White Storks nest in Sussex

Two pairs of White Storks nested successfully in the wild on the Knepp Castle Estate, just 4 miles from Southwater. One pair reared a single young from a clutch of four eggs, while a second pair reared three young from five eggs. The latter pair had made an unsuccessful breeding attempt in 2019.

Photo and article by Stephen Chapman

A step change in the rewilding history of Knepp came in December 2016 with the introduction of a cohort of White Storks from Warsaw Zoo, Poland. Dubbed the White Stork Project it is led by a partnership of private landowners and nature conservation organisations, who are working together with the aim to restore a population of at least 50 breeding pairs in southern England by 2030 through a phased release programme.

To date 69 White Storks have been released at Knepp. Initial releases aimed at establishing local breeding populations have already been undertaken and will be supplemented in late summer each year by the release of captive-bred juvenile storks reared at Cotswold Wildlife Park, as seen for the first time at Knepp in 2019. Some of the Knepp birds are casualties from, for example, flying into power cables in Poland. These have now recovered but will never fly again. The static population has the opportunity to breed at Knepp on low-level nest sites in predator-proof pens.

The more experienced four year old Knepp female was from Poland. She paired with an unmarked male, presumed to be a wild bird. The nest in the crown of an old oak was first noted by Penny Green, Estate Ecologist on 14 th March, and storks were seen sitting on the nest on 3rd April. By 7th April it was clear that their behaviour indicated there was a clutch of eggs. On 8th drone footage showed that there were five eggs. Hatching occurred about 6th May. The three chicks were ringed on 17th June. Each has a project ring on the left upper leg with white lettering on blue and serials GB**. Sightings of project rings are requested and may be logged on-line at www.whitestorkproject.org . On 9th July GB4H (I saw the largest chick and thought to be the oldest) make its first flight.

On 13th the older two birds showed their prowess by joining a high soaring group of 15 others. The nest site is close to public footpaths. Project Officer, Lucy Groves has managed a small army of local volunteers to inform and martial the public and to care for the incapacitated birds. Interest exploded after the nest was featured on BBC Spring Watch and when Covid-19 restrictions eased. The migration of some of the young featured on Autumn Watch early in November.

Local interest in the storks grew when a bird was photographed perched on a roof top in The Meadows on 24th June by Ross & Ronnie Clear.