Patch

I have decided to start birding a patch of countryside near my home. I intend to record not only birds, but the other wildlife it contains and the changes I see over the year.

I live on the edge of Eastbourne, at the foot of the East facing scarp of the South Downs. The woodland that runs along the concave scarp is interrupted by some clearings and less steep grassland brows.

A map of my patch, which runs from below Babylon Down in the north to Beachy Brow in the south (the unnamed bulge at the bottom).

An aerialphoto of the same area.

On the Downs, above the woodland, is a long thin stretch of chalk grassland called the Weald Way. This includes the trig point on Willingdon Hill, which gives wonderful 360' views. Parts of the grassland contain extensive mosaics of scrub. Two dew ponds are the only sources of water.

Most of the woodland is a relatively recent growth of self seeded Ash and Sycamore. From what I have read I suspect that it dates from after 1926, when Eastbourne Borough Council purchased the land. The change in land management then allowed the wood to develop, I presume through reduced grazing pressure. However, most excitingly, the wooded scarp around Willingdon golf course contains a significant area of ancient woodland called Further Plantation. The much larger crowns of the mature trees can clearly be distinguished in aerial photo below.

Further Plantation, from above, in the lower middle section of the photo.

Finally, the location of my house means I can include my garden in the patch!