Monthly Archives: January 2025

Sussex Wildlife Trust.

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 THE LITTLE KING                                                                        February 2025  

By Kerry Williams: Communications Officer – Conservation 

In this, our littlest month, I’d like to celebrate our littlest bird, the Goldcrest. Crowned with a yellow tuft, this aptly named species has an equally grand and, if you ask me, quite adorable, Latin name: Regulus regulus, or ‘little king’. 

At a mere 9cm in length, the Goldcrest weighs a featherlight 5-6 grams; the same as a 20 pence piece. Despite their size, Goldcrests are a surprisingly easy spot. A fan of coniferous and mixed woodland, these birds can often be seen zipping about in pairs in your local gardens, parks and nature reserves, picking morsels like spiders and moth eggs from tree needles with tiny expert beaks. Their characteristic squeaking refrain, a ‘fiddle-di-di’ on loop, is so high pitched that not everyone can hear it. If you think you hear one, stop, wait, and listen, as you will most likely hear it again.  

The only real confusion species is the similarly diminutive Firecrest, Regulus ignicapilla (meaning ‘fire-capped’). This rarer species, whilst sharing in the Goldcrest’s olive-green plumage, has notable black lines around the head and eye. Think of the Goldcrest as having not yet applied its eyeliner. Following the on-point naming convention, the Firecrest has an orange crest. This creates an additional challenge for identification, as the male Goldcrest does have a line of orange feathers hidden within their crest, which they show during territorial displays. 

Goldcrests breed around April time, creating intricately curated nests of moss, lichen and spider webs high in the treetops. Overall, Goldcrest numbers are stable, with a 600,000 strong breeding population throughout the UK. These are joined by a Scandinavian migratory population for the winter, boosting your chances of seeing one during the colder months.  

Despite their success, Goldcrests are at risk from several threats. Their size means they are vulnerable in the cold weather, so the more erratic weather patterns we experience due to climate change, including unexpected cold snaps and storms, are a danger to these birds. As with all UK species, habitat loss is a problem, and in the Goldcrest’s case this includes deforestation.  

If you are walking in woodland and catch a glance of a little ball of energy in the treetops, try to spot them with binoculars to be rewarded with a millisecond’s glance of their worried-looking little face, before they’re off again, much to do. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. 

Ten Bees and the Stories they Tell – last meeting of 2024

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James Power, the author of a recently published book named ‘The Bees of Sussex’, was welcomed to Ferring Conservation Group’s last meeting of the year to present an illustrated talk entitled ‘Ten Bees and the Stories they Tell’.

James told the Group that he spent much of his childhood exploring the wide-open spaces of Salisbury Plain. His interest began when he discovered the diverse range of wildlife around him there and this ultimately led to a career lasting almost 40 years in nature conservation.

James’s career included working for two different Wildlife Trusts, DEFRA, the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust and The National Trust – within Britain James has worked in Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Surrey, Shropshire and now in Sussex.

For 15 years James has studied bees and his talk gave a snapshot of the wild bee populations as they shift and adapt with some species thriving and others sadly becoming extinct.

With approximately 229 species of wild bees recorded in Sussex James selected just ten to demonstrate how climate change etc has been devastating to some and advantageous to other species. Two examples are Cullum’s Bumblebee which has now disappeared from the UK but still found in Europe and Asia, although also in decline in these areas. The Ruderal Bumblebee has had more success with a good distribution throughout the South and Southeast of England together with sightings in Northern Ireland.

After a break for tea and welcome mince pies, Graham Tuppen took to the floor to advise members and visitors about the recent wildlife seen in and around the village. Along with Brent Geese, Stonechats, the resident White Starling which is now four years old and a familiar sight in Ferring, Greenfinch and Blackcap had been spotted by members.

Along the Rife a Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, and a Great White Egret (the first known sighting of this the largest of the Egret family) were seen. Also, in a road near to the Rife a single Ring-necked Parakeet was spotted in a tree – these birds originally from Africa and Southern Asia are now widespread in the UK.

To conclude the meeting Stephen Abbott advised members of planning updates with applications still to be decided by Arun DC for the separate dwelling in the back garden of 1 Sea Drive and the additional two-bedroom extension for Greystoke Manor Care Home.