Summer Social tickets now on sale
Takes place at 6.30pm Saturday 22 August at the Village Hall
Priced at £10 each – to include a choice of hot main course and choice of dessert, plus free glass of wine or fruit juice
An enjoyable evening of good food, good company, good conversation and good entertainment
Get in quick, as tickets always sell out!
Buy them at July 31st members meeting, or contact Carol Dyball on 249337 to book your tickets
For this month only, Ferring Conservation Group held their June meeting at the pleasant St Andrews Church Centre in the village, and were treated to an excellent informative illustrated talk by Jacob Everitt on the topical subject for Ferring of Coastal and Estuarine Birds.
Jacob is the Head Warden at the Warnham Local Nature Reserve near Horsham, and as well being a very effective communicator, he is a very talented photographer and in his spare time is also a bird ringer for the British Trust for Ornithology.
He took us through a journey of many of the birds that we are likely to see on the Sussex coast, as well as our nearby estuaries. He also highlighted the best places to see these birds in the county, but did include the special RSPB reserve of Snettisham in Norfolk, where it is possible to witness the amazing sight of up to 50,000 knot flying close overhead when a high tide forces them on to the reserve lagoons.
Back in Sussex, he described some of the more interesting birds to be seen, such as Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Brent Geese, and Purple Sandpipers, and also why they spend at least some of their lives here. One of the more interesting facts for the wading birds was that each square metre of estuarine mud contains up to 200,000 Kcal – the equivalent of some 77 Mars bars!
Finally, he recommended the best sites to visit to see the birds in their natural environments, and these from east to west were – Rye Harbour, Cuckmere Haven, Seaford Head, and Pagham Harbour, not forgetting the coast off Ferring and the nearby Rife, where we do see a decent selection of these birds on our door step.
In the second half of the meeting, amongst other features, Tricia Hall in her regular Nature Notes, updated members with photographs on the wonderful sight of many Early Marsh Orchids in the Rife lagoon areas, as well as a crop of Flax now flowering on the East Preston Gap, giving it a light blue hue.
We are sorry to let you know that there will be a change of speaker at our meeting on Friday June 26th at 7.30pm (for this meeting only at St Andrews Church Hall). The speaker on Thatching has unfortunately cancelled his booking, but we have been able to bring forward the July speaker to this month.
Our June speaker is now Jacob Everitt (the warden at Warnham Nature Reserve) who will give an illustrated talk on Coastal and Estuarine Birds – very appropriate for our location and to help you identify all those wading birds. He has a lot of knowledge and is an excellent photographer, so it should be an entertaining evening.
The July meeting will now hear from Chris Tomlinson from E.ON who will give us an update on the latest plans for the Rampion Wind Farm, and there will be an opportunity to ask him questions. This meeting will be back at Ferring Village Hall – 7.30pm Friday July 31st.
Tom Simpson from the Sussex Wildlife Trust found himself among sympathetic and like-minded people when he gave an interesting and informative presentation to Ferring Conservation Group at their May meeting on the ‘Wild about Worthing’ project. This new project aims to reconnect people with nature and to encourage the joining up of habitats to help wildlife flourish and create a Living Landscape.
The project is supported by a grant from the Lottery Fund and promotes identifying and recording wildlife that lives around Worthing. Surveys will be launched over the next 2 years and focus on 7 target species ranging from bumblebees, butterflies and stag beetles to slow worms, swifts, hedgehogs and the ‘mermaid’s purse’ egg cases of the skates, rays and cat sharks. The findings can be recorded online and will link in with the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre.
There are many environmental educational wildlife events that aim to encourage young people to enjoy being outdoors and to be inspired by nature. Whereas people of all ages can join in with ‘wildlife gardening projects’ and also learn to appreciate that our streets, parks and school grounds can offer habitats for a whole range of species.
After a break for tea Tricia Hall delivered her welcome Nature Notes and informed us that a colourful hoopoe bird had been spotted in a garden in Midhurst Close. She then showed us a photograph of a pretty whitethroat sitting in a tree near the river Rife, one of several that had been spotted in the same area. Only a few butterflies had been seen due to the cold weather in May but wildflowers such as buttercups in Sea Lane and cow parsley and the yellow flag iris on the banks of the river Rife were particularly attractive this year. Tricia then thanked the Group for their donation of a willow tree in memory of her husband, Mike Hall, which was planted in a field adjacent to her house.
Ed Miller commenced his planning update with the welcome news that no planning applications for housing had been received recently by Arun DC. Foschini Nursery have organised 2 Open Days on 29th and 30th May for the public to view their proposal for 6 mobile homes plus farm shop and café, including the conversion of an agricultural shed to accommodate the manager of the new complex. Ed also advised our Group that the legal process for the banning of overnight parking along the seafront had commenced.
Michael Brown then gave us news that permission had been granted for the onshore work for the Rampion Windfarm would begin in 2015 and the offshore work in 2016. Chris Tomlinson, Eon’s project manager, has been invited to talk to our Group at our July meeting.
Our chairman David Bettiss concluded the meeting with dates of 2 forthcoming nature walks. Shingle beach walk at Shoreham to identify plants and fauna on Monday 22nd June meet at 2pm at Shoreham Fort car park. Highdown Hill to identify butterflies meet at 2pm in car park on Thursday 2nd July.
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.
Our April meeting incorporated and commenced with the group AGM where the existing committee members were re-elected unopposed.The meeting then received an update of planning issues from Ed Miller. A proposal to improve Ferring Village Green and build a play area for older children was the subject of discussion between Arun District Council, Ferring Parish Council and residents, including local children, during the past 6 months. The original proposal has been modified after further discussion and now includes a small indicative football pitch with goal posts, a large basket swing and climbing wall including a net, tower, slide and fireman’s pole. There will also be a cable run approximately 30 metres wide by 3.5 metres high. This play area will be on trial for 1 year but it is unclear when the play equipment will be installed. Ed went on to report that the planning application for 1 x 4-bedroom house at Hangleton Equestrian Centre has been refused but the application for a 1 x 3-bedroom house in Ferring Lane had received conditional approval.
News of wildlife in the area concluded our meeting with sightings of Small White, Brimstone, Peacock and Tortoiseshell butterflies. Also many of our summer visitor birds have arrived, including Swallows, Swifts, Sand Martins, Blackcap, Wheatears, Winchats and Whitethroat. An unusual sight was witnessed by 2 of our members when around 400 Brent Geese gave a flying display just above the shoreline oblivious to several children playing at the water’s edge. Many Birds of Prey have been evident recently with 8 Buzzards spotted at the Kingston Gap plus Red Kites and a pair of Kestrels.
We’re sorry to announce that our speaker for this week’s meeting – Paul Millward (the Goring fisherman) – is no longer able to join us for personal reasons again. We are not able to find a replacement speaker at short notice but will be showing an interesting film about the local area instead. We will also be holding a very short AGM, plus hearing April’s Nature Notes and a full update on planning matters from Ed Miller. We hope to see as many members there as possible, even though our advertised speaker will not be present.
We have 2 events planned for the first two weeks in May. They are as follows:
1. Tuesday 5 May (note change of date as this was going to be Sat 2/5) – a Spring Birdsong walk around Goring Gap. Meet at the bottom of Sea Lane, Ferring at the earlier time of 9am (to ensure that we hear as many birds as possible). Meet up with bird expert Clive Hope at the Blockhouse on Pattersons Walk from 8.30am onwards for a bird sea watch before we set off. A guided walk then across the Gap to the Plantation, north up through the trees and back towards Ferring along the Ilex Way, stopping on the way to hopefully hear and see as many Spring birds as possible. At the end of the walk at Little Twitten, we can then finish off with a cup of coffee at a village centre café. This walk is weather dependent (the forecast is currently not good) so check this website from Monday evening to see if walk is going ahead. If cancelled, an E mail will also be sent out to the FCG membership list.
2. Saturday 9 May – the first Beach Clean of 2015. Meet at the east end of the Bluebird Café car park at 11am. Equipment is provided. Wear suitable clothing for the day. Do please help us to keep our beach as clean as possible, and make it one of which to be proud.
We hope to see you at both events. Everybody is welcome.
Dr Margaret Pilkington, Emeritus, University of Sussex and author, opened our March Group meeting with an illustrated talk on Wildflower Meadows. She began by taking us all back to by-gone days when meadows were plentiful but sadly the majority have been lost in recent decades with changes in agricultural practices and the spread of built development.
By using the most common type of meadow Dr Pilkington explained how, with the help of the National Vegetation Classification (NVC), we can understand the unique collection of plants present and how we can help to ensure the survival of this special and vulnerable habitat with the Biodiversity Action Plan. The NVC is the culmination of a 15-year project to identify all the different types of vegetation in Britain. For example the most common meadow plant is the Common Knapweed Community, known as MG5 and also includes Ribwort Plantain, Cocksfoot, Red and White Clover and Bird’s Foot Trefoil.
Managing a meadow appropriately will, over time, help to increase the range and number of flowers that it supports, whereby increasing the quantity and quality of foraging habitat for bees. This will include cutting the meadow in late summer and removing the clippings and avoiding the application of chemical fertilizers. All is not lost if farmers can be given incentives to move away from intensive farming practices and allow hay meadows to play their vital role in effective land management.
After tea Tricia Hall gave us many examples of the welcome signs of spring during her Nature Notes presentation. Coltsfoot had been spotted growing beside the lagoons by the River Rife, also Celandines and Wild Cherry were evident in and around the village as well as Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies. Several birds of prey were seen circling overhead plus a Reed Bunting by the Rife and a Common Seal was witnessed a little out to sea off the Goring Gap together with Brent Geese flying just above the shoreline in the same area. A medieval herb bed has been established on the Village Green to commemorate 1250 years of a settlement in Ferring which includes herbs that were used for culinary, medicinal, dyeing and strewing purposes.
Ed Miller followed with an update on planning issues and advised us there were 2 new similar applications from the Peugeot Garage in respect of their previous refused submissions.
Our chairman David Bettiss concluded the meeting by thanking all of the participants that helped in the recent River Rife ‘Clear Up’ and the construction of the village green ‘Medieval Herb Garden’.
On Saturday 21st 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 a
nd 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.