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 - 1 January

The valley is still flooded and all paths across the lower part of the valley are impassable, as is most of the path along the river.

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

Latest News

Waxwings

December 2023 saw a group of Waxwings visiting the Park to sample the berries. Several hundred visit Britain each winter.

New on this website

August 2023 - a set of new pages describing some of the more common flowering plants has been added to the "Wildlife" section of the site.