Selmeston Sightings - Birds of Prey
The Red Kite is an increasingly familiar sight in the skies above Sussex, soaring effortlessly over the South Downs on an almost-six-foot wingspan. These magnificent birds are still outnumbered by their Buzzard brethren but they share a similar story, both bouncing back from the brink of extinction.
How to tell the difference between a buzzard and a red kite?
Red kites are more slender than the broad winged thick set buzzard and also have a longer wing span. However the main way to distinguish the species (apart from the colour) is the animal's tail. The buzzard has a short broad fanned tail whilst the red kite has a very distinctive long forked tail.
Spotted something interesting on your walk? let us know
Take a walk on the wild side
Ancient footpaths criss cross through the village and the low weald.
The circular Cuckmere Pilgrim Path covers five churches in the local vicinity including Selmeston. The Vanguard Way also passes through Selmeston (section 8 of the 66 mile walk).
An interactive map that shows the footpaths, bridleways and other rights of way around Selmeston can be seen here. If you use any of the footpaths and bridleways and find that there is restricted access or that there are problems such as broken stiles or gates, please contact the ESCC Rights of Way Access Team: Phone: 0345 60 80 193 Email: rightsofway@eastsussex.gov.uk
Protecting our trees and habitats
Selmeston volunteers have planted a number of new trees following the loss of several old and established trees in the village from Storm Eunice in 2022 and the ongoing wet and windy weather. These are now starting to show themselves and will hopefully fill the gaps where trees have been lost.
Zero tolerance on Litter and Dog poop!
Selmeston is lucky to have some beautiful walks on its doorstep but the village is increasingly seeing a growing litter and dog fouling problem.
If you spot either happening in Selmeston please challenge people about their actions.
A big thank you to Selmeston volunteers who collected 15 bags of rubbish over the course of 2 days all along The Street.
Grab your binoculars
Did you know you can submit your species sightings to the Sussex Biodiversity record centre, just fill in the form and tell them what you've seen: