On the morning of Sat 7 November, 25 members of Ferring Conservation Group and councillors from Ferring Parish Council braved the rain to carry out their annual clearance of the surrounds of the much loved Warren Pond in the village.

The pond is now under the ownership of the Parish Council and it is being carefully managed for the benefit of local wildlife as a nature reserve. It is particularly well known as a home of a sizeable colony of the much protected Great Crested Newt and any work carried out there is with them very much in mind.

This is the second year of ownership by the Council and the work carried out in less than clement weather on this occasion has improved both the habitat for wildlife and also improved views of the pond for local people to see the various ducks, Moorhens, Little Egrets and Kingfishers amongst others which have been seen there. The work included cutting back brambles and other invasive weeds which can detract from the area if left unchecked.

Three days later on Tuesday 10 November, another group of Conservation Group members planted about 500 daffodil and tulip bulbs on the Village Green. These had been funded by the Parish Council and obtained by Martyn Burkinshaw – the Community Parks Officer for Arun District Council. These were in addition to a similar number of bulbs planted on the Green last year, and hopefully will provide a great display next Spring. The Group also carried out a seasonal tidying up of the Medieval Herb Bed and other shrub beds there.

Chairman of Ferring Conservation Group, David Bettiss said, “These two work mornings demonstrate the commitment of our Group to work with the Parish and District Councils to improve the village for the benefit of local people and wildlife. We value their support, and I must thank our volunteers who turn out time and again to make the extra effort. We would always like to see more people on our work sessions, which are always friendly and enjoyable. Details of future dates when they are arranged can be found by checking our website – www.ferringconservationgroup.co.uk”, or on our village noticeboard.

Crabs and Sharks

16 Conservation Group members met at 5.30pm in the Bluebird cafe car park for a warm and sunny  early evening visit to the Black Rocks at West Kingston. We were taking advantage of the exceptional spring tide following the ‘supermoon’ of the day before. The moon was at its perigee, its shortest distance from the earth, appearing 14 per cent larger and 30 percent brighter than when at its furthest point. This ‘pull’ by the moon had produced a 6.5 metre high tide (or 22 feet, about the height of a house) and a corresponding very low tide which exposed the rocks.

 We approached the rocks via the green sward at Kingston Gorse and then picked our way gingerly across the slippery rocks and pebbles, our goal being several hundred metres from the beach. The Black Rocks are lumps of conglomerate and appear dark because they are covered in the brown seaweed, Serrated Wrack.

 Another strange animal was a tiny Coat-of-mail Shell or Chiton which is like a limpet with 8 articulated shell plates. It is a primitive mollusc, a ‘missing link’ between segmented worms and snails.

Our most exciting find, however, was a small shark apparently trapped in shallow water as the sea rapidly retreated. We identified it as a Lesser-spotted Dogfish. It was about 80 cm long and seemed a bit surprised to be the centre of attention!

At 7.0pm, the tide was on the turn and the sun was just sinking below the horizon so we retraced our steps with the background of a beautiful sunset and by the time we got back to Ferring the bats were out and a Tawny Owl was heard.

 This popular outing was again led by Tricia Hall with Sue Palmer lending a hand with identification.

Around 25 members of Ferring Conservation Group set out on Saturday 19^th September on what was a glorious day in comparison to the two previous beach cleans in 2015.

This beach clean was carried out as part of the ‘Great British Beach Clean’ championed by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS). This is an annual, national event that takes place around the shores of Britain between 18^th to 21^st September. Ferring Conservation Group share the MCS’ vision for pollution free beaches and seas that are fit for wildlife to thrive, and take pride in contributing to a national and global survey.

Our efforts resulted in 20 bags of rubbish which amongst the usual glass bottles, polystyrene cups, tin cans, plastic bags, rubber tubing, and nylon string were a pair of trousers and slippers.The day’s activities were concluded by some of the members visiting the nearby café for some well-deserved refreshment.

On a sunny but cold and windy day around 25 members of Ferring Conservation Group enjoyed a visit to Arundel Wetlands Centre. Originally built on an old watercress farm the Centre covers 65 acres and is nestled in the scenic South Downs with views of Arundel Castle. With steep woodlands stretching along its rear boundary and with the River Arun and a historic water mill stream alongside its borders, it is truly a stunning location.

The Arundel Centre supports a rich array of British Wildlife as well as a large collection of international wildfowl. This is due to the centre benefitting from a pure water supply that is naturally filtered by the layers of chalk which are part of the South Downs landscape.

Visiting and resident British species include many small birds, such as reed and sedge warblers, 11 species of bat, cuckoos, dragonflies, grass snakes, swans, bee orchids to name a few.

A safari boat ride can be taken through the reed beds to hopefully glimpse a kingfisher or water vole.

Our Group was fortunate to be guided around the Centre by Paul Stevens, the reserve manager. Paul began by explaining that the reed beds held a Site of Special Scientific Interest  (SSSI) status but our chances of spotting a water vole for instance on that particular day were slim because of their dislike of wind.

On our arrival at the Lapwing hide we were rewarded by the sight of an adult bird with 2 chicks around 5 to 6 days old foraging for food on the island. As we left the hide we spotted a Buzzard circling above and in another direction were House Martins gliding and flitting who are welcome summer visitors. Our tour then progressed along the board walk over the reed bed and here we stopped to listen to Reed, Sedge and Cettis Warblers.

The many ducks and geese waddling around keeping a very watchful eye on their young also enhanced our enjoyment of the day. So with our thanks to Paul for a very interesting and informative tour our members made their way back to the Water’s Edge Café overlooking the Arun Riverlife Lake for some welcome refreshment.

On Saturday 21^st March 20 members of Ferring Conservation Group braved a cold northerly wind to help clear up the banks of the River Rife. This coincided with the first ever national ‘Community Clear Up Day’. This ‘national spring clean’ event falls on the first official day of spring and aims to end the blight of litter. It is hoped this initiative will encourage communities to work together to transform local spaces across the country.

The Group were split into two teams and worked in parallel with each other on opposite sides of the river. At first there did not seem to be too much litter about  but after closer inspection it was realised that small items such as bottle tops, shreds of paper and plastic were wedged in the undergrowth as well as the usual empty crisp packets, drinks cans, bottles, the odd shoe, and surprisingly a few discarded children’s toys. It was disappointing to see how much dog mess was around and it is worth reminding walkers that there are litter and poo bins situated in the Bluebird Café car park.

Jane Hayman, Ferring Conservation Group’s Publicity Officer said ‘It was most gratifying when several walkers took the trouble to stop and thank us for our efforts in helping to maintain a wonderful local environment ’. At the end of the clear up the Group had filled 30 waste sacks with litter!

Later the same day and taking advantage of the very low tides at this time of year, 21 members of the Group met in the Bluebird Café car park for their annual walk out to the Black Rocks outcrop situated off Kingston beach. The late afternoon/early evening walk was led as usual by committee member, Tricia Hall, and those on the walk went equipped with warm clothing, wellington boots and carrying buckets in which to place any specimens found. After about a mile with a few stops on the way to examine some of the seaweeds found on the beach such as Bladderwrack and Serrated Wrack, the rocks were reached and were already well exposed with the rarely seen habitat waiting to be explored.

Most people were able to find examples of the beautiful coloured Dahlia Anemone in the rockpools, as well as examples of Breadcrumb Sponge on the rocks themselves and many bright pink coloured forms of lichens or seaweeds covering some of the small rocks. On the animal front, a Squat Lobster was found, as well as a number of small crabs, which were viewed by the members having briefly been captured in various buckets including that belonging to one young girl who had joined the walk and was fascinated by what she had seen. The creatures were then of course returned to where they had come from. By this time, the keen northerly wind was taking its toll, as well as dusk falling and the tide starting to re-cover the rocks, so those present wound their way back to Ferring across the beach.

The rocks are a fascinating marine environment and well worth responsibly exploring on the few occasions in the year that they are uncovered by the sea. It was a fact that the walk clashed with the England v France Six Nations rugby international, but your rugby loving correspondent recorded the match and was able to watch it on television on his return home having avoided finding out the score.

Water, Rivers, Fish and Trees

Phillip Ellis gave us an informative talk on Water, Rivers, Fish and Trees. With over 40 years’ experience in managing the green estate within MOD, Phillip now specialises in Arboriculture and Angling.

Phillip began by emphasising the importance of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) to maintain the integrity of the tree population and how home owners can contribute by taking responsibility for trees on their land. Phillip highlighted the many benefits that trees bring to our environment but stated that the threat to our forests and woodlands has never been greater and our biosecurity practises must be upheld.

Phillip is also a trustee of the Salmon and Trout Association and emphasised the need for healthy water and explained that excessive water abstraction and diffuse pollution are two of the major reasons why three quarters of our rivers, lakes and coastal waters are classed as unhealthy. For instance local watercress growers are allowing phosphates, which are used as a fertilizer, to leak into the River Itchen and this clouds the water and in turn allows algae to thrive. There is a need for the Environment Agency to increase their monitoring, and although things are improving, there is still a long way to go.

After tea Tricia Hall gave us a taste of spring by informing us that some woodland plants, catkins and frogspawn had been spotted locally.

Planning news from Ed Miller concluded the meeting. New applications had been submitted for a 4xbedroom house at Hangleton Equestrian Centre, a 3xbedroom house in Ferring Lane and a licence for corporate events/weddings at Highdown Vineyard.

Jane Hayman

Amid some dark and gloomy days an unexpected break in the weather provided an ideal opportunity for members of Ferring Conservation Group to enjoy a walk on the South Downs around Burpham. Under a clear blue sky and with only a light breeze around 14 members set out in search of raptors and downland birds. We were soon rewarded when several Greylag geese together with Bewick swans were sighted on the plain foraging for food. A Buzzard with particularly dark brown plumage was spotted at the top of a tree surveying the scene.

As our walk progressed we were fortunate to also observe a Mistle thrush, some Linnets and Skylarks along with several Grey partridge whose numbers have increased significantly under the ‘Norfolk Estate recovery project’. As we headed back towards our starting point we were rewarded with the sight of six Buzzards circling in the distance and a hungry Kestrel hovering at the edge of a nearby field. As the sky darkened and the rain made its inevitable appearance the group promptly made its way to the lunchtime venue.

A packed hall welcomed Michael Blencowe who gave an interesting and highly entertaining presentation on ‘Butterflies and Moths of Sussex’. Michael represents the Sussex branch of Butterfly Conservation which is a registered charity dedicated to the conservation of butterflies and moths. The branch holds regular outdoor events across the county and manages the Butterfly Conservation Reserve at Park Corner Heath. It advises landowners how to conserve and protect butterflies and moths and it also collects and compiles records of sightings in Sussex.

Michael explained there are some 2,480 species of butterflies and moths in the UK although some are migratory. The Privet Hawk is one of the largest moths with dark brown and cream wings, and a pink and black-banded body. The Hawk-moths are recognisable by their large, torpedo-shaped bodies. The Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly is often seen locally around Long Furlong and it is one of the few species that is increasing in numbers.

Michael has appeared on the BBC’s Springwatch programme with Chris Packham and (to his delight) Michaela Strachan, as an authority on moths and butterflies.

Ed Miller gave an update on local planning issues. The Hangleton Nursery application has been re-submitted with additional information. The proposal is to create a large car park for 100 vehicles on land currently designated as agricultural with frequent deliveries by huge transporters. There is no news on the Goring Gap issue but the Ferring Neighbourhood Plan is going to referendum on 10^th December.

Tricia Hall concluded the meeting by informing us that a Peacock butterfly was seen in the village that day