Seaford Natural History Society During the summer months the main activities of the Society are guided walks and recording the wonderful wildlife of the area. These came to a complete halt with the onset of the Covid-19 lockdown! At the time of writing, restrictions are beginning to ease so there is a chance that some of the planned walks may take place before the end of the season. With recording, the situation is more encouraging, as members can observe singly or in pairs. For example, butterfly surveying on Seaford Head and botanical observations are taking place. Many readers will have fond memories of spending time as children on the seashore, looking for crabs and other creatures in rock-pools and under stones. It isn’t just children who can enjoy this, and with several areas of good rocky shore near to Seaford there is plenty to see. Rocky shores can be accessed from Hope Gap, Cuckmere Haven or Birling Gap. Further afield, the Pound at Eastbourne (by the Holywell Café) is great at very low tide when the reef is exposed. The shoreline in these areas is a wave-cut chalk platform. There are deep channels and rock pools with loose rocks in them. Apart from the very colourful sea anemones, most of the living creatures are to be found under rocks. Turn them over and you will often find small fish, crabs, prawns and various molluscs. Look out for:
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Snakelocks Anemone
There are two types of sea anemone commonly found on our shores, the Beadlet (which is red or green) and this, the larger Snakelocks, which has very long tentacles. You can find large numbers of these at Hope Gap in the channels and rock pools.
Chitons
These are like Limpets but they are oval in shape and have a series of plates in their shells.
Sea Slugs
You have to look carefully for these molluscs as they are usually quite small and will contract when disturbed. However, if you can put one into a pot and let it open up, they can be amazing. Many of them have brightly-coloured ‘tentacles’ along their backs. If you are going rock-pooling, remember to check the tide times first – the best time to start is about an hour before low tide, and keep going until the tide has turned. Be careful on the rocks as they are often slippery, especially the ones with bright green algae on them. You need to wear wellingtons or waterproof sandals in order to get into the water. PLEASE PUT EVERYTHING, ANIMALS AND STONES, CAREFULLY BACK WHERE YOU FOUND THEM.
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