Stuart Card a Conservationist and Qualified Bird Ringer from Warnham Local Nature Reserve (Warnham LNR) opened our July meeting with a fascinating and informative talk about the ‘Captive Breeding and Re-introduction Programme of Harvest Mice’ at Chesworth Farm, Horsham. To our delight and to give our members the perfect photo opportunity Stuart brought along a breeding tank complete with several beautiful harvest mice.

Harvest Mice are Britain’s smallest mammal and weigh between 4 to 6 grams and are only between 50 to 70 mm long. They are the only British mammal to have a prehensile tail which enables them to be incredibly acrobatic. Harvest Mice have many predators including stoats, mink, weasels, foxes, sparrow hawks, barn owls, crows, pheasants and domestic cats.

This breeding programme was established in 2008 when it was realised that Harvest Mice were at risk due to modern farming methods, alterations in sowing practices, pesticides failing to control invasive grasses and climate change creating wet seasons. Harvest Mice cannot warm themselves once their coats are damp. Supported by Friends of Warnham LNR and Horsham DC the programme runs across 4 sites and involves 3 different Public Organisations and 1 private collector.

Harvest mice can breed before they are 1 year old and can produce 3 to 7 litters a year. Their mating season is between May and October. The gestation period is 19 days and litters can range from 1 to 8 young.

Breeding tanks are set up using sawdust, meadow hay, millet sprays for climbing and Finch Wicker baskets to offer additional nesting sites to help emulate a natural environment. Wild bird seed mix and fruit pieces are provided as food sources.

The breeding procedure always starts with 2 males and 2 females in one tank; the dominant female will conceive first. When this occurs the subordinate female is immediately removed. As soon as the subordinate male is identified he must also be removed. The successful breeding pair can be kept together for up to 7 litters. If they have any more than this, the female may die giving birth.

After a break for tea Tricia Hall updated us on the walk on Highdown Hill that took place on 2nd July. Among other species the Yellow Rattle flower was in evidence. This annual plant thrives in grasslands and as its name suggests if you brushed past it in the height of summer you will hear the tiny seeds rattle in their pods. Some excellent photos were taken of the Marble White butterflies as they were nectaring. Tricia brought to our attention that the vegetation had been cut back along the banks of the River Rife leaving only about 10 per cent for wildlife activity.

Ed Miller updated our members with the news that the HM Planning Inspector had asked for the Arun DC Local Plan to be revised to include an extra 180 houses to be built per year over the next 15 years. If an acceptable proposal is not forthcoming then the Local Plan will be rejected and Arun DC will have to start again from scratch. This will leave the door open for developers to pursue planning applications on other sites in the area.

Ed then concluded by announcing that our Group Secretary, Carol Dyball, was stepping down from committee duties after 15 years to concentrate on her move away from Ferring. Ed thanked Carol for all her hard work over the years and wished her the very best in her forthcoming move.

For this month only, Ferring Conservation Group held their June meeting at the pleasant St Andrews Church Centre in the village, and were treated to an excellent informative illustrated talk by Jacob Everitt on the topical subject for Ferring of Coastal and Estuarine Birds.

Jacob is the Head Warden at the Warnham Local Nature Reserve near Horsham, and as well being a very effective communicator, he is a very talented photographer and in his spare time is also a bird ringer for the British Trust for Ornithology.

He took us through a journey of many of the birds that we are likely to see on the Sussex coast, as well as our nearby estuaries. He also highlighted the best places to see these birds in the county, but did include the special RSPB reserve of Snettisham in Norfolk, where it is possible to witness the amazing sight of up to 50,000 knot flying close overhead when a high tide forces them on to the reserve lagoons.

Back in Sussex, he described some of the more interesting birds to be seen, such as Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Brent Geese, and Purple Sandpipers, and also why they spend at least some of their lives here. One of the more interesting facts for the wading birds was that each square metre of estuarine mud contains up to 200,000 Kcal – the equivalent of some 77 Mars bars!

Finally, he recommended the best sites to visit to see the birds in their natural environments, and these from east to west were – Rye Harbour, Cuckmere Haven, Seaford Head, and Pagham Harbour, not forgetting the coast off Ferring and the nearby Rife, where we do see a decent selection of these birds on our door step.

In the second half of the meeting, amongst other features, Tricia Hall in her regular Nature Notes, updated members with photographs on the wonderful sight of many Early Marsh Orchids in the Rife lagoon areas, as well as a crop of Flax now flowering on the East Preston Gap, giving it a light blue hue.

Tom Simpson from the Sussex Wildlife Trust found himself among sympathetic and like-minded people when he gave an interesting and informative presentation to Ferring Conservation Group at their May meeting on the ‘Wild about Worthing’ project. This new project aims to reconnect people with nature and to encourage the joining up of habitats to help wildlife flourish and create a Living Landscape.

The project is supported by a grant from the Lottery Fund and promotes identifying and recording wildlife that lives around Worthing. Surveys will be launched over the next 2 years and focus on 7 target species ranging from bumblebees, butterflies and stag beetles to slow worms, swifts, hedgehogs and the ‘mermaid’s purse’ egg cases of the skates, rays and cat sharks. The findings can be recorded online and will link in with the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre.

There are many environmental educational wildlife events that aim to encourage young people to enjoy being outdoors and to be inspired by nature. Whereas people of all ages can join in with ‘wildlife gardening projects’ and also learn to appreciate that our streets, parks and school grounds can offer habitats for a whole range of species.

After a break for tea Tricia Hall delivered her welcome Nature Notes and informed us that a colourful hoopoe bird had been spotted in a garden in Midhurst Close. She then showed us a photograph of a pretty whitethroat sitting in a tree near the river Rife, one of several that had been spotted in the same area. Only a few butterflies had been seen due to the cold weather in May but wildflowers such as buttercups in Sea Lane and cow parsley and the yellow flag iris on the banks of the river Rife were particularly attractive this year. Tricia then thanked the Group for their donation of a willow tree in memory of her husband, Mike Hall, which was planted in a field adjacent to her house.

Ed Miller commenced his planning update with the welcome news that no planning applications for housing had been received recently by Arun DC. Foschini Nursery have organised 2 Open Days on 29th and 30th May for the public to view their proposal for 6 mobile homes plus farm shop and café, including the conversion of an agricultural shed to accommodate the manager of the new complex. Ed also advised our Group that the legal process for the banning of overnight parking along the seafront had commenced.

Michael Brown then gave us news that permission had been granted for the onshore work for the Rampion Windfarm would begin in 2015 and the offshore work in 2016. Chris Tomlinson, Eon’s project manager, has been invited to talk to our Group at our July meeting.

Our chairman David Bettiss concluded the meeting with dates of 2 forthcoming nature walks. Shingle beach walk at Shoreham to identify plants and fauna on Monday 22nd June meet at 2pm at Shoreham Fort car park. Highdown Hill to identify butterflies meet at 2pm in car park on Thursday 2nd July.

Our April meeting incorporated and commenced with the group AGM where the existing committee members were re-elected unopposed.The meeting then received an update of planning issues from Ed Miller. A proposal to improve Ferring Village Green and build a play area for older children was the subject of discussion between Arun District Council, Ferring Parish Council and residents, including local children, during the past 6 months. The original proposal has been modified after further discussion and now includes a small indicative football pitch with goal posts, a large basket swing and climbing wall including a net, tower, slide and fireman’s pole. There will also be a cable run approximately 30 metres wide by 3.5 metres high. This play area will be on trial for 1 year but it is unclear when the play equipment will be installed. Ed went on to report that the planning application for 1 x 4-bedroom house at Hangleton Equestrian Centre has been refused but the application for a 1 x 3-bedroom house in Ferring Lane had received conditional approval.

News of wildlife in the area concluded our meeting with sightings of Small White, Brimstone, Peacock and Tortoiseshell butterflies. Also many of our summer visitor birds have arrived, including Swallows, Swifts, Sand Martins, Blackcap, Wheatears, Winchats and Whitethroat. An unusual sight was witnessed by 2 of our members when around 400 Brent Geese gave a flying display just above the shoreline oblivious to several children playing at the water’s edge. Many Birds of Prey have been evident recently with 8 Buzzards spotted at the Kingston Gap plus Red Kites and a pair of Kestrels.