The kingfisher is a popular bird but sadly they are too quick for our webcams to pick them up. The best place to see a kingfisher on the reserve is along the winterbourne stream, its over-hanging foliage and (in the summer) a quiet, gentle stream, provide ideal conditions. Fishing posts have been added along the [...]
Despite the rain, the water levels remain low and so we have moved one of our underwater cameras to record activity around the bird feeder just under the Linklater Pavilion eave. This can be accessed in the 'live' section under bird feeder. If you see any special sightings, please let us know the date and [...]
Moorhen chicks become independent after 45 to 50m days of hatching. As they do not stay together it is difficult to know if all the chicks have survived. We have been seeing two older chicks together through ditch cam and we have also seen a older chick on its own. The young moorhens will now [...]
A mammal that is very common on the reserve is the European Rabbit. Not a native to the UK the rabbit was introduced to Great Britain by the Romans and also by the Normans. Today, rabbits are among our commonest and most widespread mammals. They live underground in a system of burrows called a warren. Rabbits [...]
While we have had a lot of wet and windy weather recently, it only takes a bit of sun to bring the nature reserve alive. Delicate butterflies avoid the harsh weather but as soon as there is a sunny spell they are on the wing, vising flowers to replenish their energy store. There are many types [...]
We have observed many young birds on the reserve the last few months. Through the webcams we have seen mallard and moorhen with chicks. Much older and more independent, we are still catching sight of the moorhen family through ditch cam. We have watched blackbirds collecting nesting materials on the pond edge and later collecting [...]
It’s sometime difficult to appreciate, but much of the Lewes Railway Land Nature Reserve is man-made. Some of this has resulted due to the former use of the site, as railway sidings. Other parts of the reserve have been constructed more recently, such as the Heat of Reeds. However, this relatively small patch of green [...]
The teasels around the Heart of Reeds are now beginning to flower. Teasels have long tough stems with spines and the rib of the leaf is also protected by spines. This helps to protect the plant again grazing animals. The head of the teasel plant is cone-shaped and this is where the flowers appear, the [...]
We can now confirm the identity of a fish we saw through the Heart of Reeds webcam as being a juvenile sea bass. This fish probably entered the reed bed when the winterbourne stream flooded into the reed bed. The sea bass would have entered the winterbourne stream from the nearby River Ouse, which is [...]
We have been keeping a close eye on the moorhen family in the ditch. They have been spending a lot of time in this location and we have been able to watch them on and off most days, apart from when the weather has been very poor. We are pleased to report that all four [...]
