Sussex Wildlife Trust was formed in 1961 to conserve the natural heritage of Sussex. It now manages 4,500 acres of land and has over 33,000 members, 6,000 junior members and 450 volunteers, making it largest conservation organisation dedicated to conserving the natural heritage of Sussex.

Badger

Meles meles

Family: Mustelidae

Habitat: Woodland and scrub.

Food: Earthworms, insects, fruit, carrion, cereals and fruit.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Badgers are sociable forming groups of around six adults. They are burrowing animals and construct complicated setts which are passed down the generations. They typically emerge late afternoon.

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes crucigera

Family: Canidae

Habitat: Farmland, gardens and parks, woodland, heathland, grassland, sand dunes and sea cliffs.

Size: Height 35-50 cm (14-20 in). Length 45-90 cm (18-35 in). Tail 30-56 cm (12-22 in).

Food: Rodents, rabbits, birds, fruit and vegetables, fish, frogs, and worms.

Sound: Vocal range of five octaves. Various barks and screams.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Grey Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Family: Sciuridae

Habitat: Woodland and gardens and parks.

Size: Length 23-30 cm (9.1-11.8 in). Tail 19-25 cm (7.5-9.8 in).

Food: Tree bark, buds, berries, seeds, acorns, walnuts, and other nuts, and fungi.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Each grey squirrel makes several thousand small caches of hidden food every summer. Their nests or dreys are made of twigs and leaves often in the forks of trees. They are crepuscular and do not hibernate.

Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Family: Erinaceidae (Hedgehogs and Gymnures)

Habitat: Farmland, gardens and parks, meadows, orchards and woodland.

Size: Length 26 cm (10 in). Tail 2-3 cm (0.79-1.18 in).

Food: Slugs, earthworms, beetles, caterpillars and other insects. Fruit.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

When alarmed it rolls into a ball repelling potential predators by its spines. Blonde hedgehogs occasionally occur due to a pair of recessive genes.

Wood Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Family: Muridae (Rats, Mice and Relatives)

Habitat: Farmland, grasslands and woodland.

Size: Length 90 mm (3.5 in).

Food: Seeds, particularly of oak, beech, ash, lime, hawthorn and sycamore. Berries, fruits and roots. Snails and insects.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Although they do not hibernate, during severe winter seasons they fall into a torpor - a state of decreased physiological activity.

Green Woodpecker

Picus viridis

Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers and allies)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, grasslands, heathlands and woodland.

Food: Ants.

Voice: Distinctive ringing laugh yah, yah, yah.

Season: All year round. All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Green woodpeckers spend a lot of time eating ants on the ground. They breed in oval holes they peck in dead wood.

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Family: Paridae (Tits)

Habitat: Woodland, gardens and parks and hedgerows.

Size: Length 12 cm (4.7 in) Wingspan 18 cm (7.1 in).

Food: Insects, caterpillars, seeds and nuts.

Voice: Tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-sit. Scolding churr.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Frequently family flocks join up with other tits in the search for food. Acrobatic feeders. They usually nest in tree holes.

Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Family: Fringillidae (Finches)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, towns and gardens, woodland and hedgerows.

Food: Seeds, buds and insects.

Voice: Sadwhistling peeeuu. Quiet warble song.

Season: All year round. All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Also called the common bullfinch it builds its nest in a large bush.

Song Thrush

Turdus philomelos

Family: Turdidae (Thrushes)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, woodland and hedgerows.

Food: Worms, snails and fruit.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

This species is listed on the Red list by the RSPB due to a rapid decline in numbers particularly in the last 25 years.It is omnivorous and uses a stone on which to break the shells of snails. Spends much time running, stopping rummaging for food in the leaf-letter.

Tawny Owl

Strix aluco

Family: Strigidae (True owls)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, woodland, lowland mixed deciduous, coniferous woods and deciduous woods.

Size: Length 37-46 cm (15-18 in). Wingspan 81-105 cm (32-41 in)

Food: Small mammals and rodents, small birds, frogs, fish, insects and worms.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers and allies)

Habitat: Gardens and parks and woodland.

Food: Insects, nuts and seeds.

Voice: Call sharp kik, kik. Drumming.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Jerky actions. Hops up trees rather than climbs. Easy and undulated flight.

Blackbird

Turdus merula

Family: Turdidae (Thrushes)

Habitat: Woodland and gardens and parks.

Size: Length 23.5-29 cm (9.25-11.4 in).

Food: Insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits.

Voice: Song: rich and melodious.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Great Tit

Parus major

Family: Paridae (Tits)

Habitat: Gardens and parks and woodland.

Food: Insects, seeds and nuts. Small hibernating bats.

Voice: Up to 40 calls and songs such as chink, and teacher-teacher.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Great tits solve problems with insight learning, such as breakinginto milk bottles to obtain cream, and using conifer needles to extract larvae from a treehole.

Goldcrest

Regulus regulus

Family: Regulidae (Kinglets)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, woodland and native pine woods.

Size: Length 8.5-9.5 cm (3.3-3.7 in). Wingspan 13.5-15.5 cm (5.3-6.1 in).

Food: Spiders, moth eggs and other small insect food.

Voice: High-pitched tseee.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Goldcrests are the smallest bird in Europe.

Robin

Erithacus rubecula

Family: Muscicapidae (Old World flycatchers)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, meadows, orchards and woodland.

Size: 12.5-14.0 cm (5.0-5.5 inches)

Food: Worms, insects and berries.

Voice: Warbling song and a harsh tick.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Often territorial, hops rapidly. A friendly bird that will sometimes feed from the hand of someone who is familiar.

Brimstone

Gonepteryx rhamni

Family: Pieridae (Yellows-and-Whites)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, woodland and lowland calcareous grassland.

Size: Length 30 mm (1.2 in).

Food: Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus), Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and many for nectar.

Flight: Early March to late September.

Wings are a perfect leaf shape and it is believed the yellow of the male led to it being called butter-coloured fly from which came butterfly.

Orange-tip

Anthocharis cardamines

Family: Pieridae (Yellows-and-Whites)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, meadows, hedgerows and woodland clearings and edges.

Size: Length 23 mm (0.9 in).

Food: Cuckooflower, garlic mustard and other crucifers which contain glucosinolates. Also garden honesty, mignonette and sweet rocket.

Flight: Early April to late July.

One of the first butterflies to emerge in the spring.

The female lacks the orange tips and so looks like a white.

Peacock

Aglais io

Family: Nymphalidae (Brush-footed)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, grasslands, meadows and woodland.

Size: Length 30 mm.

Food: Stinging nettles. Buddleia, willows, dandelions, wild marjoram, danewort, hemp agrimony, and clover.

Flight: Early June to late September. March after hibernation.

Fast flying butterfly. The eye spots on its wings scare predators.

White-letter Hairstreak

Satyrium w-album

Family: Lycaenidae (Blue)

Habitat: Woodland and hedgerows.

Size: Length 16 mm (0.63 in). Wingspan 25-35 mm (1-1.4 in).

Food: Elm honeydew, creeping thistle and bramble blossom.

Flight: Early June to late August.

Winter is spent as an egg on an elm tree. The caterpillar hatches in march and feeds on the elm flowers and seeds.

Named after the W shaped white line on its underside.

Ash

Fraxinus excelsior

Family: Oleaceae

Habitat: Gardens and parks, woodland, lowland mixed deciduous, wood-pasture and parkland and deciduous woods.

Size: Height 12-43 m (39-141 ft). Leaf length 20-35 cm (7.9-13.8 in).

Flowering Period: All year round.

Some ash trees live for over 250 years.

Ash dieback, caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, has caused the widespread death of ash trees. 130 million trees in the UK are under threat.

Several Lepidoptera use the species as a food source including dingy skipper, duke of burgundy, grayling, high brown fritillary, northern brown argus, pearl-bordered fritillary, small pearl-bordered fritillary and white-letter hairstreak.

Common Dog-violet

Viola riviniana

Family: Violaceae (Violets)

Habitat: Farmland, meadows, woodland, hedgerows and rocky habitats.

Size: Height 15 cm (5.9 in). Flower width 15-20 mm (0.6-0.8 in).

Scent: None.

Flowering Period: Early April to late June.

Bluebell

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Family: Asparagaceae

Habitat: Woodland and hedgerows.

Size: Height 50 cm (20 in). Flower 14-20 mm (0.55-0.79 in)

Flowering Period: Early April to late June. April till June.

Particularly associated with ancient woodland.

The seeds are black, and germinate on the soil surface.