Sussex
Scrapbook ~ Wildlife walks throughout the year
Saturday 8th December 2012
Scout Hike #10.
Chantry Hill - Amberley Village - Amberley
Wildbrooks - Greatham Bridge.
11 miles
Chantry Hill car park sits right up on the
South Downs above Storrington and right from the off we had beautiful blue skies
with only small cirrus clouds above us. We soon came upon a very picturesque
dewpond that is used to water the cattle and soon after that we stopped to chat
to a horse rider about her big black horse ‘Zorro’.
After a mile I headed back to the minibus and drove it to our lunch spot at
Amberley. Everyone else carried on past Kithurst Hill and Rackham Hill, seeing
Yellowhammer and Buzzard on the way, before meeting me again two hours later for
sausages and tea at Amberley church.
Tim then took over as minibus driver and he would meet us all again at Greatham Bridge.
The next stage for the intrepid hikers was through the ridiculously muddy
wildbrooks, which everyone really enjoyed. Some people managed to get their feet
completely soaked but they didn’t seem to care too much. Splashing through the
puddles and mud was great fun.
In the wildbrooks we saw hundreds of Fallow Deer as well as Lapwing, Wren,
Kestrel, Robin, Blackbird, Pigeon, Jackdaw, Wigeon and Mallard. At Quell Farm we
saw two Donkeys and found a Rabbit skull.
Finally we made it to Greatham Bridge for a well deserved cuppa after which we
set off for a short stroll across Coldwaltham Brooks hoping to see a Barn Owl.
We didn’t have long to wait as one came out of the bushes ahead of us, crossed
the brooks and then disappeared into the reed beds. We walked on a bit further
as the sun set behind the hills and then we retraced our steps. The Barn Owl
appeared once again to give us all another good view of it hunting before it
once again evaporated into the darkness.
The start at Chantry Hill.
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Zorro the horse.
I leave the others to make their way to Amberley.
A bit of a warm up at Amberley.
Greatham Bridge
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A rabbit skull found at Quell Farm.
Kestrel looking out for dinner.
Take the time to read the countryside code for yourself and please stick to it at all times.