Sheepcote Valley
Sheepcote Valley is a 90-hectare Local Nature Reserve located between Brighton Marina and East Brighton. Formerly a landfill site, the area has been rehabilitated into a mosaic of semi-natural habitats and is managed to support biodiversity and public access.
Habitat Types and Land Use History
- Restored downland and grassland: Characterised by rough, unimproved swards, typical of urban fringe reclamation
- Scrub zones: Composed mainly of hawthorn, bramble, and elder, providing shelter and food sources for birds and small mammals
- Footpaths and bridleways: Facilitate recreation and wildlife observation; the reserve is popular with walkers and birdwatchers
Avifauna (Birdlife)
The reserve hosts both breeding and migratory species, with seasonal variation in diversity:
- Resident and breeding species:
- Grassland: Skylarks (noted for breeding display flights), Meadow Pipits, Stonechats, Linnets
- Scrub: Green Woodpeckers
- Raptors: Kestrels and Sparrowhawks regularly hunt; Buzzards and Red Kites are occasionally observed soaring
- Migratory species (spring/autumn passage):
- Common: Wheatears, Whinchats, Redstarts, Spotted Flycatchers
- Scarce records: Ring Ouzels, Wrynecks, and Ospreys reported during migration windows
- Winter visitors: Fieldfares and Redwings forage in berry-rich scrub; Stonechats and Goldfinches remain active in seed-dense areas
Conservation Notes
The site’s ecological recovery from previous landfill use provides important urban fringe habitat for declining farmland bird species. Regular monitoring contributes to the understanding of species movement and urban bhttps://sdos.org/bird-search/?location=warnhamiodiversity.