South Downs National Park 

Sussex UK

Peregrine breeding grounds

The chalk cliffs at Birling Gap provide excellent breeding cliffs for Peregrine Falcon. The high sheer vertical faces, with shallow ledges, also provide protected nest places for Raven to built nests. These are then commandeered by the falcons, providing a perfect aerie, secure from mammalian predators

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon take Black-headed Gull dropped by adult

 Young need to be educated by the adults, meaning taught to catch prey. To catch a rapidly flying birds is a challenge for an inexperience juvenile.Initially young are presented with small pieces of bird meat at the nest. Later as the young develop they are encouraged to pursue the adults to take food from them.Towards the end of the training period juveniles are made to retrieve prey items released by the adult Peregrine. 

The images above are of young recapturing a Black-headed Gull first the young are shown the food but not allowed to take it. 

Only after a chase, the gull was released high above them. The prey bird is dead at this point and will spiral down, young attack trying catch it as it descends. often missing it completely. If they do miss the falcon will dive after in a stoop and recapture it.  - A very impressive manoeuvre - the action is repeated.

 Towards the end of their first year (typically November) the young will start to pursue birds independently. 

Peregrine Falcon

The short grass and thick shrub with gorse provides an attractive habitat for heath dwelling birds and produce healthy populations of Whitethroat, Linnet and Skylark. Wild flowers such as the cowslip thrive on the downs amongst the grass on the sheep pasture.

Cowslip

The northern ridge of the English Channel forms the coastline of southern England. Migrating birds moving North in spring bring concentrations of night time migrants crossing the channel. They then stop, rest and refuel after their long journeys - the final stage of which is over water. The first landing opportunity is the Sussex coast. 

Early morning at this time of the year the cliff top pastures can be covered with feeding birds and birders. Occasionally, unexpected species like the Hoopoe can be observed amongst them.

Wild Poppy

Hoopoe 

Back in the 18th century bird catchers would exploit this once per year food source opportunity and span their nets to catch them and sell them at market. Biologists visiting these food stalls became increasingly aware of the diversity of species. Many were unusual or not breeding birds of the United Kingdom. Early ornithologists pursued the phenomenon, to discover that some had in fact overshot there breeding range, during their nocturnal migration.

Many enthusiasts were keen to collect data recording the numbers and species and this led to the modern pastime of birdwatching. An entire industry has developed around birding activities aided with identification books and equipment, software applications and smartphones. In addition, huge global databases have been established to support the science. With so many reporting systems from enthusiasts and biologists this has resulted in improved bird protection.

Rock Pipit

Sheep pastures with short grasses provide habitat for ground dwelling animals and birds, but the Rock Pipit will always be found on the seashore. Rock pipit or - Strandpieper as our cousins in Germany across the channel would say - 

Stonechat

Meadow Pipit

Whitethroat

Kestrel hoving

Wood Mouse 

An abundance of birds on the cliffs and top pastures, provide ample prey for raptors like the Peregrine. Kestrel are also well represented taking mammals (wood mouse) and small birds. Seen below hovering in characteristic anchor position searching the ground for mice.

The European Skylark are in decline in most of Continental Europe. Here in the Park they

are well represented.

Skylark

Hoopoe

       SDNP - where spring migration occasionally brings Hoopoe.

The South Downs National Park England is always a beautiful place to be with Peregrine Falcon breeding on the chalk cliffs in spring, and Skylark singing in the summer. In autumn the wild poppies bloom with the deep throaty caw of Raven drifting out over the cliff tops.