Seen here away from it’s normal woodland habitat a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker, most likely a female due to the very little red on it’s crown. Top of Warren Glen 02/10/2024.

Been a while since I got a photo of a common lizard so I thought I’d share this one. Basking on Bollard 18.

Although a common species but said to be in decline there are only a few records for the Country Park. Interestingly this was in the same area of the Firehills as my only other record. Possibly under recorded due to it being the smallest of the browns.

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One can quite often see a Mistle Thrush in and around the Quarry but getting photos is harder so I thought I’d share this one taken on Saturday 4th May 2024

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A personal new butterfly species record and a rare one for the CP it seems, as I can only find 2 previous records, one in 1993 in the field next to Barn Pond and the other in 2017 also on the Firehills. Possibly just under recorded as there are plenty of records for the rest of East Sussex.

Also seen today a juvenile Stonechat, note the mottled breast, making it’s unmistakeable alarm call with an adult male nearby doing the same. This demonstrates successful breeding again this year on the Firehills.

A yellowhammer singing in the heathland south of the Quarry, yesterday and again this morning, in the same tree. It’s song is said to sound like “A little piece of bread and no cheese”, hence the title.

Saw this 7 Spot Ladybird this morning  on the Heras fencing around the site of the new visitor centre. As it was on the inside, I was shocked to see that it had neither hard hat or hi-vis!

Ghostly goings on in the Quarry? Well actually no. These webs are created by Tetranycus lintearius the Gorse Spider Mite. The adults are half a millimetre long and bright red. A native to Europe, it has been introduced to other countries as a biological control measure, although it does not actually kill gorse it can reduce flowering and stunt the development of branches. The mites pierce the tissues of the plant whilst feeding.

Just recently a number of Kestrels have been hunting both in Warren Glen and the Firehills and it’s worth making a visit just to see them.