Williamson's Weekly Nature Notes

HERE is a lovely scene painted by Sussex bird artist Philip Rickman of a pair of great crested grebes at their nesting site at Furnace Pond, Crawley.

By The Newsroom

Published 19th May 2009, 17:33 BST

Updated 8th Jun 2018, 04:14 BST

I have no idea whether this place still exists. However, it is typical of many old hammer ponds and furnace ponds across the weald where smelting took place from Roman times until about 1740.

The Elizabethan era was one of the periods of high activity. All this industry produced inland waters nowadays useful for dragonflies, diving ducks, herons, and possibly even otters.

Some, like Burton Park lake, are excellent for wildlife. Others, like the one at Verdley Wood, near Fernhurst, are small and overshadowed by pine trees to attract much wildlife.

Today the strongholds of the great crested grebe are the Sussex reservoirs. Weir Wood has about 50 birds there throughout the year, Bewl Bridge about 100, while Darwell has about 30 birds and Arlington a dozen.

So anything up to 500 great crested grebes may be found in Sussex at anyone time.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette May 20