdermill catchment in East Sussex.

Natural Flood Management uses natural processes and landscapes to help reduce flood risk and to increase resilience to drought.

For further information contact Fran Southgate: fransouthgate@sussexwt.org.uk or tel: 01273 497555.

FASHION WITHOUT WASTE

Sussex Wildlife Trust has collaborated with a fashion/tech business to sell t-shirts made from already worn organic t-shirts designed to be remade again and again.

Over 100 billion items of clothing are made per year, and yet a truck full of textiles is burned or buried in landfill every second.

By using modern technologies, Sussex Wildlife Trust products made by Teemill are printed in a renewable energy-powered factory in real time - seconds after they are ordered. There is no unsold stock.

Customers scan the label inside with their phone to activate a free post returns coupon when the product is worn out. Teemill recover and remanufacture the materials into new t-shirts and give the customer £5 off a new item. Technology efficiencies enable these plastic free, organic and recycled t-shirts to be retailed new at £20.

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Sussex Wildlife Trust's first circular fashion t-shirt featuring our popular Swifts design is available now at: sussexwildlifetrust.teemill.com

Dr Tony Whitbread, who retired as our Chief Executive in March 2018 has returned to take a leading role in nature conservation in the county as President of the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

During his time at the Trust, Tony played a huge role as a conservation advocate, battling against road building, urban development, the potential expansion of Gatwick Airport and other countryside loss.

He was at the forefront in promoting the need for the establishment of the South Downs National Park – a designation realised in 2011. He also played a leading role in establishing the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre.

His first engagement as our new President was earlier this year in June when he welcomed guests to Great Dixter House in Northiam, Rye at a reception organised by the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre Appeal Board.

Tony said, ‘Since handing over the reins to my successor, Tor Lawrence, I have been concentrating on my voluntary work promoting the rewilding of nature and involvement in the growing concern about climate and environmental breakdown.

I had no hesitation in accepting the role of President which I consider to be an incredible privilege carrying great responsibility.’

Tor said, ‘Tony was instrumental in developing the Sussex Wildlife Trust to be one of the UK’s leading conservation and wildlife organisations. The support we enjoy from our members and partners is in no small part a reflection of Tony’s infectious enthusiasm and leadership style.

‘I am delighted that he has accepted the role of President of the Sussex Wildlife Trust – an appointment I know will be welcomed by our members, volunteers, supporters and staff– and I look forward to working with him in the future.’

This nature reserve can be found between Bexhill and Hastings and contains not only one of the largest reedbeds in Sussex but a wonderful variety of wetland habitats such as Reed Fen and Swamp. These habitats support a wealth of bird, plant and insect life including breeding Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Warbler, Water Violet - found only in open ditches of good water quality and many rare invertebrates such as Dotted Fan-foot and Flame Wainscot moths.

Thanks to this generous grant, over the next ten months we will undertake extensive work to remove scrub that is encroaching the wetland habitats, clear two small ponds and some ditches to maintain open water on the nature reserve, as well as cutting back reeds so that habitats are maintained. Our current volunteer group do an excellent job of maintaining the site and thanks

We are seeking new Trustees

Water Violet

to the funding, we plan to purchase more tools to support their work.

Volunteering is a great way to learn more about wildlife, learn new skills, meet new people and enjoy the nature reserve. We plan to lead a guided local community walk in the spring of 2020 to explain more about our work at the reserve and how it affects the wildlife.

Interested in joining the volunteer group?

Please tel: 01273 497500 or email: swtvolunteering@sussexwt.org.uk

We are looking to continue to reflect key business experience through our board of trustees and are seeking to recruit two additional representatives with a combination of significant project management and/or fundraising and marketing expertise.

The successful candidates will be familiar with the responsibilities of both charity governance and management and have experience of being a trustee, advising on effective strategic direction as well as development and implementation of major capital projects, such as the set-up and development of visitor centres, and/or fundraising.

Tor Lawrence with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall © Graham Franks

ROYAL APPROVAL

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall honoured the East Sussex Women of the Year at their biennial lunch at the American Express Community Stadium, Brighton.

Over 250 women attended including Tor Lawrence, our CEO. This was the first time that the Duchess, who is Honorary Patron, had been able to attend and it gave the perfect opportunity for Quenelda Avery, Founder and Chairman, to thank her for all her support over the years and for highlighting the achievements of the women of East Sussex.

In addition, experience of Health & Safety, HR knowledge and chartered accountancy skills would be advantageous.

This role is voluntary and unpaid. If you have experience in any of these areas and would like to help us make Sussex a place for nature’s recovery, we would very much like to hear from you.

Please send your up-to date CV along with a covering letter to the Chief Executive Office, swtceoffice@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone 01273 497526 for an informal talk.

Grey Seal © Alexander Mustard/2020VISION Wildlife 5

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A new wave of protection for Sussex seas Black Seabream Š Paulo de Oliveiria

by Sarah Ward Living Seas Officer

In May, the Government announced the designation of 39 new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in English waters. This included three new zones in Sussex waters, meaning we now have a total of nine MCZs in Sussex seas.

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These newly designated sites bring the total number of MCZs around England up to 89 and mean a big step forward in terms of creating an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas, a ‘blue belt’ if you will, around the UK. Our seas are under enormous pressure from all kinds of human activity, including fishing, extraction and development.

Whilst protected areas are not a ‘cure-all’ for the health of our seas, they are an important tool for managing the sea in a sustainable manner. Just like nature reserves on land, protected areas at sea prevent or manage activities which can cause damage to the habitat and/or the particular species which inhabit the area.

For protected areas to be effective they need to function together, not as individual sanctuaries, which is why we need a

network of MCZs. Animals need to be able to move between the zones to breed, feed and grow. The zones also need to represent the different kinds of habitats in the UK and they need to be well-managed to protect the features that make them special.

All MCZs have specific features for which they have been designated. This may be a particular species which uses the area, an entire habitat, or a combination of both. Black Seabream are protected within Kingmere MCZ (offshore from Worthing) – an important breeding ground for them; Beachy Head West MCZ has protection for its intertidal and subtidal chalk, meaning the rock pools exposed at low tide are protected. Two of our new sites, Selsey Bill & The Hounds and Beachy Head East protect the Short-snouted Seahorse as well as the habitats in the area.

Short-snouted Seahorse Š Paulo de Oliveiria

For protected areas to be effective they need to function together, not as individual sanctuaries, which is why we need a network of MCZs.

Designation of the sites is just the first step. For these new sites, there is currently no management in place, as assessments and consultation need to take place before this can happen. The condition of features will be assessed, and this will be used to decide on a suitable management plan for the various activities which take place within the areas. The Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority is responsible for managing fisheries activities out to six nautical miles and as such will be creating fisheries byelaws for the nearshore MCZs. Sussex Wildlife Trust will be actively engaging with the government bodies and other stakeholders involved throughout this process and will continue to target the efforts of our citizen science projects towards MCZs in Sussex.

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NatureReserves

New faces New faces

Welcome to our Grazing Manager Tom Parry pictured with Reg his Border Collie sheepdog and also to our Ecologist Glenn Norris.

Tom’s work involves management of the Trust's own livestock, including sheep and cattle, and helping to ensure that the conservation grazing we undertake on our reserves delivers fantastic results for wildlife. Tom joins us from the South Downs National Park where for the past ten years he was Lead Ranger carrying out practical conservation management and delivering many conservation grazing projects.

He said, ‘My passion for conservation grazing came about a few years ago when I struggled to get suitable grazing on a chalk grassland site I had been working on. So I took matters into my own hands and bought four Herdwick sheep with a friend, to help graze a small site in Steyning that we had been working on.

‘I now run a small suckler herd of 54 native Sussex cattle and a flock of 120 Jacob sheep, which I use for conservation grazing across the South Downs, mainly in the Steyning/Storrington area.

‘In my spare time I used to be a keen runner, completing several ultra-marathons including the Marathon Des Sables in 2014, basically a long run through the Sahara. I have since had a family and decided to keep livestock, so my spare time is non-existent and I now spend my weekends and evenings chasing sheep or a runaway child!’

On the Reserves

With Dan Ross, Director of Land Management

Glenn has joined Sussex Wildlife Trust from Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust where he worked in their ecological consultancy.

His work focusses on delivering our ecological monitoring strategy, ensuring our approach to land management is grounded in good ecological evidence. Glenn supports the work of our Senior Ecologist Graeme Lyons who continues Glenn Norris to work for the Trust part-time.

Glenn has spent the past six years surveying a wide range of plants and animals, from Lesser Horseshoe Bats to Small Blue butterflies and woodlands in Gloucestershire, to Golden Eagle, Pine Marten and bogs in Scotland.

He said, ‘I began my ecology experience with the Scottish Wildlife Trust as a Trainee Ecologist where I started my studies of invertebrates, particularly spiders and beetles. I look forward to playing a role in the management of the Trust’s nature reserves collecting data and making recommendations.

‘After work I’m definitely better at watching sport than playing although my fantasy premier league record maybe suggests my skills are better suited to Head Coach/Manager. Having said that I’m looking for a local cricket club who need a Number 11 who can’t bowl, and now I live so close to the beach I plan on seeing if cold water swimming is all it’s made out to be!’

Pictures © Miles Davies

months later in April, the nationally rare and endangered spider Scotina palliardi was recorded for the first time at Levin Down.

Lapwing chicks © Lisa Geoghegan

The whole team was excited to see our first Lapwing chicks on Waltham Brooks for at least eight years. The Lapwing have bred in areas where we have cleared willow scrub using a grant from the Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS). We are very grateful to SOS for the grant of £12,500 and look forward to the return of the Lapwings next year.

At Amberley Wildbrooks, next door to Waltham Brooks, we are working with partners to achieve the best habitat possible for the reserve. Grazing to get the sward height right is crucial for the breeding waders and overwintering wildfowl that Amberley is so important for.

Earlier this year in February, several rare money spiders were found on the area of Iping Common that accidently burnt in 2018. These were the nationally scarce Mecopisthes peusi and nationally rare and endangered Tapinocyba mitis. Both these rare species are known to do well on burnt heaths and were last recorded there in 1968. A few

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Seaford Head Bioblitz © Sam Roberts

In July, a singing Melodious Warbler was recorded at Butcherlands. A singing bird in spring so far inland is unusual even for this rare migrant. That however was a vagrant. Breeding Dartford Warblers was another incredibly unexpected result. The fact that it is usually a heathland bird and here it was breeding in bramble scrub is remarkable.

Scarce 7-spot Ladybird © Graeme Lyons

A week later, the Scarce 7-spot Ladybird was discovered, new to West Sussex, near a Red Wood Ant nest at Graffham Common.

This can be directly attributed to the opening up of the common by the Trust over the last decade and is a great success story.

A bioblitz at Seaford Head produced over 350 species, including 37 new to the reserve.

Highlights were the rare migrant moth the Purple Marbled, the nationally scarce shingle jumping spider Sitticus pubescens and the nationally scarce bug Drymus latus never recorded on a Trust reserve before.

Dartford Warbler © Derek Middleton

At Marline Valley nature reserve, near Hastings, we repeated the invertebrate survey last carried out ten years ago.

This was a monthly count during April to September carried out there in three of the meadows and one area of woodland. It was July’s visit that proved really exciting. The day started well when the soldierfly Oycera rara or Four-barred Major, was swept from the wet flush in the biggest of the meadows. While not a par-

ticularly rare species, it does appear to be a new species to the reserves network.

However, it was a small, odd looking bug that our Senior Ecologist Graeme Lyons found in the suction sampler that got him really excited. In the field, no one was sure what it was, but with a bit of research he later identified it as Coptosoma scutellatum a shield bug new to Britain, which Graeme has named the Trapezium Shieldbug.

Coptosoma scutellatum © Graeme Lyons

Become a woodland owner in Sussex

Wildlife 9

EcologyZone with Graeme Lyons, Senior Ecologist

Hermicelpsis marginata

Aquatic invertebrates Odontocerum albicorne

Words and pictures Graeme Lyons

Graeme Lyons

Senior Ecologist Sussex Wildlife Trust

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Graeme Lyons introduces us to some aquatic invertebrates and gives his top tips for identifying them.

Aquatic invertebrates are really great indicators of water quality and are a great way to evaluate our wetlands.

Aquatic molluscs

Snails of freshwater habitats are nowhere near as numerous as their maritime counterparts, with just over 70 species, and with many of the larger ones being identifiable in the field. They are a great group for assessing water quality, with some species being only present in clear waters, some in stagnant waters and others only in flowing waters. Of this 70 or more, around 30 species are bivalves. Half of these are the tiny pea mussels and are the most difficult group and beginners are advised to stay well clear of these at first!

One important identification feature of aquatic snails is ‘which way round the snail is twisted’. If you face the opening of the shell towards you and the spiral pointing upwards, if the opening is on the left

hand side (this is known as sinistral) or the right (dextral). The majority of aquatic snails in the UK being dextral such as the Eared Pond Snail Radix auricularia.

Leeches

Freshwater leeches, although gruesome in behaviour and often disconcerting to watch move, are fascinating. There are very few species in the UK (less than 20).

Each species has distinct prey. Some species specialise in fish such as the striking Hemicelpsis marginata and some specialise in birds such as the Duck Leech Theromyzum tessulatum. The rare and unmistakable Medicinal Leech Hirudo medicinalis is a protected and near threatened species that in Sussex is only found in the Rye Harbour area where it is well

Radix acuricularia

Valvata macrostoma

established. Humans are prey for this species but don’t worry, unless you go bare-foot in the ditches it is present in, you won’t become a meal for a leech. Unlike almost all the other aquatic invertebrates, placing them in alcohol for later identification damages the specimens so identifying them in the field is far more practical.

in flight in or near wetlands but they also come readily to light. The larvae are often extremely abundant but the keys are lengthy and laborious and are not for the faint-hearted. Some caddisflies make their cases out of vegetable matter and others from stones and other debris. A common species of Limnephilus has made its case almost entirely from the nationally rare and vulnerable Large-mouth Valve Snail Valvata macrostoma. The impressive caddisfly Odontocerum albicorne is a species of stony streams but you could see it in the Ashdown Forest.

We have some fantastic wetlands in Sussex with Pevensey Levels particularly rich in species, with the Arun Valley not far behind it. However even small ponds and ditches can be rich if well-managed.

Caddisflies

A large group (around 200 species) of mothlike insects that are quite tricky to identify and almost all of them require microscopic examination of the adults. The larvae are even more difficult to identify but you can get a rough idea what family your species is in by the shape, structure and composition of the unusual cases the larvae make. The best way to find the adults is netting them

Wildlife 11

Membership

Rye Harbour Discovery Centre Appeal

THANK YOU EASTBOURNE

Our local members group based in Eastbourne run a fantastic programme of events every year and we were delighted to receive a cheque totalling £1,600, presented to Michael Blencowe, the Trust’s Senior Learning and Engagement Officer, when he gave a talk to the group.

We have been delighted at the response from members to the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre appeal.

Hundreds of members very generously donated to the project raising almost £60,000, which will enable us to do so much more to inspire and welcome visitors to our internationally important nature reserve. The total raised so far for the project from the Friends of Rye Harbour, grants, major gifts, events and donations is £3.5million towards an appeal total of £4.5million.

Construction of the Discovery Centre began earlier this year, and we hope to begin welcoming visitors in the spring of 2020.

If you haven’t yet made a donation, and would like to support this important project, please visit ryeharbourdiscoverycentre.org.uk or call the membership team on 01273 497532.

An update on the Discovery Centre can be found on page 15.

CONTACT US

If you have any queries about your membership, please contact the Membership team by phone on 01273 497532 or e-mail: membership@sussexwt.org.uk Please email if you can as our phone lines are often extremely busy. It helps us if you have your membership number handy; this can be found on your membership card.

Part of their donation will support the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre Appeal's ‘Buy a Bird’ scheme. We are hugely grateful to the members and committee of the Eastbourne Group for their support. If you would more information on the Eastbourne local group, please contact the Secretary Janet Nott email: secretary-swteastbourne@hotmail.co.uk

Maria Jonsson with her delicious cheese biscuits

HOME BAKED GOODIES

If you have attended a members’ event recently it won’t have escaped your notice that we’re fond of serving a home-baked morsel or two.

Maria Jonsson, Executive Officer at Woods Mill, reveals the secret of her easy cheesy biscuits, always a hit with new members at our evening events.

Ingredients Makes 50 small and very cheesy biscuits

100g plain flour 100g salted butter – chilled 100g extra mature Cheddar – grated ½ tsp mustard powder Cold water

Sieve the flour into a bowl and use a cheese grater to grate in the chilled butter.

Rub the butter in with your fingertips and once the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, add the grated Cheddar and mustard powder.

NOT YET A MEMBER?

Sussex Wildlife Trust is the only charity working throughout the whole of Sussex to stop the decline of wildlife and restore a living landscape.

We couldn’t do it without our members whose support helps us care for more than 30 nature reserves, ensuring that they remain havens for wildlife and people; allows us to improve conditions for rare and threatened wildlife such as the Otter, the Adonis Blue butterfly, and the Black Poplar tree; and enables us to educate and inspire thousands of local people and visitors about the wildlife of Sussex.

If you are not already a member of Sussex Wildlife Trust, please join today.

As a member you will receive this magazine twice a year, a membership handbook introducing our nature reserves, and discounts on hundreds of courses and events. You can join online at sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk, or by telephoning 01273 497532.

Stir to combine and add water a few drops at a time until a dough can be formed. Use as little water as possible.

Shape the dough into two logs around 2cm in diameter, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 180c / 350F / gas mark 4.

Slice each log into small rounds a little thicker than a pound coin, place on an oven tray covered with greaseproof paper and bake until golden – around eight minutes.

Leave the biscuits to cool on the tray for a few minutes before removing them or they are likely to break.

If you make Maria’s biscuits, we would love to see a picture of the result, in an outdoor setting of course! E-mail: amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk

PASS IT ON

When you have finished reading this copy of Wildlife why not pass it on to a friend, or to your local doctor’s surgery for their waiting room? We want as many people as possible in Sussex to know about our work, and to support their local wildlife charity, and anything you can do to spread the word would be very much appreciated.

Redshank © Lisa Geoghegan

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Wildlife 13

Rye Harbour nature reserve

Emeralds found at Rye

VOICES OF RYE

In early spring 2019, Sussex Wildlife Trust was delighted to collaborate with Jane Lovell on a series of poetry workshops held at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve called Voices of Rye Harbour.

by Barry Yates, Reserve Manager, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve The Sussex Emerald (Thalera fimbrialis) moth is a very rare beast in the UK, with breeding traditionally restricted to the disturbed shingle habitats at Dungeness in Kent (though it has colonised two other sites further east in the county in recent years).

Adults are active between July and early August and the eggs are laid (and the larvae usually feed) on Wild Carrot, though both Common Ragwort and Hoary Ragwort (and more rarely Yarrow and Gorse) are utilised as a secondary foodplant in the UK.

As its name suggests, this species was first found in the UK in Sussex and there were several records around the Beachy Head/Eastbourne area prior to the 1950s. At Rye

Harbour there had only been two records, on two dates in July 2010.

Designed for those without much experience of writing, the aim was to increase confidence as well as encouraging people to reflect on nature in a thoughtful way.

This year however, there has been a veritable ‘tidal wave’ of Sussex Emeralds, with around 20 individuals entering a moth trap behind the temporary Visitor Centre between 7 - 21 of July and with a maximum of eight found on 11 July. It seems highly likely that the species is breeding at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve this year, though we will only know for certain if we find larvae on the reserve.

While larvae are present in late summer they are very small and difficult to find, so it will have to wait until May 2020 when they will have grown to more ‘findable’ proportions.

Rye Harbour Discovery Centre Ekiden Marathon © Martin Bruce

by Emma Chaplin

The Discovery Centre project at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve has really moved on since our last magazine in April. Baxall Construction has been doing a terrific job, despite challenges such as adverse weather – wind in particular.

Sussex Emerald moth © Barry Yates

COMMUNITY QUILT RAFFLE

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© Barry Yates

In autumn 2018, when the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre project was beginning to get underway, Jenny Willsher, Anne Yates (wife of Reserve Manager Barry) and Amanda Martin, all Sussex Wildlife Trust volunteers and Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, joined forces with the idea of creating a community quilt. The design would be inspired by the nature reserve and the quilt raffled off as a fundraiser for the new Discovery Centre.

Thirty people aged from 880+ volunteered to help, including four generations of the Yates family. Everyone chose their own design with a connection to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

A delightful variety of topics resulted, depicting, for example, the Common Blue butterfly, an Oystercatcher, Yellow-horned Poppy, sheep, a yellow gravel truck and Camber Castle.

Thirty panels were put together with an overall ‘attic window’ design, giving the impression of 3D perspective. This was

sent to professional quilters who sewed in the wadding layer of recycled cotton.

This unique quilt will go ‘on tour’, including to the Sussex Wildlife Trust AGM on 9 November, so people can buy raffle tickets for a chance to win this beautiful memento of the reserve. Raffle tickets are also available from the Information Centre at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

Everyone chose their own design with a connection to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

The raffle will be drawn in March 2020 to coincide with 50th anniversary of the nature reserve. There will be a total of 50 prizes, including the quilt.

For more information: sussexwidllifetrust.org.uk/quiltraffle

Their team established offices in the Rye Harbour village car park, then built a public walkway next to the Discovery Centre site, to allow access to the reserve for staff, volunteers and visitors. Sussex Wildlife Trust erected a number of interpretation boards along the walkway, providing information about the Discovery Centre project, as well as highlighting the rare and beautiful wildlife that thrives on the reserve.

Once the building site was made safe, Lime Kiln Cottage was dismantled. A Groundbreaking Ceremony was then held, with our Chief Executive Tor Lawrence, the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, the Discovery Centre Appeal Board and senior staff from Baxall.

The next part of the build involved pile driving and drain digging, before preparations were made for pouring the concrete foundations, or ‘slab’. Then Inwood came on site to begin erecting the building they’d made in their workshop, comprising a timber frame, roof, and locallysourced Sweet Chestnut cladding.

We were pleased to welcome around sixty people to a public drop-in event, designed to answer any questions that the local community had about the project.

We are enormously grateful to everyone who generously supported the Discovery Centre Members Appeal this year.

We have an Appeal team, who Andy McConnell © Nazarin Montag

have been busy organising a series of successful fundraising events, such as the Ekiden Relay, and a talk by Antiques Roadshow glass expert Andy McConnell.

Twenty- one Waitrose stores throughout East Sussex and Kent featured the Discovery Centre as part of their Community Matters green token scheme, raising almost £5,000. ryeharbourdiscoverycentre.org.uk

It was also a chance to spend an afternoon with a friendly group, finishing with delicious tea and scones at the Avocet Gallery and Tea Room.

Reserve Manager Barry Yates was one of those who went along, in fact, writing his first ever poem.

Award-winning poet Jane said, ‘I love the huge horizon at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, and the fact that the skies, land and sea converge there. I find the landscape uncluttered, a place of peace and calm, which gives you space to think.’

A creative writing group, led by Jane, now meets monthly.

The Voices of Rye Harbour workshops have been supported by the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

Avocet © Barry Yates

Black and white on long blue legs through mud and water side-swishing a slender bill to eat another shrimp another shrimp another shrimp.

by Barry Yates

To find out more: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ whats-on/category/rye

Wildlife 15

Annual Review 2018-19

Nature boom

© Miles Davies

by Sue Curnock - Nature Tots and Wildlife Watch Coordinator Our children’s nature clubs are going through a boom period. So, what’s on offer – Sue Curnock, Nature Tots and Wildlife Watch Co-ordinator explains:

Nature Tots is woodland exploration, woodcrafts and wildlife activities based around the changing seasons for ages 3-5 years and Wildlife Watch is a step-up in content and skills for ages 5-11 years.

We have 16 Nature Tot groups running from Monday – Saturday at various locations including Woods Mill, Henfield, Seven Sisters near Eastbourne, Stanmer Park, Brighton, Chesworth Park at Horsham, Tilgate Park, Crawley and Rye. We are working with whole families over repeat visits, so the effect is deep and long lasting.

Our ‘Children’s Nature Clubs’ web page brings everything together: Tots, Watch, Wildlife Rangers (12 -16 years old) and Holiday Clubs, making it easy for people to see at a glance that we encourage all ages from 3-16 years old.

Ryan Greaves and I are running a joint project with the University of Sussex to investigate the benefits of Risky Play on children’s resilience against mental health problems. We provide Forest School sessions giving three year old children opportunities to build physical confidence and selfesteem with achievable and appropriately risk-assessed challenges such as tree climbing and using tools from bowsaws to fire steels.

Sussex Wildlife Trust Nature Clubs offer children from 3 to 16 the opportunity to experience and learn from nature. They will be encouraged to tackle hands-on outdoor activities, work co-operatively with others and gain a sense of achievement.

Book now: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/childrensclubs

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Common Spotted-orchid © Mike Read

Annual Review

Speaking up for nature

Tor Lawrence CEO © Miles Davies

Tor Lawrence, Chief Executive, reviews our achievements during 2018/19 highlighting the environmental challenges we face.

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Clockwise from top: Grey Seal © Andrew Parkinson /naturepl.com Litter picking © Miles Davies Marbled White © Bob Eade

Levin Down Nature Reserve © Mark Monk-Terry

Last year, 2018/19 was a year of significant transition for the Trust, set within the context of rapidly increasing local and national awareness of environmental challenges. There has been a clear increase in local and national action such as school strikes, increased coastal litter picks, lobbying of MPs and a myriad of views on rewilding approaches and potential postBrexit agricultural policies.

During this period we’ve worked hard, seen our highest ever membership figures and we’ve undergone some changes in leadership, which has meant a different

approach in some areas of our work.

Our commitment to a wilder Sussex has remained at the heart of what we do.

We’ve continued to deliver a broad and dynamic programme of habitat and infrastructure management work at our nature reserves, helping to ensure that they remain some of the best places for wildlife and for people to engage with nature in Sussex. We made plans to increase our in-house ecological expertise with the appointment of a Reserve Ecologist to work alongside the Senior Ecologist, and will be focusing on delivering the ecologi-

cal monitoring strategy and continuing to ensure our land management decision making is robustly underpinned by ecological evidence. Key projects included habitat surveys at Woods Mill, orchid surveys at Malling Down and Southerham Farm and also invertebrate surveys at Marline Valley.

Thanks to funding from ScottishPower Foundation, we’ve held a year of events for a range of ages to celebrate 50 years of Woods Mill nature reserve.

We’ve also embarked on new territory.

Trustees made the decision early in 2019 to sign a contract with Baxall Construction

to build the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre.

Staff and Trustees have worked hard with the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, volunteers and the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre Appeal Board, to bring in funding and manage the vast range of issues which a new visitor centre creates. We also held detailed discussions with East Sussex County Council regarding their plans to transfer responsibilities for some of their countryside sites. In June 2019 they granted Sussex Wildlife Trust a peppercorn lease for the beautiful Ditchling Common following a detailed due diligence process.

We have ensured a robust approach to safe and effective delivery on the ground. We have broadened our approach to tree risk management, building on our existing processes to take into account the increasing risk from Ash dieback.

We have prioritised action plans, and delivered significant tree safety works on the ground throughout our portfolio.

We’ve been working with farming consultants to review our approach to grazing and to implement further improvements.

We continued to grow our Natural Flood Management Partnership with the Sussex

Wildlife 19

Annual Review

Speaking up for nature

WildCall Officer Charlotte Owen runs our dedicated wildlife advice and information service.

If you would like to report an interesting wildlife sighting, find out more about the creatures that live in your garden, raise concerns over planning issues or have any wildlife related enquiry, then Charlotte is here to answer your questions or put you in touch with someone who can help.

by Charlo,e Owen

Regular calls come from people who have discovered sick or injured wildlife. The Trust does not offer a rescue service or take in injured or sick creatures but Charlotte will be able to put you in touch with exactly the right person to help. If you would like more information on any of these topics contact Charlotte on 01273 494777 (9am to 1pm weekdays) or email wildcall@sussexwt.org.uk

Why do Starlings form murmurations?

How do they manage to fly like this without crashing into each other?

A murmuration of Starlings is one of the natural world’s most impressive spectacles, eagerly anticipated each winter and relatively easy to see - yet intriguingly mysterious, since we still don’t fully understand exactly how this fascinating phenomenon is achieved.

Members walk at Woods Mill © Miles Davies

Flow Initiative giving advice on over 6000 hectares of land in Sussex, delivering natural flood alleviation measures and planting over 20,000 trees. In doing so we have held back nearly four million litres of floodwater.

Membership numbers continued to grow this year, and we achieved our highest ever number of members at the end of January 2019, ending the financial year with a total of 34,015 individuals in 19,034 households. This means 2.1% of the population of Sussex are members, a good increase towards our target of 3%.

We maintained a healthy rate of membership growth at 6.5% in the year, the second highest growth among the larger wildlife trusts. Continued investment in diverse methods of membership recruitment resulted in the highest number of new memberships since 2006.

Our commitment to working in partnership has been evident during this period.

We held three partner events during

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Stonechat © Bob Eade

2018/19 with 86 people from 43 organisations attending to discuss Wilder Sussex with us. We’ve continued to work with a range of partners and landowners on projects such as Heathlands Reunited and Sussex by the Sea. We have been a key partner in the Sussex Local Nature Partnership, leading on the development of the Sussex Natural Capital Investment Strategy, to ensure that both the terrestrial and marine environments are given equal attention.

We embarked on leadership and management training for our Senior Manage-

ment Team and we have started to review our policies and processes relating to staff management. We’ve established a staff working group to focus on Living Lightly and our own environmental footprint.

We’ve welcomed Dr Sean Ashworth as our new Chair of Trustees and Simon Linington as Honorary Secretary. We’ve held governance training for Council and our Senior Management Team and put a governance action plan in place.

It only remains for me to thank our staff and volunteers for all their work to help create a Wilder Sussex.

We do know why they do it, and it’s mostly about safety in numbers. Starlings are sociable birds and during the day they feed in small flocks scattered throughout the landscape.

As daylight starts to fade, each flock will head back to a communal winter roost site where the birds will all pack in tightly to keep warm overnight. But before they do, the small flocks combine into bigger flocks and eventually merge into a mesmerising murmuration that can contain thousands of individual birds

all swooping and diving in perfect unison.

The incredible aerial display is maintained as the birds circle and swirl above their roost site, which could be anywhere from a sheltered woodland or reedbed to an industrial estate or ivy-covered wall, until eventually an invisible signal triggers the descent.

The practical function of this deliberately dazzling behaviour is self-defence. A huge crowd of noisy birds that regularly returns to the same roost is an obvious target for hungry predators, but it’s much harder for them to pick out a single bird from a shape-shifting flock of thousands.

As to how Starlings manage to achieve such amazingly coordinated flight, there’s a lot

going on at once. Each bird is constantly monitoring and matching the movements of its nearest neighbours and can make nearinstant adjustments to its flight path thanks to a superfast reaction time of less than 100 milliseconds. This means that the flock will always move together in the same direction, even if there is a sudden turn. At the same time, the birds are attempting to maintain optimal flock density, gauged by the amount of light that reaches their eyes and the angle at which it enters, while also jostling for the safest position at the centre of the flock and trying to avoid being exposed to danger at the edges. The result is a synchronised swarm that not even a Peregrine, the world’s fastest bird, can break – a truly extraordinary feat, and yet they make it seem so effortless.

To see our Trustees Report and Annual Accounts 2018/19 please visit our website – sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/annualaccounts

To receive a paper copy of this document please contact The Chief Executive Office – email: swtceoffice@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone: 01273 497526.

Starlings at West Pier © Alan Humphries

Wildlife 21

Investing in Nature

Louise Collins, Corporate and Community Fundraising Officer

To find out how your group or business could benefit from working more closely with the largest nature conservation charity in Sussex, please email: louisecollins@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone 01273 497522.

NEW BUSINESS PARTNERS

Creature Candy was created by Ecologist Lizzie Barker. She inspires people to take active roles in conservation and helps raise funds for charities that conserve our wildlife.

Creature Candy offer a range of timeless, stylish British-made nature products that raise awareness of Britain's declining wildlife species.

Members can get 10% off all products, and Creature Candy will then donate 10% of the final price to Sussex Wildlife Trust. Simply add the code SUSSEXWT at the online check out. creaturecandy.co.uk

Cobb Digital team

Southern Co-op protect sea life Southern Co-op team

Three local wildlife trusts have received a generous donation from regional co-operative, Southern Co-op, to help protect marine life.

A total of £18,500 was donated as part of an award scheme run by the national Co-op Group.

Southern Co-op, which runs food and funeral stores across the south of England, nominated the wildlife trusts as charities to receive a donation from the Pioneer Awards, which recognises organisations which support co-operatives in seeking a different way of doing business.

The funding will be split between Sussex, Hampshire & Isle of Wight and Dorset Wildlife Trusts.

Sarah Ward, Marine Officer at Sussex Wildlife Trust said: ‘We are using Southern

ART FAIRS – A HUGE SUCCESS

We were delighted to work with Sussex Art Fairs (West) at Goodwood in May where exhibiting artists kindly donated original works of art for sale at £50 each. A staggering 30 of these artworks sold during the Private View and throughout the weekend raising £1,500 for the Trust.

Another event is planned between 11 and 13 October 2019 at Brighton Racecourse.

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sussexartfairs.co.uk

Co-op’s generous donation to help deliver our vital Sussex Shoresearch and Seasearch volunteering projects, helping us to record plants, animals and habitats in our seas and on our shoreline. The aim of the projects is to build a baseline of data on marine wildlife around Sussex to help promote its conservation.’

Gemma Lacey, Director Sustainability and Communications at Southern Co-op, said: ‘Local wildlife trusts are invaluable and, with their support, we have been able to increase the biodiversity at some of our grounds. We have also worked with them to clean our beaches which is incredibly important in the fight to protect our marine life.

Their campaigns to encourage our communities to get involved are inspirational and we are so pleased to see our donation will have such a special impact on the future.’

UNWANTED ITEMS RAISE VITAL FUNDS

Thank you to everyone who donated their unwanted jewellery and bank notes to our recycling appeal raising £540.

Keep rummaging, and to recycle more unwanted jewellery, watches or banknotes to support our work, please look out for the Recycling for Good Causes envelope in our spring 2020 magazine. recyclingforgoodcauses.org

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

Newview Homes Ltd This commercial double glazing company is based in Worthing and covers the South East undertaking new build and commercial refurbs, working with companies including Arun and Adur Councils. Sustainability is high on their agenda and they recycle 97% of their business waste achieving ISO14001:2015 for environmental management last year. newview-homes.co.uk

Thanks, Cobb Digital We were delighted to be contacted by Business Members, Cobb Digital, when their staff team voted for us to be one of their chosen charities this year.

Brighton-based digital marketing agency Cobb Digital has supported the Trust in various ways. Initially in a sponsored 14km litter-picking walk over the South Downs Way, raising nearly £500 for the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre followed by a beach clean and litter survey at Ovingdean, led by our Marine Officer Sarah Ward.

They collected 5.8kg of litter, over half of which was plastic.

Cobb Digital also donated six hours’ advice about ways of improving social media for the Discovery Centre. cobbpr.com

THANK YOU

Vine House Farm donated over £6,500 last year. Each year, they generously donate 4% of their local bird food sales and an additional £10 for every new customer who lives in Sussex.

Gemini mural © Miles Davies

vinehousefarm.co.uk

In June, 431 runners took part in the sixth Weald Challenge, completing either a 50km ultra trail or a trail half marathon.

Trail Running Sussex donated a fantastic £200 to us. trailrunningsussex.co.uk

Green Tree Gallery raised over £140 to support our work at their ‘Then Came Spring’ exhibition. greentreegallery.co.uk

WILD MURAL

Thank you to staff and pupils at Cumnor House School, Haywards Heath who raised an impressive £722.25 from their ‘wear it green day’ and bring and buy sale. cumnor.co.uk

Gemini Print, a business member for the past six years, was one of the biggest supporters of our Wilderness Wonder Charity Ball.

They bid for an original mural to be painted at their Head Office in Shoreham–by-Sea in our charity auction and we think you’ll agree the finished result is stunning.

The wildlife mural, designed and painted by international artist Jane Laurie, aka Mutiny, is featured in the entrance stairway at the offices in Dolphin Way, ensuring every visitor and member of staff can enjoy it.

gemini-print.co.uk

Wildlife 23

the Great Crested Grebe The secret life of...

Words and pictures by Richard Sharman ARPS At the Great Exhibition of 1876 the beautiful plumage and pelts of this water bird were exhibited by a firm of furriers, Robert Clarke and Sons, as an alternative to furs and boas. As a result, these stunning creatures were persecuted almost to extinction, their numbers being reduced to only 32 recorded breeding pairs by the latter part of the 19th century.

My fascination and desire to photograph these amazing birds has evolved over many years. I have been intrigued by the variety of postures, breeding rituals and behavioural activities. I have witnessed and photographed their early pairing, bonding, courtship displays, and weed presentation rituals. These activities can be witnessed from early December to March in the following year. Protection of territory and mates can lead to ferocious battles.

These secretive birds will often nest deep in reed beds or under thick canopies of foliage in order to protect their chicks from predators including gulls, herons, magpies, pike and foxes. Mating takes place on the nest which is uncommon in most UK water birds. Up to six eggs, but usually four, are laid in late April or May and usually take 28 days to incubate.

Brooding and incubation duties are undertaken by both adults who alternate sitting, leaving the nest every half to three quarters of an hour to feed. As is the case with many water birds, the wet underside of the returning bird helps to create the correct humidity, and moistens the constantly rotated eggs, thus assisting in the hatching of chicks.

The largest UK member of the Grebe family, measuring approximately 25 inches in length with a 26-inch wingspan.

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The young hatch with black and white fluffy plumage and remain camouflaged on the parents’ backs for several weeks, emerging only to receive food. Parents share feeding duties and care of chicks, which become fairly independent at eight to ten weeks, but can still be seen demanding food from their parents. Grebes have huge lobed toes which enable them to move rapidly under water in pursuit of fish. Their diet also includes frogs, newts, small crustaceans and larvae.

Our grateful thanks to Trust member Richard Sharman who has generously donated all of the stunning images that appear in our 2020 wildlife calendar.

To see his collection of Great Crested Grebe images and their breeding life cycle, please visit: wildsideuk.com

Wildlife 25

Wildlife Legacies and gifts in memory

Rock Pipit © Roger Wilmshurst

Legacy Reception

Each year we hold a dedicated event for those who have so kindly pledged to leave a gift to Sussex Wildlife Trust in their Will. In July we hosted a guided walk at Seaford Head, which this year celebrates 50 years of nature reserve designation.

We were delighted that so many of our wonderful supporters could join us. The walk was led by Michael Blencowe, our Senior Learning & Engagement Officer, and with the sun shining and the iconic Seven Sisters in the distance, there was an abundance of wildlife to see including Stonechat, Rock Pipit, Marbled White and Dark Green Fritillary. The walk was followed by a light lunch at Seven Sisters Country Park, where the group discussed and shared their experiences of wildlife and other reserves they had visited in Sussex and beyond.

Hidden kingdom Bank Vole © Sean Stones

by Charlo$e Owen, WildCall Officer The staff garden at Woods Mill is home to a healthy population of Bank Voles.

They supplement their natural diet of leaves, seeds, roots and flowers by hoovering up our lunch crumbs.

Some are shy, only giving themselves away with the gentle rustle of ivy as they make their way through a hidden kingdom, harvesting the food that rains down on them from above.

It’s risky to come out into the open, but they are small, speedy and agile enough to dart out in a flash of chestnut fur to claim a choice morsel. The boldest are happy to be lured out by a well-placed slice of banana, popping their head up to grab the prize before zipping back into the undergrowth to feast in safety.

As a result, our resident voles are getting rather rotund and this proved fatal for at least one unlucky rodent. A chance glance out of the office window was rewarded with the spectacular sight of a 26 Wildlife

Kestrel plummeting out of the sky and landing right in the middle of prime vole territory.

A few moments later, it emerged with a sizeable vole in its talons and flew off in the direction of the Kestrel nest box in the meadow on the reserve. No doubt the vole made a substantial meal for this year’s Kestrel chicks.

Bank Voles may be near the bottom of the food chain but they are essential to the survival of a wide variety of predators. Together with their more secretive cousins, the Field Voles, there are more than 150 million of them in the UK and they feed Foxes, Stoats, and Owls as well as hungry Kestrels.

Few voles live longer than a year so in typical rodent fashion, their main aim in life is to reproduce as rapidly as possible. In a good year they can easily have four or more litters each, with three to five young, so our garden population will soon bounce back.

Next year we plan to hold our legacy pledger event at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, to celebrate the opening of the new Discovery Centre on the reserve’s 50th anniversary year and details will be announced to our legacy pledgers later this year.

If you would like to discuss leaving a gift to Sussex Wildlife Trust in your Will, or you would like to let us know that you have already remembered the Trust in your Will, please contact Gemma Pratt on 01273 497566 or email: gemmapratt@sussexwt.org.uk

Legacy gifts Bechstein's Bat © Graeme Lyons

We were incredibly touched to learn earlier this year that Sussex Wildlife Trust had been chosen as a beneficiary in the estate of the late Doreen Donner, following a Deed of Variation to her Will by her son, David.

This generous gift will support a number of projects at Woods Mill, including reedbed and mill leat restoration, urgent maintenance of the Woods Mill buildings and the setting up of a café serving coffee and cakes from a converted horsebox.

It is also enabling us to buy a valuable parcel of ancient woodland in West Sussex, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

The land includes a number of veteran

© Roger Wilmshurst

Dark Green Fritillary © Bob Eade

Margaret Norman Sarah Chamberlain Jean Bates Roger Ashton Jill Veness Harry Montgomery Yvonne Skelsey Betty Kidgell

DONATIONS IN MEMORY

We would like to thank those who kindly make donations to Sussex Wildlife Trust in memory of their loved ones. During the past six months, we have received donations from the families and friends of: Amanda Geel Patrick McClintock Kai Beaconsfield Barry Mack

Kestrel

Oak and Beech trees, which will be very important in terms of rare bats, lichens and invertebrates.

We are so grateful to David and to Doreen for this gift, and indeed for all of the legacies that support our work.

We would like to record our thanks to the following supporters who have also recently left a legacy to the Trust:

Roger Ashton Anne Orbell Rosemary Hember Robert Hawkins

These in-memory gifts will be recorded in our Book of Remembrance, held at our Woods Mill headquarters.

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/inmemory

Wildlife 27

NatureReserves

Levin Down A walk around…

with Bill Young, Volunteer Reserve Manager

28 Wildlife

Yellowhammer © Lisa Geogeghan

Levin Down nature reserve © Graeme Lyons

Buzzard © Roger Wilmshurst

Juniper Shieldbug © Graeme Lyons

Dormouse © Hugh Clark FRPS

Levin Down is easy to see. As you come over the ridge at Goodwood Racecourse it stands alone – a hill covered in natural scrubby grassland. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest; indeed the reason that Levin has so much of its wildlife value still intact is hinted at in the name, which is derived from ‘Leave-Alone Hill’, meaning that the land was too steep for the plough or other intensive agriculture.

Scrub is usually a serious problem on downland sites, but at Levin it has formed an important part of the ecology of the reserve, and is carefully managed to achieve the right balance between scrub, grassland, and landscape. The bottom edge is ringed with woodland which includes lots of Hazel, no doubt one reason why Dormice do so well here. The soil on the grassy glades of the lower slopes is richer and, slightly shaded by the intimate mix of bushes, is cooler too. Wild Marjoram grows here, the fluffy pink blooms providing nectar for butterflies such as the Marbled White.

Further up the slopes the grass is shorter, grazed by rabbits, our Herdwick sheep, and our Exmoor ponies. Grazing greatly increases the diversity of plant species – Fairy Flax, Wild Thyme, Salad Burnet, Carline Thistle, Common Milkwort, Quaking-grass and Autumn Gentian all squeeze in together to create an incredibly rich sward. It takes a practiced eye to pick out the diminutive Autumn Lady’s-tresses orchid, just five centimetres high with a spiral of tiny white flowers.

On the eastern slope is an area of chalk heath, where plants preferring acid soils such as Heather, Tormentil and Wood Sage grow alongside the chalk-lovers. At the top of the southern slope, there are scattered clumps of a downland speciality that is becoming increasingly scarce in England – Juniper. Our Juniper colony is one of the best in Sussex and it’s also a great place to see the Juniper Shieldbug.

Walking on Levin Down , there are plenty of birds to look out for – Yellowhammer,

Garden Warbler, Buzzard, Kestrel and Red Kite. There are plenty of butterflies as well including Grizzled Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Chalkhill Blue and Brown Argus – several trips will be required to see them all.

GETTING THERE…

Grid ref: SU887130 Nearest postcode: PO18 0HU

Located six miles north of Chichester, Levin Down is within walking distance of the villages of Singleton and Charlton via public footpaths.There is a small parking lay-by at the crossroads in Charlton, and a public footpath leads directly across the field to the reserve.

Further details: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/levindown

Wildlife 29

GROUP EVENTS

The Trust has local groups based in Eastbourne in East Sussex and Chichester and Selsey in West Sussex. They hold local events for members and non-members.

Wild Flower Lawns & Meadows

All three groups offer varied programmes with wildlife themes including illustrated talks, seasonal walks to search for fungi, butterflies or wild flowers and visits to nature reserves.

If you would like to find out more about your local group contact details are below.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary © Mike Read

Language of the land Beaver © David Plummer

Dandelions © Neil Fletcher

by Fran Southgate

Living Landscapes Advisor

We live in a loquacious world. New words are created almost every day, and the breadth and diversity of the language(s) that we can use is breathtaking. The Lost Words by Rob Macfarlane and Jackie Morris also tells us about Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn – words describing our natural world which have fallen out of the dictionary, and therefore out of our awareness.

Within the world of wildlife conservation there are everyday terms we use to describe our interactions with the natural world, which are loaded with assumption. The word conservation itself, implies a kind of preservation in aspic of nature which is both impossible and unfeasible – it gives no scope for a landscape to be adaptable over time and changing circumstance.

There is also an embedded language that the environmental sector uses on a daily basis, which seriously limits our ability to look beyond the

Jay with Acorn © Bob Eade

30 Wildlife

normal, and to challenge the boundaries of the mundane. One example of this might be our reliance of describing a piece of land according to the man-made boundaries around it. Fields, fences, ditches, walls and straight lines define the shape of our landscape without us realising that there might be an alternative. The advice that we give about nature religiously revolves around human boundaries and sticks within their limits.

For me it is time to consider what might happen to wildlife if we removed some of the straight lines and fences, and started to allow a much freer and more natural evolution of boundaries. If we take the fence away from the edge of the woodland, it will take a much more fluid and diverse shape, with much better habitat for wildlife.

Likewise when we want to restore woodlands, we revert automatically to conversations about planting trees with imported seeds, soils and plastic tubes – rather than thinking about a way to restore a healthy and more resilient woodland, through natural regeneration and allowing the trees to choose where they want to grow.

And then there are the ‘weeds’. They provide wildlife habitat and many have medicinal properties or provide food and forage.

Eastbourne

Janet Nott, Secretary Tel: 01424 777291 or 07946 753135 Email: secretary-swteastbourne @hotmail.co.uk sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ eastbourne

Chichester

Maria Wildman, Secretary 12 Harbour View Road Pagham PO21 4RG Tel: 01243 262833 Email: wildthings2@waitrose.com sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ chichester

Selsey

Contact details as Chichester

Unique wild flower seed mixes with wild orchids Wild flower turf with wild orchid seed – nationwide delivery Wild flower plants and plant plug collections Yellow Rattle seed and plugs Advisory service for creating and managing wild flower areas and much more… SEE THE WEBSITE below:

The natural process of a beaver, deer or pig browsing or digging in the land are still so often called damage, even by the environmental sector. Flooding is always described negatively but in the right place it is fertilisation of prime agricultural land, natural soil creation, natural water storage, water cleansing, habitat for wildlife and a great deal more.

I, for one, am increasingly trying to think about the words I use to describe the natural world. I speak to landowners about enhancing their land for wildlife, and the language that I use will be passed on and used by them.

In a world which is inundated by emojis, texts, emails, podcasts, tweets, blogs, chats, posts, etc, it is hard to hear the language of the natural world, particularly when it doesn’t speak clearly in words. Thankfully, rewilding and other more nature-led conservation approaches are challenging our daily use of language and the assumptions about our natural landscapes that go with it.

A new kind of environmental eloquence seems to be emerging which is both exciting and essential. A conversation and a language based around the needs and shapes of nature, where humans are a species embedded in the ecosystem rather than a species which dominates and often misinterprets the natural world.

To enter our free draw to win a copy of The Lost Words please email amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk by 7 November 2019. Please include your name, postal address and book title – The Lost Words.

If we take the fence away from the edge of the woodland, it will take a much more fluid and diverse shape, with much better habitat for wildlife.

www.wildflowerlawnsandmeadows.com Tel: Colin 01435 810446 email: contact@colinreader.com

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Save the Date – 26 September 2020

Wilderness Wander

We are inviting you, your friends, family and colleagues to join us on 26th September 2020 for a sponsored walk with a difference; the Wilderness Wander. Taking place in the outstanding landscape of the Cuckmere Haven you can immerse yourself in the nature that surrounds you, taking part in wildlife activities as you walk one of the three varied length walks.

It is not about the miles you walk, the hills you climb, or the time you complete it in, but a chance to stop and wonder at the natural beauty around you, and learn about the wildlife you see. You will have the opportunity to take part in activities such as den building, beach combing, scavenger hunts, and listen to engaging wildlife talks.

This family friendly event is your chance to make a real impact to help protect the wildlife and landscapes in Sussex.

For more information and to register visit: patadventures.com/challenges/charity-challenges/the-wilderness-wander

The wild side of the track Volunteers at The Deneway © Alia Halstead

by Alexis Pym

The Deneway Nature Reserve is Sussex Wildlife Trust’s only urban nature reserve.

Thanks to funding from the ScottishPower Foundation, we have been able to help children and adults who live in Brighton and Hove gain access to the wildlife living on their doorstep.

The Deneway is a long, thin strip of land located in the middle of Brighton. It lies between a railway line and the backs of gardens, and is a locked site, used only for pre-arranged sessions. This means the wildlife remains undisturbed most of the time, allowing The Deneway to act as a nature corridor.

Part of the ScottishPower Foundation funding has been spent on habitat improvement, making it a better place for nature to thrive. We’ve seen an active, healthy badger sett and we have many species of wild flower. It’s also been possible to improve

CO-OP IN THE COMMUNITY

Thanks to the support of the staff and members at Patcham and Ditchling Road Co-Op food stores, we have secured the funds to allow us to turn The Deneway, Brighton into our first community nature reserve. We will be developing a pond and an outdoor shelter on the site so the local community can engage with the nature around them.

Badger © Andrew Parkinson 2020VISION

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the infrastructure. We’ve got a splendid composting toilet, storage for tools as well as a huge ‘parachute’ offering shelter. All of this means people can stay longer and access the site in all weathers.

The funding has also created opportunities for community engagement. We now regularly offer sessions to visiting schools and community groups. While The Deneway is within walking distance of a number of inner city schools, other schools are encouraged to cycle or take the bus to promote environmentallyfriendly transport.

Thanks to funding from the ScottishPower Foundation, the new Community Nature Reserve will be home to the Wild Side of the Track project engaging with local groups and schools. Activities will include pond dipping and environmental educational games for children and wellbeing activities for disadvantaged adults. thesouthernco-operative.co.uk

Compost toilet © Alexis Pym

Ringlet butterfly © Alan Major

Children can experience nature firsthand at The Deneway. They can spend time discovering wildlife as they explore and enjoy the woodland which helps to build a strong connection with the natural world. We know that taking learning outside the classroom has a positive effect on a child’s enjoyment, learning, group dynamics, self-esteem and confidence, as well as encouraging naturalists and conservationists of the future.

Huw Morgan, Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Brighton and Hove Project Officer says: ‘We have been able to increase awareness and develop interest in the wildlife and flora that call The Deneway home and highlight how urban green spaces can be incredibly important for biodiversity. A year-long programme of events with a wide variety of local groups and schools is helping us establish a network of those able to access and enjoy the site in the future.’ sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/get-involved/ community-projects/wild-side-of-the-tracks For school visits, contact Katie Eberstein: katieeberstein@sussexwt.org.uk For community visits, Huw Morgan: huwmorgan@sussexwt.org.uk

GROUP WALK

Thanks to Alan Major for sending in these images taken at one of our Eastbourne Group walks in the Cradle Valley in June.

The Eastbourne Group arranges a series of walks and talks throughout the year for members and supporters of Sussex Wildlife Trust.

For further details of the 2019/20 programme email Janet Nott: secretary-swteastbourne@hotmail.co.uk

Pyramidal Orchid © Alan Major

Toy sale

Our thanks to Layla and Alfie, family members from Hassocks, who sorted through all their old toys and held a yard sale to raise funds for the Trust. We were delighted to receive a donation of £17 to support our work for wildlife. Well done.

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ENJOY YOUR COUNTY MORE by subscribing to Sussex Life magazine

Strength in numbers

BookReview

We are at a critical time for wildlife. This year many of you have been adding strength in numbers, speaking up and taking action to protect the places and wildlife that we all need and love. Here are some of my personal highlights.

Tor Lawrence CEO

One new shieldbug for Britain, found by Graeme Lyons at the Trust’s Marline Valley reserve in Hastings.

TRY 6 ISSUES FOR £6 WHERE YOU LIVE Discover the County’s towns and villages

TOP PROPERTY All the best in the County

FOOD & DRINK Local foodie highlights

OUT & ABOUT Pictures from social events

w w w. s u b s a v e . c o . u k / T P S S X 01858 438840 quote WMMTP19A

www.brightonfamilypanto.com PRES ENTS

HOME STYLE Gardening & Interior inspiration

All five of the UK species of Hairstreak butterflies are found at Ditchling Common.

During May, we gained 628 new members. We now have over 35,000 individual members, making us one of the larger Wildlife Trusts and our voice even stronger.

In June, 43 staff and members travelled from Sussex to Westminster to meet MPs at ‘The Time is Now’ mass lobby.

Free Panto Tickets

Brighton’s high flying family pantomime is back as E3 present the muchloved tale of Peter Pan: From: 19-28 December 2019

Venue: Hilton Brighton Metropole

Book now: BrightonFamilyPanto.com

Sussex Wildlife Trust has four free tickets to give away courtesy of E3 for the 7pm performance on 19 December 2019

To enter our free draw please email: amandareeves @sussexwt.org.uk no later than November 14 34 Wildlife

OUSE AND UCK – SKETCH OF A SUSSEX CATCHMENT

by Hew DV Prendergast

White-letter Hairstreak © Bob Eade

With help from the ScottishPower Foundation, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Woods Mill Nature Reserve with our members through a series of events. We’re looking forward to celebrating Rye Harbour Nature Reserve’s 50th birthday in 2020 with the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve – to be marked by the opening of the Discovery Centre.

We have 10,000 followers on Instagram; 17,000 people follow our Facebook page and over 26,000 follow us on Twitter.

I’ve loved many of your fantastic posts and images this year, bringing Sussex to life.

We have over seven million records in the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre – many of you helping to record birds, butterflies, cetaceans, dragonflies, flowers, insects, mammals and more. This information is used to evidence a range of practical work, including our nature reserve management.

There seems an almost unquantifiable community of support for Sussex wildlife – biological recorders, committee members, Friends, funders, legacy pledgers, lobbyists, local groups, members, partner organisations, staff, trustees, volunteers and wildlife guardians. You’re all helping to look after the incredible variety of Sussex habitats – whether it be the coast, downland, gardens, heathlands, meadows, rivers, verges, wetlands, woodlands or window boxes.

Please keep supporting nature.

We will only reach our goal of making Sussex a home for nature’s recovery if all of us work together.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ouse and Uck Rivers Trust

WOODLAND WORKSHOP

by Ben Law RRP £25

Ben Law, woodsman, craftsman, eco-builder, teacher and writer, lives and works in West Sussex. The building of his unique woodland home was featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs in the UK and was voted by viewers as the most popular episode ever.

Diverse and useful devices have formed and shaped the heritage of woodland crafts for decades. In Woodland Workshop, Ben Law hopes to inspire a new generation of craftspeople to make and use these tools, by exploring their history, explaining their place in today’s workshop and demonstrating how they can be made from the coppice woodlands that also supply the craft materials.

Ben outlines the key tools for green woodworking and the skills needed, with clear step-by-step instructions, photographs and beautiful illustrations to guide you through the making process.

ben-law.co.uk

Against a background of the historical role of the Ouse and the Uck rivers, this booklet describes current issues and sets out some of the activities underway to solve them. We have two copies of this booklet in the free draw.

Priced at £7 (to include p&p) all profits will go to the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust.

For further details email: hew.predergast@oart.org.uk

REWILD YOURSELF

by Simon Barnes

Whether you live in the city, suburbs or deep countryside this book will bring you closer to the nature that exists all around you.

Simon Barnes provides 23 wonderful tips to bring wild creatures you thought forever beyond your scope into the middle of your own world. sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop

WOODCRAFT

by John Rhyder

This book takes the reader on a very practical learning journey about the safe use of tools and the safe harvesting of wood to the subsequent uses for roots bark and timber. A step by step account with colour photographs this book is suitable for a student of woodcraft, the naturalist, and the practitioner of bushcraft skills.

If you have ever wanted to make your own bow and arrow, make fire using just friction, explore the properties of bark, make inks and dyes or discover a wealth of other relevant and traditional uses for wood then this book will not disappoint you.

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop

FREE BOOK DRAW

We have four titles in the free draw.

To win a copy of Woodland Workshop, Woodcraft, Rewild Yourself or the Ouse and Uck send your name, address and telephone number to Amanda Reeves, Editor, Wildlife, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9SD by 14 November 2019.

Alternatively, you can email (please include your postal address and title of the book) amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk Please include the title of the book you would like to win. You may enter the draw for all four titles, which will be drawn separately.

The draw will take place on 15 November 2019 and the winner will be announced in the next edition of Wildlife. If you do not wish your name and the town you live in to be published please indicate clearly on your entry.

Congratulations to Sue Norgrove-Moore from Brighton who won The Tree, Patricia Hutton from East Wittering who won The Butterfly Pavilion, David Crane from Hastings who won The Aviary and Melanie Jarman from Lewes who won The Flower Garden in our spring/summer 2019 draw.

Wildlife 35