Wildlife

The area is rich in wildlife, the rivers providing ideal habitats for many species of birds, insects, spiders   and mammals. We need to preserve the vital wildlife corridors which form links between Warnham Local Nature Reserve, Chesworth Farm, Owlbeech and Leechpool woods and the surrounding countryside via the River Arun and Boldings Brook. Our section (off Hills Farm Lane and Highwood) is a unique part of the 11 mile long Horsham Riverside Walk corridor. The riparian area of trees, thickets and undergrowth is essential to life, we aim to conserve this diverse ecology.

See Hills Farm Wildlife for nature notes and photos 
ongoing since 2011 

Here is a Species List of Wildlife recorded in our area so far. Additional species found will be added and marked 'new'

BIRDS

Note birds listed as red or amber are shown with background colour

Bird                                                 Local Habitat 

common/scientific                    

Greylag Goose   Anser anser                                river corridor

Canada Goose   Branta canadensis                    floodplain field

Mallard   Anas platyrhynchos                                river and banks
Pheasant    Phasianus colchicus                          floodplain field
Little Egret    Egretta garzetta                                 river and riverbank trees
Grey Heron    Ardea cinerea                                  river and riverbank trees
Osprey    Pandion haliaetus                                   over river course
Buzzard    Buteo buteo                                            whole river floodplain and trees
Sparrowhawk    Accipiter nisus                              whole area, riverbank
Kestrel    Falco tinnunculus                                    over river course and floodplain
Hobby    Falco subbuteo                                        over river course
Peregrine   Falco peregrinus                                 over river course
Moorhen    Gallinula chloropus                             river and riverbank
Coot    Fulcia atra                                                    river and riverbank
Black-headed Gull    C. ridibundus                      over river course and fields
Herring Gull    Larus argentatus                            over whole area, fields
Common Gull    Larus canus                                 over whole area, fields
Stock dove    Columba oenas                               old trees, fields
Woodpigeon    Columba palumbus                      large riverside trees, fields
Collared Dove    Streptopelia decaocto               large riverside trees
Cuckoo    Cuculus canorus                                    riverbank trees, thickets
Barn Owl    Tyto alba                                              floodplain fields and hedgerows
Tawny Owl    Strix aluco                                         old trees, ivy cover
Swift    Apus apus                                                    over river course
Kingfisher    Alcedo althis                                      river, river banks
Green Woodpecker    Picus viridis                       fields, mature trees
Great Spotted Woodpecker    D.copus major     mature riverbank trees
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker  D.copus minor     mature riverbank trees
Skylark    Alauda arvensis                                     fields alongside floodplain
Swallow    Hirundo rustica                                     over river course
House Martin    Delichon urbica                           over river course
Meadow Pipit    Anthus pratensis                         floodplain fields
Grey Wagtail    Motacilla cinerea                          river and river banks
Pied Wagtail    Motacilla alba                               paths and thickets
Wren    Troglodytes troglodytes                           riverbank undergrowth, hedgerows
Dunnock    Prunella modularis                             riverbank undergrowth, hedgerows
Robin    Erithacus rubecula                                  riverside thickets
Nightingale    Luscinia megarhynchos                dense thickets, scrub on riverside
Redstart    Phoenicurus phoenicurus                  riverside thickets
Wheatear    Oenanthe oenanthe                          floodplain open fields
Blackbird    Turdus merua                                     riverside thickets, understorey
Fieldfare    Turdus pilaris                                      riverside thickets, hedgerows
Redwing    Tirdus iliacus                                      riverside thickets, hedgerows
Song Thrush    Turdus philomelos                      thickets and wooded understorey
Mistle Thrush    Turdus viscivous                        tall trees
Sedge Warbler    A. schoenobaerus                   reeds, riverside scrub, thickets
Reed Warbler    A. scirpacius                               reeds, reedbeds in water
Lesser Whitethroat    Sylvia curruca                   blackthorn, hawthorn scrub, thickets
Whitethroat    Sylvia communis                           dense vegetation along riverside
Blackcap    Sylvia atricapilla                                trees, thickets along river bank
Garden Warbler    Sylvia borin                             dense ground cover along riverside
Chiffchaff    Phylloscopus collybita                      thickets, trees along riverside
Willow Warbler    Phylloscopus trochilus           scrub and trees on the riverside
Goldcrest    Regulus regulus                                mature trees conifers  
Long-tailed Tit    Aegithalas caudatus                riverbank scrub and trees
Coal Tit    Periparus ater                                       conifers, thickets
Blue Tit    Parus caeruleus                                   oaks and thickets on river bank
Great Tit    Parus major                                         oaks and thickets on river bank
Nuthatch    Sitta europaea                                    mature trees on riverside
Treecreeper    Certhia familiaris                          mainly mature trees on riverside
Jay    Garrulus glandarius                                     mature trees on riverside
Magpie    Pica pica                                                grass, fields and trees
Jackdaw    Corvus monedula                               woods, fields
Rook    Corvus frugilegus                                     tall trees, fields
Carrion Crow    Corvus corone                            grass, fields, trees
Starling    Sturnus vulgaris                                   grass, large trees
House Sparriow    Passer domesticus               hedgerows, low thickets on riverbank
Tree Sparrow    Passer montanus                      hedgerows, trees, fields
Chaffinch    Fringilla coelebs                               trees and thickets along river
Brambling    Fringilla montefringilla                    thickets along river
Goldfinch    Carduelis carduelis                          low trees, riverside vegetation
Greenfinch    Carduelis chloris                            hedgerows, thickets
Siskin    Carduelis spinus                                     riverside trees
Linnet    Carduelis cannabina                              scrub, thickets, hedgerows
Lesser Redpoll    Carduelis cabaret                    riverside willow, hawthorn thickets
Common Redpoll    Carduelis flammea              riverside trees
Bullfinch    Pyrrhula pyrrhula                                dense thickets, scrub along river
Yellowhammer    Embriza citrinella                     scrub fields, hedgerows
Reed Bunting    Embriza schoeniclus                 floodplain fields         

See new Butterflies page and Dragonflies page (right hand col.)