A sunny autumnal stroll along the clifftop path on the Firehills has produced an interesting result. A Thrips was found within the grass and gorse at the point where the cliff falls away, it is a tiny insect of no more than 2mm length, of the Order Thysanoptera. Examination under the microscope proved it to be a Thrips but further identification needed greater expertise. The Thrips was delivered to Dr. Manfred Ulitzka in Offenburg (the world expert) and he has identified it as a female Odontothrips ulicis. Dr.Ulitzka was very pleased to make this identification as he only has one example of this species in his collection, and his is a male – hence he is delighted to have filled a gap in his collection. The record of this Thrips has been placed, and it is only the sixth UK record at the Biological Records Centre and the first record on the National Biodiversity Network Atlas. The Country Park has done it again.