News

Butterflies in the Valley

12 July 2022

Butterfly season is with us again and after a slow start it looks like it could be a very good year. The hedgerows and woodlands have lots of whites such as the Small White, Large White and Green-veined White, and browns like the Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper. Out in the fields all three of our ususal skipper can be seen; Large, Small and Essex, along with Peacocks and Red Admirals.

Marbled White pair

We have already had several sightings of butterflies that, while not rare, are unusual in the Park, such as the Marbled White, shown above, which is more usually found on the chalk downs.

White Admiral

Another unusual butterfly for the Park is the White Admiral which has been seen already this year.

Purple Hairstreak

The Purple Hairstreak usually flies high in oak trees so is not easy to spot but has recently been spotted in some bushes in an area bordering the park.

Footpaths - 12 March

Most paths are walkable now the water level has dropped. However, many are still very muddy and a few are only really walkable in wellies.

Report overgrown rights of way to East Sussex and other paths to the Friends of Combe Valley.

Latest News

Whooper Swan

This year our usual winter-visiting wildfowl have been joined by a Whooper Swan. This unusual visitor to the park was last recorded here 12 years ago.

New on this website

April 2022 - A new section, "Nature's Calendar", has been added giving details of what to look out for around the Countryside Park at different times of the year.