Eastbourne Group - November events
David Beer
Thursday 14 November Walk around Tide Mills
Sixteen members of the local group met in the Buckle car park on a fine autumn morning. As we strolled towards Newhaven East Pier, we had clear views of three Great Crested Grebes on the sea and a small group of Turnstones on the shingle. As we approached Tide Mills, small flocks of Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Meadow Pipits were spotted in the vegetation. High tide restricted the number of waders in the creek but a Little Grebe kept us amused as it busily dived and surfaced near the footbridge. A large group of Redshank was standing at the water’s edge and a flock of Lapwing gave a good flying display over the rough pasture. On the stroll back to the car park, a Kestrel was spotted hovering over the grassy bank. The mixture of light industry, archaeological remains, a busy road and railway produces an interesting backdrop to what is a rich area for wildlife. A few of the group took the opportunity to visit Splash Point where a Pied Wheatear, Black Redstarts (main image) and a Rock Pipit were showing well.
Thursday 21 November
Our monthly evening talk focused on Hedgehog awareness and rescue. Trevor Weeks MBE gave us a fascinating talk on the biology of these iconic little mammals and explained why their numbers are declining at an alarming rate. He stressed how important gardens and urban green spaces are becoming as the loss of hedgerows and modern farming methods have reduced their population in the wider countryside. His tips for creating a Hedgehog-friendly garden were taken on board by the large audience and just a few simple changes can increase your chances of enticing these prickly critters onto your patch.