Knepp 2025 with the Ashdown Bird Group

Sunday 4^th May 2025

Knepp Estate

Ashdown Bird Group

(12 members present)

Trip Report

There was another decent turnout today for our much-awaited visit to the Knepp Estate. We enjoyed good weather with dry, bright conditions, but the northerly breeze sometimes made it cold in exposed areas.

The map below shows the approximate route we took.

 

Today's target species list was ambitious and included Nightingales, Lesser Whitethroats, Turtle Doves, White Storks, and Cuckoos. 

• We got off to a flying start, with a singing Nightingale bellowing its magnificent song as we arrived at the car park. This was the first of many reminders of this bird's presence on site.

 

Things got even better as we emerged from the car park and entered the reserve.  The birds just kept coming and coming.

• The first Red Kite of the day was spotted high above us, flying majestically over its vast territory.  We saw quite a few throughout the day.

Courtesy of Andrew Burns

• Soon after, we heard a Blackcap and a Garden Warbler. Alison photographed the Garden Warbler in a nearby tree, which is no mean feat for this skittish bird.  Alas, not everyone was able to see the bird.  

Courtesy of Alison Playle

•  All was not lost, however, as the bird flew to a nearby bush and perched out in the open for all to see. Our photographers had a field day.  

Courtesy of Alison Playle

These days, you don't have to be at Knepp very long before you expect to see White Storks.  Today was no different.  

 

·        They were seen flying...

Courtesy of Alison Playle

 

·         … and on the nest.

 

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

As well as these early headline makers, we saw other interesting birds-

·         There were Common Whitethroats everywhere.

·         We were fortunate to come across two Bullfinches.

·         Chiffchaffs were present in good numbers.

·         Several Swallows were seen.

 

It was barely ten o’clock, and we hadn’t even reached New Barn Farm yet. Already, we had seen over half of our day’s bird species!

 

The second leg of our walk, south from New Barn Farm to Tory Copse was much quieter.

• We heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
• Green Woodpeckers could be heard at regular intervals.  Alison then spotted one on the ground in a nearby field, and when it took flight, some of us also saw it.

We had found two of the five birds on our wish list, and now it was time to find the other three: Turtle Dove, Lesser Whitethroat, and Cuckoo. We had heard a Cuckoo earlier, but we wanted to see it.

It is well known that Turtle Doves favour the south-east corner of the Knepp Estate and it was here that we got our one and only sighting. 

• We were alerted to its presence by its “purring” sound.  Soon afterwards, Bob J spotted it in a nearby tree and got a good view of it in his telescope.  The bird then flew down from the tree and was out of sight until it suddenly reappeared and flew right past us.  Sadly, it was too quick for our team of photographers.

Now we were on the trail of the other two target species.

• Barely fifteen minutes later, we heard, then saw, our first Lesser Whitethroat, in one of the bushes close to our path in the Tory Copse area.  Later on, we heard several more.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

• Over an hour later, as we headed north towards the Hammer Pond area for lunch, we finally got a good sighting of the Cuckoo.  It flew from tree to tree before flying close by us.

Courtesy of Andrew Burns

At the Hammer Pool, we ate a well-earned lunch while we took in the surrounding area.

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

•   Two Swifts were flying high in the sky above us.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

• A Reed Warbler sang from the reeds at the water's edge.

 

Two species of dragonfly were seen near the water’s edge.

• This lovely Scarce Chaser caused quite a stir.

 

Courtesy of Andrew Burns.

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

• This Downy Emerald proved equally intriguing.

 

Courtesy of Ian Hodgson

After lunch, we made our way back to the car park. We felt that rather than move on to another site, we should stay at Knepp and revisit our early morning venue, where we had so much success. 

This was an outstanding visit! 

We saw all five target species as well as many other interested species.

The bird of the day for me, however, was the Garden Warbler, which was not one of our target species. Garden Warblers are so skittish that they normally only give fleeting views. To see one out in the open was a pleasant surprise and the best view ever for most of us.

 

 

Thanks Martin for yet another brilliant bird trip. 

Thanks also to our team of photographers without whom these reports would be so dry and deficient. 

Finally, thanks to our members for yet another very good turnout.

 

Species List:

Name:	Count		Name:	Count
Blackbird	1		Lesser Whitethroat	26
Blackcap	2		Linnet	27
Blue Tit	3		Long-tailed Tit	28
Bullfinch	4		Magpie	29
Buzzard	5		Mallard	30
Carrion Crow	6		Moorhen	31
Chaffinch	7		Nightingale	32
Chiffchaff	8		Nuthatch	33
Collared Dove	9		Pied Wagtail	34
Coot	10		Red Kite	35
Cuckoo	11		Reed Warbler	36
Dunnock	12		Robin	37
Garden Warbler	13		Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon	38
Goldfinch	14		Rook	39
Great Crested Grebe	15		Song Thrush	40
Great Spotted Woodpecker	16		Starling	41
Great Tit	17		Stock Dove	42
Green Woodpecker	18		Swallow	43
Grey Heron	19		Swift	44
Herring Gull	20		Turtle Dove	45
House Sparrow	21		White Stork	46
Jackdaw	22		Whitethroat	47
Jay	23		Willow Warbler	48
Kestrel	24		Woodpigeon	49
Lesser Black-backed Gull	25		Wren	50

Species count = 50

 

Bob Hastings

2025 species count = 162

New Species:

158  Garden Warbler

159  Lesser Whitethroat

160  White Stork

161  Turtle Dove

162  Swift