Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve hastings .org.uk the of Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve HCPNR Bird List.indd 1 14/03/2008 17:48:08 Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve hastings .org.uk the of Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve HCPNR Bird List.indd 2-3 14/03/2008 17:48:10 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros - Mali Halls The Birds of Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve. This booklet provides an annotated check list of the birds recorded in Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve, as well as a summary of a typical birding year at the nature reserve. A map of the nature reserve can be downloaded from wildhastings.org.uk or obtained from the visitor centre. © Hastings Borough Council, 2008. Text by Ian Standivan & Hastings Borough Council. Photos1 by Murray Davidson, Mali Halls, Bob Mazzer, Andy Phillips & Ian Standivan. 1 Cover photo - Peregrine by Ian Standivan. HCPNR Bird List.indd 4-5 14/03/2008 17:48:12 Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica contents - Andy Phillips Introduction - 8 A Birding Year - 12 The Checklist - 18 Wildfowl - 19 Pheasants & Partridges / Divers - 21 Grebes / Petrels & Shearwaters - 22 Gannets & Cormorants / Herons & Storks - 24 Birds of Prey - 25 Rails & Crakes / Waders - 27 Skuas / Gulls - 30 Terns / Auks - 32 Pigeons / Parrots / Cuckoos / Owls - 33 Nightjars / Swifts / Kingfishers, Bee-eaters & Hoopoe - 34 Woodpeckers - 35 Larks / Swallows & Martins / Pipits & Wagtails - 36 Wrens / Accentors / Chats & Flycatchers - 39 Thrushes - 40 Grass Warblers / Marsh & Tree Warblers - 42 True Warblers / Leaf Warblers - 43 Crests / Bearded Reedling / Long-tailed Tits - 44 Tits / Nuthatches / Treecreepers - 46 Wallcreeper / Orioles / Shrikes / Crows - 47 Starlings / True Sparrows / True Finches - 48 Buntings - 50 Further Information - 52 HCPNR Bird List.indd 6-7 14/03/2008 17:48:16 introduction plesiosaurs. This site is one of only a handful in the world to have produced early mammal fossils. The nature reserve covers 345 hectares (853 acres) of astings Country Park Nature Reserve is a picturesque coastal gill woodland, heathland, grassland and farmland Harea of coastal gill woodland, sandstone & clay cliffs, together with five kilometres (three miles) of dramatic heathland and farmland. It sits within the High Weald Area soft rock cliffs and coastline. Much of the area has been of Outstanding Natural Beauty. On clear days there are designated a Special Area of Conservation (S.A.C.) and a Site spectacular views overlooking the coastline from Beachy of Special Scientific Interest (S.S.S.I.) because of the presence Head to Dungeness, and as far as Folkestone and France. of the special wildlife and geologically rich soft rock cliff and This stunning landscape has inspired many artists, slope. including J.M.W. Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites. Most of the cliff-top area, and a smaller area of heathland The cliffs here are rich in fossils and have yielded many at North’s Seat, were declared a country park under the specimens of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, turtles, crocodiles and 1968 Countryside Act in 1974. Dark-bellied Brent Geese Branta bernicla bernicla - Andy Phillips 8 HCPNR Bird List.indd 8-9 14/03/2008 17:48:16 Hastings Country Park and the adjacent Fairlight Place Peregrine Falco peregrinus - Mali Halls Farm were declared a local nature reserve (L.N.R.) in May 2006. The reserve is also of archaeological importance because of the impressive number of archaeological finds and landmarks. A large area of East Hill is a scheduled ancient monument and much of the reserve has been identified as an area of archaeological interest. The reserve is part of a network of seven local nature reserves and two proposed local nature reserves in Hastings. The other sites are Filsham Reedbed (part of Combe Haven S.S.S.I.), Marline Valley (part of Marline Valley S.S.S.I.), St Helens Wood, Old Roar Gill (part of Alexandra Park), Church Wood & Robsack Wood, and Summerfields Wood. Ponds Wood and South Saxons Wetlands are the two proposed local nature reserves. A local nature reserve is a natural or semi-natural green space, usually of national or county importance for ecology and/ or geology, which provides access to nature and environmental education for the local population. 10 11 HCPNR Bird List.indd 10-11 14/03/2008 17:48:17 Spring & Summer a birding year... From mid March to mid May summer migrants begin to Late Winter appear. Wheatear, chiffchaff and sand martin are usually first to appear in March. Whitethroat, swallows, willow During January and February tree sparrows, corn warbler, common redstart and pied flycatcher move buntings and brambling can sometimes be present through in April and by May swift and spotted flycatcher amongst the flocks of yellowhammer and reed bunting are amongst the last summer migrants to appear. that are usually present on the arable stubble fields along Barley Lane and behind the quarry. Offshore migration of wildfowl, waders, gulls, terns and skuas is best seen from Rock-a-nore beach and East Hill. Look out for barn owl, kestrel, peregrine and Most spectacular are the large flocks of dark-bellied brent occasionally short-eared owl and merlin hunting over the geese that can be seen flying east close inshore from the grasslands and meadow. Snipe are also commonly seen end of February to the middle of March. feeding amongst damp areas within the farm fields. Mid-April can be excellent for sea-watching from Rock-a-nore beach is a good place to look for red- Rock-a-nore with hundreds of common scoter, bar-tailed throated diver, great crested grebes, razorbills and godwit, common and sandwich tern flying east close guillemots wintering on the sea offshore and fulmars past the shore together with smaller numbers of little tern start to return to the cliffs behind the beach. Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis - Andy Phillips 12 13 HCPNR Bird List.indd 12-13 14/03/2008 17:48:19 and black tern. Skuas can also be seen in smaller numbers natural habitat breeding populations in the country. moving through with the terns. Great skua and arctic Breeding birds on the farm include barn owls, skylark, skua are most common but pomarine skua and long- meadow pipits and yellowhammers. The farm buildings tailed skua are also possible, mostly during early to mid support small populations of swallow, house martin and May. house sparrow. The breeding season is in full swing by June and many Autumn species breed here including heathland specialists such as Diurnal migration of overflying birds is a conspicuous Dartford warbler and stonechat. feature from high ground here in autumn. Sometimes On the cliff and undercliff black redstart, rock pipits, tens of thousands of swallows, house martins and sand fulmars, grey wagtail and peregrines are present. Black martins can be seen flying through in September, and redstart is a special bird here as this is the first site in huge flocks, sometimes numbering into the thousands, of Britain that this species started to breed regularly. Most woodpigeons in October and November. black redstarts in Britain breed in urban and derelict Autumn falls of migrant birds can be very large here industrial areas but the cliffs here support a nationally amongst the coastal scrub and woodland and day counts important population of the species and is one of the only of nearly 1000 chiffchaff and goldcrest are possible in October. Flocks of up to a hundred wheatear are also possible during favourable weather conditions and scarce Barn Owl Tyto alba - Bob Mazzer and rare birds usually appear at the same time, such as hoopoe, wryneck, yellow-browed warbler and double- figure flocks of ring ouzel. Raptor watching from the Coastguard watch point at the end of the Access for All Trail or from the East Hill can be very productive and on the best days a number of species can be seen using the cliff generated thermals to 14 15 HCPNR Bird List.indd 14-15 14/03/2008 17:48:20 gain height before drifting across the channel to carry on Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus - Andy Phillips their migration over mainland Europe. Common buzzard, merlin, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, kestrel and hobby and the most common migrants but osprey, honey buzzard, red kite, black kite and rough-legged buzzard are also possible. Herons can also be seen migrating in the same fine conditions that raptors are seen migrating and flocks of grey heron can sometimes be seen drifting high over the cliffs. Short-eared owls can be involved in these migrations as well. Early Winter Late autumn and early winter brings influxes of winter thrushes such as redwing, fieldfare and song thrush and numbers of finches and buntings using the winter stubble and cover crops on the farm begins to increase. It is also worth looking within the sheltered gill woodlands for wintering blackcap, chiffchaff and firecrest and occasionally woodlark can be found either on the farmland or amongst the cliff-top heathland. 16 17 HCPNR Bird List.indd 16-17 14/03/2008 17:48:21 Wildfowl Anseriformes the checklist Mute Swan Cygnus olor ecords have been acquired from various sources, Status: Vagrant Rincluding the Birds of Sussex, the Sussex bird reports, Bewick’s Swan (Tundra swan) Cygnus columbianus and records supplied by several local observers, whose Status: Vagrant dedication to this site has in no small part led to such an White Fronted Goose Anser albifrons impressive species list being available. Status: Vagrant It has only been in the last few years that systematic Greylag Goose Anser anser breeding bird, wintering bird, migrant studies and ringing Status: Vagrant studies have been carried out so the statuses will change in Canada Goose Branta canadensis the future based on increased bird data being recorded.