Birds
Birds at Chesworth Farm
Chesworth is a haven for bird enthusiasts, boasting an impressive array of resident and visiting species throughout the year. With over a hundred species recorded, any given day offers the chance to spot or hear 25 to 30 different ones.
Illustration by Helen Joubert Design
Our resident birds range from the tiny Wren and Goldcrest to the Mallard duck and striking Grey Heron. The hedges are alive with the foraging activity of Dunnocks, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins, and the vibrant Blue and Great Tits. In the open fields, Jackdaws and Woodpigeons are the dominant presence, but during winter, keep an eye out for Meadow Pipits and Fieldfares feeding among the shorter grass. Skylarks find the quieter fields perfect for nesting, and on calm evenings, the elusive Barn Owl may make an appearance. Regulars like the Goldfinch, Greenfinch, and Bullfinch add splashes of colour, while in winter, small flocks of Redpolls feast on Alder seeds.
Summer brings a delightful array of visitors, including the melodious Reed Warbler, the energetic Common Whitethroat, and the charming Blackcap. As autumn approaches, House Martins and Swallows can be seen, feeding up before embarking on their migration.
The Skylark population is in national decline, so its occasional presence, heralded by its distinctive song, is met with some excitement. It is known to breed here, and field areas are set aside for them as encouragement, given their ground-based nests are so vulnerable to predation and disturbance.
The Common Whitethroat, another summer visitor, is often found along our hedges, its song a distinctive sound of summer. The Reed Warbler hides among the dense Common Reed around our Platt Pond. Secretive, but seen occasionally atop a reed stem, its warm-brown back and white belly really stand out.
While the Grey Herons nest in the heronry at Warnham Nature Reserve, a number come to Chesworth Farm to feed. The diet varies with the seasons but mostly they will be feeding on frogs, toads and newts along our riverside fields.
Although Jackdaws are regular visitors throughout the year it is during the late summer and autumn that the adults bring their young to feed. Sometimes up to 40 can be seen searching for grubs in our fields.
Starlings too bring their young to feed and large flocks can descend, numbering up to 60 or 70 during early mornings. The leatherjackets and the emerging crane flies will be among their favourite foods.
Photo by Dave Verrall
The donated, dedicated Kestrel box in the Riverside field has proved its worth, giving a secure site for a pair of these falcons. As regular hunters across our fields and neighbouring open spaces, their hovering ability is a spectacle. The almost all-brown female contrasts with the grey markings of the smaller male.
Moorhens are regulars on our ponds and scrapes and breed regularly on our central pond.
Our winter visitors relish berries in our hedges and insects in the open fields. Redwings, Fieldfares and Meadow Pipits concentrate on the fields. It is the occasional flocks of these visitors that show the potential feeding opportunities that the farm offers throughout the year.
More information
For more information about the birds you have seen, go to the British Trust for Ornithology About Birds page.