Knepp estate storks begin to nest in Guildford industrial estate

A group of storks born and raised by a Sussex rewilding project have been spotted nesting in a Surrey industrial estate in what has been called a “major milestone” for the scheme.

The Knepp Estate in West Sussex has been attempting to rewild storks in south-east England since 2016, reintroducing the migrating birds into the wild in the hope they will return to the UK for the first time in 600 years.

Now, a group of the birds have nested at an industrial estate near Guildford, with the hope they will rear chicks in the coming years.

Laura Vaughan-Hirsch, manager of the White Stork Project, told BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey: “We really want these birds to do well, and to spread and thrive.”

She said: “This is a major milestone in the project for us.

“These birds are young and typically start breeding at four years old. We think they are putting up a practice nest.

“This winter they will likely migrate and go off again, and next spring they will try and rear chicks on that nest.”