Dates for your Diary

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*Update as of Mon 14 Nov – due to the poor weather forecast for this Weds of rain and strong winds, and the exposed location of the walk on the Downs, we have postponed this walk. We hope to re-schedule it soon*

Birdwatching visit to the Burgh, near Burpham village on Weds 16 November, and will be led by our local expert, Clive Hope. This area is very good for seeing raptors and game birds hopefully, with the chance of seeing a Short Eared Owl. Lifts can possibly be arranged (please make contact via the contact button on the website if required), and the meeting point will be at 1.30pm at the triangle just north of the village, where there is some parking. Binoculars would be very useful. It is expected that the visit will last 2 hours or so, but as always is weather dependent.

Weald to Waves

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A good audience heard a very encouraging presentation on the ‘Weald to the Waves’ project, given by one of its leading lights James Baird. The project is to create a series of green wildlife corridors from the borders of Kent and Surrey to the sea. The main corridor is to run from the Ashdown Forest, near East Grinstead, westward across to Ardingly and Horsham, south through the Knepp estate, towards Steyning and then across towards Bury and south to Climping. James Baird owns and farms the large estate at Climping in a two-mile wide Gap down to the sea.

He said the Knepp Estate was a key partner in this project but their commitment to rewilding was not the only way for landowners and public bodies to be part of the green corridors. He and other farmers would continue to cultivate the land and manage livestock but now with an eye to maintaining habitats for wildlife and allowing small animals to move freely from farm to farm, parkland to the downs and from field to forest, along green corridors.

There would be more corridors in future, largely following the river valleys – the Adur and the Arun, and Ferring could very well be part of one, following the Rife and linking the Gaps either side of Ferring to Highdown, the National Park and the Duke of Norfolk’s estate. Conservation Group members were very impressed with his optimism and commitment – a change from the all-too-frequent hand wringing and despair from Conservation campaigners.

The meeting also had a report on local wildlife sightings, including birds on migration, the Grey Seal that is frequently seen off Ferring beach and a Common Seal filmed right up the Arun near Pulborough. Ed Miller gave an update on planning issues: Chatsmore Farm was now under crops again but the threat of more housing estates in the Gaps had not gone away. And changes to the planning system were soon to be announced which would probably make it even more difficult for residents to object and Councils to refuse applications.

 

 

September Beach Clean 2022

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On the last beach clean of the year a beautiful sunny morning greeted thirty members of Ferring Conservation Group when they met up near the beach huts. As in previous years, the results of this particular beach clean were sent to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), where thousands of people across the UK take part in the nationwide Great British Beach Clean. This data is used to trace litter back to its source and enables the MCS to campaign for change.

Although the area of beach from the start of Patterson’s Walk at Marine Drive and up to and including the Bluebird Café was cleaned as usual, the MCS survey just concentrates on a 100m stretch of beach, where every single piece of litter found is collected and recorded and this data is then uploaded to the MCS website.

After an introduction and safety talk from Jenny Grixti (who has organised the beach cleans for many years) the Group was issued with hi-vis jackets, sacks and litter pickers and despite a busy summer it was a pleasant surprise to find that the overall amount of litter found was a good deal less than in previous years. Also on a positive note there was little evidence of fisherman’s nets or angler’s tackle but sadly one syringe (without a needle) was found. A pair swimming trunks, goggles, one shoe, one sock, one cap and a couple of cigarette filters were collected. Unfortunately the amount of un-bagged dog poo had definitely increased. Interestingly a member picked up a crisp packet from behind the beach huts and was surprised to find a live toad inside, it was presumably using the material to retain moisture and find protection from the sun.

Jane Hayman from the Group commented that ‘ beach cleans not only bring people face-to-face with the reality of plastic pollution it is also a good way to attract attention and people will often stop to find out what is happening. It is also satisfying to receive thanks from beach users for the good work we are doing’.

Jenny Grixti would be keen to enrol two helpers to initially assist in the running of the beach cleans during 2023 with a view to taking over the role for the 2024 season and onwards. There are three beach cleans a year that take place on Saturdays (May, July and September) plus one on the banks of the Rife, usually in March.  If you are interested in this important work please drop Jenny an email on: jenny.grixti@outlook.com

 

 

ProGaps -Protecting our Gaps and Green spaces

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We have teamed up with conservation and amenity groups and residents’ associations all along the coast from Rustington to Worthing to resist, together, all attacks on our Gaps and other green spaces by housing developers and commercial enterprises. Every planning application in these areas will be opposed, and objection e mails and letters sent, to make it clear to the Councils, and to the Inspector in any appeal, that we all value the individual character of our villages and townships that is guaranteed by the Gaps between settlements, and the landscape, recreation and wild life habitat that these Gaps give us.

We all objected to Persimmon and their 475-house estate on Chatsmore Farm, to Redrow’s 74-house estate at Roundstone Farm (refused by Arun DC but allowed on appeal) and the 193-house estate at Rustington Golf Centre (refused by Arun DC but an appeal is in progress). We have all objected to the application for 70 houses at Lansdowne Nursery and we shall certainly all object if Rego Properties go ahead with their proposals for over 100 houses on Highdown Vineyard.

This is not an anti-Council campaign. We believe Arun DC and Worthing BC have the right policies and want to protect the Gaps as much as we do. Our campaign is there to support them by showing how overwhelming is the opposition to filling our green spaces with development.

For up-to-date information on the latest threats to our Gaps and green spaces, join Ferring Conservation Group and get regular newsletters with ProGaps news.

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Great Tits

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Parish Magazine Article September 2022

Great Tit by Michael Blencowe of the Sussex Wildlife Trust

 Just for the record; I’ve never trusted them. Unlike all the other familiar, friendly faces on my back garden bird table there’s just something about the Great Tit that’s always made me suspicious. Perhaps it’s my mistrust of uniforms. The Great Tit’s smart plumage with a collar, black tie and a glossy black cap makes them look too official, too authoritative. And that bright yellow chest? Far too garish for the garden.

Their behaviour isn’t exactly endearing either. Great Tits are the bullies on the bird table. They’ll aggressively assert their authority and violently peck at other birds as they plunder the peanuts. When a house-hunting Great Tit can’t find a suitable hole to nest in, it’ll simply evict a Blue Tit and move in.

Their dominance is also heard in spring when their two-note song, “Tea-cher! Tea-cher! Tea-cher!” rings out through our woodlands. It was this “Tea-cher!” that taught me my first lesson in bird song identification; an easily recognisable two-note war cry used to proclaim the tit’s territory. But I was soon to learn that not everything was how it seemed. Each male actually has an average of four different songs, which can be sung at three different tempos. This varied repertoire is a sly Beau Geste trick employed to trick other Great Tits into thinking that a woodland is more crowded than it really is. The birds who know the most tunes secure larger territories and breed more successfully. And it’s a trick that fools me each year too; if I don’t recognise a bird call in the woods it’s always a Great Tit.

 

Through aggression and deceit, these birds have successfully established an empire that spreads from England to China. And it’s from the far-flung corners of this empire that we’ve recently received reports of some rather worrying behaviour. From Finland came news of a group of Great Tits changing their vegan diet of seeds and nuts to something much more meaty: other birds. In Hungary, scientists made the chilling discovery of a population of Great Tits which have developed a taste for the brains of hibernating bats. Sure, these are isolated incidents at the moment but with human society plunging rapidly towards the abyss and an army of Great Tits acquiring a taste for blood and brains, is it unreasonable to hypothesise a post-apocalyptic future where humans are at the mercy of plagues of zombie Great Tits? Close your windows people – they’re coming for us!

Sussex Wildlife Trust is an independent charity caring for wildlife and habitats throughout Sussex. Founded in 1961, we have worked with local people for over half a century to make Sussex richer in wildlife. Please consider supporting our work. As a member you will be invited to join Michael Blencowe on our regular wildlife walks and also enjoy free events, discounts on wildlife courses, Wildlife magazine and our Sussex guide book, Discovering Wildlife.  It’s easy to join online at sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/join

Butterfly Count on Highdown Hill – 25th July

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Ferring Conservation Group regularly takes part in the annual nationwide Butterfly Conservation’s ‘Big Butterfly Count’, and 2022 was no exception. This important survey is aimed at helping conservationists establish the health of our environment by counting the amount and type of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) sighted throughout the UK.

Unfortunately the balmy, sunny day that encourages butterflies to take to the wing was not to be. Instead a dull and windy day greeted an enthusiastic group as they met in the carpark at Highdown Hill, although consequently their expectations were limited. As the group, led by Graham Tuppen ably assisted by Clive Hall and Peter and Ruth Dale, proceeded to the top of the hill following a path that was edged with large hawthorn and elder bushes, they were rewarded with the sight of a few Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers. It was reassuring to note a healthy Ash tree standing proud in the vicinity and as the group ventured further along the brow of the hill some Common Blues were seen plus a solitary Painted Lady and a Small Skipper. Heading eastwards a beautiful Silver-washed fritillary was spied by Clive Hall which rested just long enough for the rest of the party to also be enthralled by its beauty and was definitely a highlight of the morning.

Other welcome sightings were many wildflowers including a Round-headed Rampion, as well as Knapweed, Red Bartsia, Yellow Rattle, Agrimony (this plant is also known as ‘Church Steeple’ because of the shape of its spikes – all aerial parts of Agrimony emit sweet scent when they are crushed and due to the pleasant, apricot-like smell of the flowers it is often used for the preparation of potpourris). Along with Wild Carrot and Parsnip, the frothy yellow flowers of Ladies Bedstraw were evident and on a warm day these flowers fill the air with a sweet, honey-like scent.

As a firm reminder that many species of wildlife also share the wonderful habitat that the Southdown National Park provides, Swifts and a lone Skylark flew high above Highdown Hill while the familiar drilling sound of a Woodpecker could be distinctly heard. Heading through a partially wooded area on the lower slopes, a charm of striking Goldfinches flashed past (a ‘charm’ is the collective name for this particular bird). The climax to this interesting day came when Graham Tuppen observed, what he first thought was a small bird, but was in fact a Hummingbird Hawk Moth hovering around a Buddleia bush near to Highdown Tea Rooms (this day-flying moth has a wingspan of about two inches and uses its long proboscis to feed on the

nectar of tube-shaped flowers and is named for its similarity to Hummingbirds). This was a first sighting in the wild for Graham and he was suitably impressed.

To celebrate this unexpectedly successful morning several members of the Group partook in refreshments at the popular Tea Rooms before heading home to submit their sightings into the Butterfly Conservation’s national database.

Living Seas along the Sussex Coast

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On a warm, sunny evening Sarah Ward, Sussex Wildlife Trust’s (SWT) Living Seas Officer, opened the Group’s July meeting with an informative and interesting, illustrated talk on Living Seas along the Sussex Coast.  This happened to coincide with National Marine Week (spanning 15 days to allow for the variation of tide times) the Nationwide Wildlife Trust’s celebration of all things marine, which aims to promote the engagement of people across the UK with the world of maritime and helps in the understanding of the science behind this important work.

Sarah took members on a whistle-stop tour of the many different environmental features along the Sussex coast and sea. Starting with the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs of East Sussex, which shape the coastline and undersea environment, Sarah explained the importance of the vegetation on the shingle which also supports many animals. Globally it is only the UK, Japan and parts of Australasia that have vegetated shingle beaches that sustain this important habitat.

Marine Protected Areas are another initiative that restrict environmentally-damaging activities in the sea and it is hoped that eventually these areas will form a chain of protected habitats and wildlife. Sarah is a keen diver and highlighted the principle diving sites that provide the very best opportunities for data gathering, including Selsey in West Sussex.

The successful Sussex Kelp Restoration Project has greatly improved the kelp beds since the Sussex Nearshore Trawling Byelaw (March 2021) was introduced. Supported by Sir David Attenborough, this project was a collaboration of national and local organisations including SWT, Blue Marine Foundation, Big Wave Productions, Sussex IFCA, Adur and Worthing Council, University of Brighton and UCL.

Opening the second half of the meeting Graham Tuppen delivered the ever popular Nature Notes session with a beautiful photograph of one of the wildflower beds in the Little Twitten recreation ground. Although pretty blue cornflowers and delicate pink cosmos dominated the bed it was doing an excellent job of attracting bees. On a walk through Ilex Way Graham had spotted a blackbird on a nest in the trunk of a tree presumably incubating her 2nd or 3rd clutch of eggs. A black Flatworm with a gold stripe was spotted in Graham’s garden and David Bettiss reported having seen a mature Stag Beetle resting on his driveway. A pretty Comma butterfly was photographed relaxing in a member’s garden and a small Tortoiseshell butterfly was sighted by the banks of the Rife.

Ed Miller took to the floor at the end of the meeting to deliver an update regarding local planning news. He advised members that the planning application for a large modern design house in Grange Park had, at least for the time being, been withdrawn. Decisions on the appeals for the housing estates proposed for Roundstone Farm and Rustington Golf Course were still to be concluded and the hearing at the High Court regarding the Persimmon Homes estate on the Chatsmore Farm land had taken place and a decision was imminent. An inappropriate 20 metre high mobile phone mast, initially proposed for Greystoke Road, will hopefully be sited somewhere less conspicuous.

Shoreham Beach Vegetation Walk and June Group Meeting

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On a very sunny Friday 17th June, some 20 members of Ferring Conservation Group met at Shoreham Fort mainly to look at plants growing on the vegetated shingle, one of the few places in the country where this eco-system is found.

Led by Graham Tuppen members were able to find 16 of the 18 plants on their list, including Sea Kale, Red Valerian, Common and Tree Mallow, Yellow Horned Poppy, Vipers Bugloss, Kidney Vetch, Silver Ragwort, Purple Toadflax, Thrift, and Starry-headed Clover. Surprisingly, given the sunny weather, the only butterfly seen was a painted lady but several wall and sand lizards were evident.

The speaker at the Group’s June meeting was Kevin Newman, a local historian, tour guide and author of a wide range of books on Sussex. His subject was ‘Scrumptious Sussex’, taking members on a tour of the county East and West, showing images of historic pubs, hotels, restaurants and breweries and telling fascinating stories about Sussex specialities of food and drink, and the people who consumed them.

As in Worthing town’s motto, ‘From the earth fullness, from the sea good health’, Kevin pointed to Sussex agriculture and Sussex fisheries as what sustained the county and its many visitors past and present. Eating and drinking was always important for social occasions and celebrations, as a picture of a VE Day street party showed, and an essential component of the attraction of resorts like Brighton and Worthing.

Seaside fish and chips, he said, was brought to Britain by Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe, and the first curry house in Britain was opened in Brighton, as well as the first fast food establishment and the first rooftop restaurant. And the popular dessert, ‘Banoffee pie’ was invented by Ian Dowding, a chef at a restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex, in 1971.

Brighton, he said, was always an important centre for food and drink – for its fishing as well as its prodigious consumption. Long before its seaside trade, the by the Prince Regent (later George IV).

After the talk, Graham Tuppen showed slides of the vegetated shingle at Shoreham Beach, which a number of Group members had visited the previous day (please see above).

Ed Miller concluded the meeting with an update on the planning issues in and around Ferring: Including the six housing estates that developers propose for the green gaps, the commercial development up McIntyre’s Lane as well as a new application for a house in Grange Park – to be built in three storeys and in a totally unsympathetic modernist design, both overlooking and overbearing on its neighbours.

 

A Sussex Scrapbook – a talk by Christopher Horlock

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Ferring Conservation Group was delighted when Chris Horlock stepped in at very short notice to speak at their monthly Group meeting on 27th May. With an illustrated talk entitled ‘A Sussex Scrapbook’ Chris regaled members with an enchanting mix of anecdotes regarding famous people with a connection to Sussex, details of local historic buildings and landmarks, local traditions and folklore as well as traditional ‘health cures’, legends, tales and mysteries. Chris cleverly linked these stories to paint a vivid picture of the attitudes, beliefs and outlooks of the generations that lived in our cherished county in years gone by. As a much respected local historian Chris contributes regularly to Sussex Life and is the author of several books on Sussex history. As a natural story teller Chris has graced the airways on radio and has also appeared on television. Chris began his talk with interesting details of the Priest House at West Hoathly on the edge of the Ashdown Forest. It was once owned by Henry VIII and now has over 170 culinary, medicinal and household herbs planted in the garden. There are witch marks scratched into wood in several places in the house including the front door and on the beam above the main fireplace. These are known as apotropaic marks dating back to the 17th century and were believed to prevent witches from entering the house. Set into the ground outside the front door is a rough slab of iron which is waste from a local furnace and this was also believed to serve the same purpose (witches were commonly believed to be scared of iron).

The Long Man of Wilmington was the basis of another of Chris’s many stories. This giant figure is 235 feet (72 metres) tall and stands proudly on the steep slopes of Windover Hill near Wilmington, East Sussex. The origins of the Long Man are unclear and it was once thought to have been from Neolithic times but it could be as late as the 16th or 17th century AD. From a distance the figure seems to have been carved from the underlying chalk but the modern figure is formed from white-painted breeze blocks and lime mortar. With many other facts and stories relayed to his captivated audience Chris brought his talk to a conclusion by raising a chuckle with the photograph of a sign seen on the front gate of a Sussex property: ‘Trespassers will be Composted!’

After a break for tea Graham Tuppen presented the Nature Notes slot updating members on local wildlife sightings and happenings. Graham paid tribute to Tricia Hall who had devised and presented this slot for the past eight years and acknowledged that he indeed had big shoes to fill. Graham began by showing a photograph of the shingle beds along Patterson’s Walk, which Tricia regularly tended, along with the boat at the top of Sea Lane which was looking pretty with many Red and White Valerian. Also the lagoons had many Yellow Flag Irises and along the banks of the Rife Marsh Orchids and Twayblades (an easily overlooked orchid recognisable by their two large leaves and yellow/green flowers) were thriving. There have been several types of orchids seen in the vicinity including Bee Orchids. Three Painted Lady butterflies (a migrant butterfly from Morocco) were seen during the recent Beach Clean (at which very little litter was reported). Graham was delighted to inform members that masses of tadpoles were seen around the footbridge area of the Rife and Clive Hope reported having seen three Bee-eater birds over Angmering.

Ed Miller concluded the meeting announcing that there had been no further planning news with the exception that Worthing BC had received consent for a Judicial Review into HM Planning Inspector’s decision to allow the Chatsmore Farm planning application.

 

A Walk to see the Bluebells in Patching Woods

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A group of enthusiastic members from Ferring Conservation Group enjoyed a recent walk through Patching woods, principally to see the bluebells, which were wonderful. The wood anemones were slightly past their best, but still good, and there was a very good show of early purple orchids. Patches of wild garlic and yellow archangel, plus native primroses, lesser celandine and greater stitchwort were in flower, and also garlic mustard, perhaps better known as ‘jack by the hedge’.

The butterflies were apparently grounded by the lack of sun, but plenty of birds were seen and heard, including a raven, red kite, buzzard, sparrow hawk, kestrel, greater spotted woodpecker, tree creeper, blackcap, chiffchaff, skylarks and a swallow.

 

Report by Graham Tuppen, and photos by Peter Dale