Whilst sittiing in the garden today, enjoying the weak sun and a strong wind, we saw a lone swallow flying overhead.  Exceptionally early?  We normally expect to see our first swallow around about the 20th April or thereabouts.

John & Fabae Prodger

This may sound very ordinary and unimportant but I saw a jackdaw and two starlings in Gladstone Road today.  Both have been missing from my area for some weeks.  Where are they all?  I know many starlings are visitors from Scandinavia and would have returned by now, but only two of 'ours' left seems very low.

Dominic Moore

We have lots of activity in our garden at the moment.  In the pond we have frogs spawn,
20 frogs and 3 newts.  We also have a pair of robins & goldcrests regularly bathing in the pond.
A sparrowhawk decided to give us a visit twice this week.  In our 2 nest boxes we have blue tits and in the ivy a pair of robins and a pair of blackbirds are nesting.  The latest update of our reed buntings is that we stiil have between 9 and 15 daily, down from our maximum this year of 34.  At dusk we managed to photograph a male blackcap that has been around the garden feeding and occasionally singing.

Sandra & Peter Solly

About 24 hardy birdwatchers arrived at Bedelands just before 6am to take part in the 'Dawn Chorus Bird Walk'.  Although rather dreary weather, the birds brightened up the morning with their joyful singing.  The first chiff chaffs of the year were heard and then seen as well as four great spotted woodpeckers drumming and calling.  Although generally numbers were down a total of 27 species were seen.  Missing were easy birds like starlings and black-headed gulls.  All the redwings seem to have returned to Scandinavia.  Afterwards a hearty breakfast was enjoyed by 16 members in an adjacent garden accompanied by a visiting great spotted woodpecker who displayed and drummed for us with a sparrowhawk soaring overhead.

Barbara Allen

Following a tip-off, the Nature Team have found that many toads have been run over on the road going past Hickstead Hotel.  This is not unusual this time of year while toads migrate to spawn at traditional breeding sites.  Toads have no concept of roads being dangerous places, and very rarely any alternative even if they did, so they need a helping hand.  In just a few hours over the past few nights a handful of us have rescued more toads than we can count; we are talking hundreds!  If you would like to help please email including your contact details to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information (you can also use the sightings reporting page linked to above).

Mike Beard

I work at Countryliner based in Burgess Hill next to the amenities tip. One of my colleagues reported to me that he'd seen two Great Crested Newts walking across our yard on Saturday 20th March. He looked it up on the net to check identity. 

I have also seen the Little Egret in a garden in the Hammonds Ridge area some weeks ago.

Jackie Evans

Marsh tit on Bedelands amongst the many blue tits and great tits.  Still a few redwings in House Field by horses, but for how much longer?

Sheila