Live webcam hopes to capture antics of white storks on film
Camera focused on nest of Knepp Castle at rewilding estate
Wild white storks nesting near Horsham could now be seen up close – for the first time in the UK.
It is all thanks to a live camera that has been fitted onto a nest at the worldrenowned rewilding estate at Knepp Castle in West Grinstead.
Now members of the public will – subject to the cooperation of the birds – be able to get a stork’s eye view of the process of nesting, egglaying and fledging – all from a nest built by the storks last year on a chimney on top of the castle.
Isabella Tree, who owns the Knepp Estate with her husband Charlie Burrelll, said: “It’s beyond exciting to have storks nesting on our roof.
“The sound of billclattering as the storks celebrate each step of the nesting process with each other, twig by twig, is one of the most joyful sounds one can ever hope to hear.
“Our ancestors would have been familiar with this sound. No wonder storks are associated with good fortune and rebirth.
“On a cold day in February/ March, this is the sound of hope and rejuvenation.”
In 2020, two pairs of white storks built large nests in oak trees at Knepp and successfully fledged four chicks between them – the first white storks to breed in the wild in the UK for over 600 years.
This was a landmark moment for the White Stork Project – a pioneering collaboration involving the Knepp Estate – which aims to re-establish white storks as a breeding species in the UK.
The project team asked members of the public to submit data and sightings from the live camera via a form on their website and to share their stork camera experience on social media using #ISpyStorks
The camera was officially launched last week – but the storks seemed camera shy.
Mrs Tree said on Twitter last Monday: “So, what happens when a webcam goes live? Birds sugar off to a nearby tree and start building there!
“Hoping other storks will fancy this bit of chimney real estate.”
Fortunately, storks have since been spotted on the camera.
Visit www. whitestorkproject.org/ live to view the webcam or follow the progress on Twitter and Facebook @ ProjectStork or Instagram @ WhiteStorkProject.