2 up coming dates for the diary, please note both events are for members only, although it is possible to join on the day.
2026 Members Early Spring Walk – Sunday 26th April
The timing will be 9:00 for 9:15 start at hide Car Park to 12:45 and include the usual visit over to Whillet’s. The walk will be lead by John & Bob, but others are available Linsey will be around to help.
2026 Members Bird watching morning on Sunday 7th June
Sunday morning bird watching session with telescopes around forclose views. (9:00 to 12.00) at the West End Car Park).Bob J, Linsey and others will attend with telescopes to point out and show the wildlife at the west end.
All West End: March is our time for managing all the nest boxes and we have well over a 100 that need cleaning and maintenance, renewals etc and then monitoring. We also carry out Refugia tin surveys regularly.
Whillet’s Meadows: (C8 to C11) We had several bonfires to clear from previous work when we were managing Blackthorn & Willow overgrowth and fallen trees within the meadows. We also repaired the anti-slip wire mesh on the two access bridges for safety reasons.
Later month we cleared several unwanted and part fallen Willow trees now growing along the ground from the river line and these were cut and stacked ready for future disposal. We also cleared some access paths and started our breeding bird surveys (BBS).
We planted some native Snakeshead Fritillary bulbs and purchased materials and built a protective cage to protect them from grazing damage by Fallow Deer which are proving to be a problem to our plantlife within the meadows.
In C13: Opposite the Car Pak we built a Sand Martin bank of 11 nest holes to a recommended RSPB design. A video by the RSPB is available on our website showing the construction and giving other info.
More Work Party news is also included in our members Quarterly newsletter.
Study Area: (C2 to C4) Further bonfires and some hazel coppicing was carried out in our Study area C2 to C4 where we also repaired a feed pipe leak at our pondlet.
We cut back some vegetation on C1 Pintail bank to allow better access for our grazing wildfowl and carried out some fence repairs.
Legsheath lane: (C6) We cut and cleared fallen trees that were lying on the reserves boundary fence or infringing the road area.
Hide car park: (C5) We dug out and cleared the Car Park drainage ditches to help reduce the car park flooding and mud problems. We also repaired a broken bench seat at one of the seating areas.
In C18 & C19 The North Bank public footpath – Lecomber seat view area – We cut and cleared internal access paths to allow us to do survey work & monitor these compartments. At the view area we started to clear Willow from the water edge to maintain open views from the public footpath seat view point and encourage more marsh habitat at the water edge. Pics before and after at view point
Friends of Weirwood in association with the local East Grinstead RSPB have installed a Sand Martin nest bank on the north side of the reservoir, viewing from the Legsheath car park, and hide. A link to all the details can be found here
2 up coming dates for the diary, please note both events are ofr members only, although it is possible to join on the day.
Members Autumn Walk – 1st November 2025 This will be the usual afternoon walk, heading into the Study Area and onto Pintail Bank to look for fungi. We will then walk over to Whillets Meadows and to the reed bed to observe Reed Buntings coming in to roost.
Meet in the Hide car park at the west end of the reservoir at 1.30pm. We aim to finish by 4.00pm. Stout footwear recommended or wellies if we have had a prolonged spell of wet weather. If weather conditions force us to cancel we will let you know by e-mail and through our Facebook page.
Annual General Meeting – 13th March 2026
Our 29th Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 13th March 2026. We will be in the Forest Row Community Centre with a 7.15pm start time as usual. We are very pleased to announce that Mark Mallalieu CBE has agreed to be our guest speaker after the AGM. He will talk about the Honey Buzzards and Goshawks of Sussex. Both species are seen at Weir Wood so this is bound to be an interesting talk. Mark will be known to many members not least for his sterling work as the (recently retired) editor of the excellent annual bird report produced by the Sussex Ornithological Society.
Further details will follow in the winter newsletter.
Meet in the Legsheath Lane car park at 9.00am for a 9.15am start. The focus of this walk will be flora, and our common spotted orchids in particular. We will also be keeping any eye out for butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies and demoiselles on the wing as we walk through the reserve. There will also be the opportunity to look at nesting birds on our rafts – hopefully we will have common terns present. The walk will conclude back at the car park by 1.00pm. Conditions underfoot in the reserve are good – so unless we have sustained torrential rain – sturdy walking shoes / boots will be adequate.
We will be holding our popular annual Spring Walk this year on Saturday 26 April. As usual the focus will be on the bluebell display, but we will also walk out on to Pintail Point and afterwards walk into Whillets Meadows. Start time 9.15am – duration 3.5 hours (approx) – meet in the West End car park. This is a members only event, but family and friends are welcome.
