SPECIES LIST

Yellow Wagtail

BREEDING YELLOW WAGTAIL

Pevensey Levels is one of only two places in Sussex where Yellow Wagtails have bred reliably in recent years but numbers are now very low. These little birds are strongly associated with very wet grassland grazed by cattle and sheep. They feed on insects around the edges of pools and hunt flies disturbed by and buzzing around animals. The nest is placed on the ground in open rough sward or low tussocks. Although they are small they have very distinctive soft yellow tummy that stands out when they perch on a gatepost or come close. A few years ago it was common to see them here and they seemed attracted, like yellow Robins, to people working along ditches on the open levels. Now they are nearly gone so having a pair on your fields is an unusual compliment. To help them hang on we need to work to create and maintain the best habitat for them.