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1999-2024 Celebrating 25 years of Birding

25th Anniversary Logo

This is a significant year for Henfield Birdwatch as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. We are looking forward to an exciting year of activities – all of which are free for members!

There are walks and talks going on all year. Keep an eye on the Events for Members section, join the Facebook Group and look out for the Newsletters for more information.

 

Henfield is a great place for birds and people!

Welcome to the Henfield Birdwatch website. We are a group with an interest in birds and wildlife in general. We welcome people whatever their birding knowledge. We have group walks, talks, meet regularly for lunch and some people like to share their sightings online.

We aim to ensure that Henfield remains a great place for birds and some of our members like to become more involved by

  • regularly surveying and monitoring the local bird population and species
  • helping Henfield residents to be aware of our local birds and how to help them flourish

If this sounds interesting and you would like to join us you would be warmly welcomed.

Latest Sightings

Recent sightings

Singing Greenfinch along Staples Barn and a Chiffchaff by the Railway pub car park gave some hope that spring might arrive soon; there was also a Red-legged Partridge sprinting across Furners Lane north of Park Farm.

Paul Cole, 26th March 2024 28th March 2024
Latest Sightings

Early morning start





I had a very early start this morning as my body clock is clearly getting ready for the clocks going forward at the weekend. So I decided to go down the Millstream. Of course what used to be a nice little path at the side of the stream is now turned into a wide swathe, but the mud has pretty well gone,
Latest Sightings

Great White Egret

Far fewer wildfowl around this morning, but Dave Buckingham was in his customary spot overlooking the Brooks!  Also caught up with the Great White Egret which I’d missed previously. It was doing its best to look inconspicuous among some Little Egrets, but not succeeding!
Val Bentley, 25th March 2024 28th March
Latest Sightings

More Swallows... and Cattle Egrets

I saw Dave B scanning the Brooks this morning.  He reported two Swallows heading north – no chance of me seeing them!  However I did see three Shelducks and he pointed out that two of the 14 or so white blobs were Cattle Egrets.  Also directed me to a Peregrine in a distant field, though again, I
Latest Sightings

The 1st Swallow

While walking Ziggy this morning on the land adjoining Woods Mill my first Swallow of the year flew over, poor thing it didn't choose a very good day to arrive back as we seem to have returned to Winter.  A fine looking Chiffchaff serenaded me from just above my head as it flitted from branch to branch.

John Pointing,
Latest Sightings

Singing Blackcap

Today I heard it singing in our hedge, looked out of the window and there it was, proudly proclaiming itself. Lovely!

Debbie Colgate, 22nd March 2024 28th March 2024
Latest Sightings

Snipe on the Common!

Had a message from Libby Morris on the sightings email address to say that she and Graham Lyons had been searching for invertebrates on the Common and had put up nine Snipe from the reedbed, plus had a yellowhammer fly over and a Skylark singing.

And at the SDOS meeting on Thursday Sally H told me there had
Latest Sightings

Spoonbill on the Levels

A Spoonbill was present on Rye Farm Levels this morning.

Angela Thyer, 21st March 2024

  21st March 2024
Latest Sightings

Snipe on the Common!

I ad a message from Libby Morris on the sightings email address to say that she and Graham Lyons had been searching for invertebrates on the Common and had put up 9 Snipe from the reedbed, plus had a Yellowhammer fly over and a Skylark singing.

Val Bentley, 19th March 2024 19th March 2024
Latest Sightings

Downslink

I was down the Downslink this morning  and saw Little Egrets but there was also a Great White Egret which was at the back of the field that adjoins the heronry. Also a couple of Grey Herons on nests. A pair of Lapwings were territorial displaying near the Downslink in the field next to the Mill Stream, while there were also
Latest Sightings

Ravens

A pair of Ravens honking at each other over Bishops Park this morning.

Les Cheeseman, 14th March 2024 15th March 2024
Latest Sightings

Chiffchaffs

At last they've arrived. Two males were singing down the path earlier and another was in the garden this afternoon. First Brimstone as well!

Will Green, 14th March 2024 15th March 2024
Latest Sightings

Today's walk

Angela and I were able to welcome new member Rikki on the walk this morning – a very dull morning, which made it tricky to see any colour at all on the birds high up in the trees, and the wildfowl were a bit monochrome too!

All the usual stuff along the first part of the walk, plenty of Robins & Wrens, and a couple
Latest Sightings

March Area 9 walk

Angela and I were able to welcome new member Rikki on the walk this morning – a very dull morning, which made it tricky to see any colour at all on the birds high up in the trees, and the wildfowl were a bit monochrome too!

All the usual stuff along the first part of the walk, plenty of Robins & Wrens, and
Latest Sightings

Today

Walked along the mill stream – gives the legs a good workout trudging through the mud! A Lapwing with a lovely long crest in the first field on the left, and later one displaying on the right hand side further down. Three Reed Buntings singing with slightly different variations, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and one Yellowhammer.
Latest Sightings

White-fronted Geese

Still down between the Millstream and Stretham this morning. Rest of sightings later!

Val Bentley, 8th March 2024

  8th March 2024
Latest Sightings

Downslink

A windless, misty morning with a promise of sun enticed me and Lesley and I out down the Downs Link this morning, a joy having been in front of a computer for two days! And what a walk it was too; signs of spring followed us all the way down the track. Robins, Wrens, Blackbirds, Dunnocks were in full song, Great Spotted
Latest Sightings

Area 8 Survey

At last a sunny morning, so I took the chance to do my area 8 survey which starts in Woods Mill car park, up the road to Oreham Common, across the fields and up the hill to Sands Farm and back to finish on the reserve. I still had to plough through the welly deep mud in places but it was great to be out and not get soaked
Latest Sightings

Rye Farm area

I took a little wander among the showers this afternoon and found some of the species we’d not managed to get on the SDOS walk last Saturday. As I started down the track a Mistle Thrush was singing nearby, then a Water Rail squealed and scuttled across from the near to far side of the first pond and a Greenfinch wheezing