Did you know we have records for over 100 species of bird on the Steyning Downland Scheme? Some of these are just passing through, others are resident all year round. They include the elusive Nightingale and Kingfisher, classic farmland birds such as Yellowhammer and Grey Partridge and rarities including Bittern and Wood Warbler.
Almost all these records have been made by our Bird Survey Group. Bird Surveys have been conducted on the Steyning Downland Scheme since 2012. In recent years they have been held monthly throughout the year, on the second Sunday in the month, starting some time after dawn. The surveys take about two hours.
The birds seen and heard are recorded on Birdtrack, the BTO/RSPB database, and so are made available for National and County records. Members add their casual sightings to the database, which helps to build a fuller picture.
Anyone is welcome to come along. We have several experienced birders, so volunteers of all abilities can learn from those already well seasoned in the task. You need to be fit enough to walk up the steep and sometimes muddy slopes of the Steyning Downland Scheme. Stout footwear and binoculars are essential. We’re still finding species new to the Scheme and there’s always something fresh and exciting to see.
If you’d like come along to one of our surveys, just complete one of our Volunteer Forms and we’ll be in touch.
To find out more about the birds we’ve seen on the Steyning Downland Scheme, have a look at our Biodiversity Records Page. We also have a summary report which you can download here.
Bullfinch