Welcome to the Greening Chiddingly website

Alongside monitoring our rivers and streams, we are also interested in the diversity of breeding bird species in Chiddingly Parish. Birds occupy a wide range of habitats, and have the ability to respond relatively quickly to environmental changes (e.g. habitat changes, pollution, climate change). As a result, bird population trends are useful indicators of habitat degradation or restoration. Breeding bird data often correlates with trends in other species groups, especially insects, plants and mammals, giving an indication of overall ecosystem health. Thanks to funding from the Lund Trust, we have been able to survey breeding bird populations in two areas of the parish.

How were the surveys carried out?

In Spring 2025, Greening Chiddingly started working with Hailsham-based bird surveyor, Charlie Peverett (of Birdsong Adademy), to establish two survey transects. A transect is a set route across an area, from where birds can be seen and heard. The two transects chosen were from Peke's Farm to Hellingly Wood and the Bull River, and from Chiddingly Cricket Ground to Whitesmith (see maps below).

These routes cross a variety of habitats, including areas where farmers and landowners have carried out nature restoration projects (or where projects are planned). For example, both transects include sections of stream where natural flood management schemes have been installed, and areas of landscape where new hedgerows or trees are being planted. With repeat surveys, the data will help us see how changes in the landscape are affecting different bird species.

Transect 1 - from Peke's Farm eastward to Hellingly Wood and the Bull River

Transect 2 - from Chiddingly Cricket Ground westward to Whitesmith

Two early morning visits were made - one in mid-April and one in early June. Survey work involved walking slowly along each transect, looking for and listening to birds. Each species heard or seen was noted on a map, along with an indication of whether their behaviour indicated breeding activity. After the second visit, records of each species were consolidated onto a single map for each transect. From this, an estimate of the number of territories present was made.

Some bird species are easier to count in this way than others. Song thrushes, wrens and blackcaps tend to sing loud and clear from their chosen spots, while linnets and goldfinches move around a lot calling, but not necessarily singing. Blue tits and nuthatches were heard or seen in quite a few places, but generally not recorded singing - their breeding numbers are therefore probably underrepresented.

Results from Transect 1: Peke's Farm to Hellingly Wood and the Bull River

The following species were mapped along Transect 1. Species shown in red are on the British Trust for Ornithology's Red List for Birds, meaning they are of high conservation concern. Species in orange are on the BTO's Amber List, meaning they are of medium conservation concern.

Category	Breeding species identified (and number of territories)
Breeding species and likely number of territories	Wren (10), Chiffchaff (8), Blackcap (7), Skylark (6), Song Thrush (6), Yellowhammer (5), Common Whitethroat (5), Robin (5), Dunnock (5), Great Tit (5), Blackbird (3), Stock Dove (2), Garden Warbler (1), Blue Tit (1), Mistle Thrush (1), Collared Dove (1), Mallard (1), House Sparrow (1), Chaffinch (1)
Species present but not recorded as territorial	Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Treecreeper, Coal Tit, Rook, Linnet, Goldfinch
Other species present but not mapped	Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Herring Gull

Distribution of selected breeding bird species along Transect 1

Results from Transect 2: Chiddingly Cricket Ground to Whitesmith

The following species were mapped along Transect 2. Red List and Amber List species are highlighted.

Category	Breeding species identified (and number of territories)
Breeding species and likely number of territories	Wren (11), Chiffchaff (11), Blackcap (8), Blackbird (6), Song Thrush (5), Robin (5), Dunnock (5), Common Whitethroat (4), Great Tit (3), Stock Dove (2), Garden Warbler (2), Yellowhammer (1), Blue Tit (1), Linnet (1), Goldfinch (1), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Mandarin Duck (1), Pied Wagtail (1), Collared Dove (1), Mallard (1), House Sparrow (1), Chaffinch (1), Willow Warbler (1)
Species present but not recorded as territorial	Greenfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch
Other species present but not mapped	Rook, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Canada Goose, Pheasant

Distribution of selected breeding bird species along Transect 2

What do the results mean?

The results of the survey show that many non-specialist species (such as Wren, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Dunnock, Robin and Song Thrush) are equally common to both areas. However, two key farmland species appear to be much more frequent in the Pekes Farm area, namely Yellowhammer and Skylark (both red list species). This difference likely reflects both the higher proportion of open, arable habitats along the transect in the Pekes Farm area, and also the presence of more substantial hedgerows, wide margins between the crop and the field boundary (known as 'headland') and less intensively managed grassland. Meanwhile, the location of Stock Doves in both study areas shows the importance of even relatively small areas of mature woodland, where cavities in older trees tend to provide nesting sites.

We have secured funding to repeat the two transect surveys in 2026, so it will be interesting to see if similar patterns of breeding birds emerge. We also plan to begin exploring if there are areas where habitat interventions might provide new nesting sites for a wider range of species.