Volunteer Ranger Newsletter

Winter 2005

From Alex

Once again, thank you for all your support during the past year, it has been invaluable.

I am going into hospital for an operation on 30th November, and will be off work for about six weeks. However I do hope to see you all at the Christmas party just before my return to work.

I am looking forward to seeing you all when I'm back at work in the New Year, and I do hope that you will continue to support us in the coming months

Welcome

A warm welcome to new Volunteer Melanie Barnard. We hope you will enjoy being part of the team and the Country Park as much as we all do.

News

The Christmas Party 7th January 7.30pm

Once again the Christmas party will be held at Bourne Court, courtesy of Kay. Bourne Court is at the sea end of The Bourne in Hastings Old Town, almost opposite the Lord Nelson pub.Contributions in the way of refresh- ments will be welcome, although the Council will provide the basis for a feast. Thank you, Kay—it will be a lovely opportunity to meet old friends and put faces to new names.

Reptiles Relocation

The deep scrape towards the edge of the field beside Coastguard Cottages is where reptiles – Common Lizards and Slowworms - are to be relocated from a building development on the edge of Marlline Wood. These are protected species, and provision has to be made for them before any development can go ahead.

Big Sky Country

The white clouds chase on and on,
Over land, over sea
To the far horizon.
The waves crest and prance
With flowing white manes
To the white cliffs of France.
Seldom all blue, high
Fluffy clouds float along
Making patterns in the sky
Castles, towers, ever changing
Dream your dreams
The high vista ranging.
Sun and cloud make shifting light
Patterns across the water
Tracing the gulls' calls and flight.
When the wind blows
Wild horsetails stretch
Right across in shifting flows.
A mackerel sky forewarns gales.
Out at sea, the sailors heed
And lower down their sails.
Lower and darker, full of rain
Slower and heavier clouds hang
Dropping their load again and again.
When the sun halts the storm,
Shining on the raindrops
Still falling, see the form
Of the rainbow quiver
Arching across the heavens,
A shimmering coloured river.
And, oh, how the wind blows stark
Across that big sky, Hastings Country Park.

Kay

Update – Spider-repellent Paint

The toilet walls are still pristine where they have been painted –it must be three years ago now. Still no spiders on the walls, but I did find a large garden spider clinging to the underside of a washbasin. To save some poor lady having a heart attack I tried to move it on to the wall. It was having nothing of it and preferred to run out of the door.

Whatever is in that paint must be pretty powerful stuff!

Kay

"Hello Again!" from Liz

Whilst the whole world rushes headlong into the future I took a step back, back to being a Volunteer.

The first duty I have undertaken so far is to attend a Forum meeting. I am unable to report any outcomes of this meeting as most topics needed either more debate or involvement from another agency. However, there was a brief report in an October issue of the Hastings Observer where some aspects of the future of the Country Park were reported.

For my part, I was pleasantly surprised at the changes occurring. When last I was a Volunteer Ranger, the largest thing I was likely to come up against whilst on patrol would be a couple of Great Danes. Now it seems it is bellowing bulls and cow pats!

All in the name of progress, methinks. Somewhere in my memory I have a vague recollection of spending a year at agricultural college. Having said that, I have little factual memory of the ‘whys' or ‘wherefores' of farming. It was a long time ago.

I do see the benefit of having stock graze the land though. For one thing it adds interest, and parents can bring their children to see the animals. This must enhance the attraction of the Park and widen its appeal. Also, it makes sense to enable the diverse range of life forms to co-exist in the Country Park.

I look forward to meeting the Volunteer Rangers again, and hope to plan some patrols soon – mind you, it's been so long I may need a Ranger to show me the way!

Elizabeth Young

Volunteers needed for the Management Forum — any help most welcome

So much for well-laid plans! Liz has recently started a new full-time job, which means she will no longer be able to attend the Management Forum meetings. Paul has very kindly said he is happy to go to the meetings whenever possible.

Is anyone willing to volunteer to step in on the occasions when he is not free?

You will be well briefed beforehand, and should find the process interesting, as well as having an opportunity to put forward ideas and comments from the Volunteer Rangers. The meetings are held quarterly, and the dates for the year ahead are already available.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Paul Baines on 01424 200929 or paulbaines@btinternet.com.

Paul is also happy to discuss your ideas regarding the proposed Friends group (see Summer 2005 Newsletter).

Countryside Stewardship Walk Sunday 16th October 2005

It was another splendid day for the Countryside Stewardship (C.S.) walk, the second of a series in which Andy Phillips, the Local Nature Reserves Officer, takes all comers around the areas under the C.S. scheme, and explains both plans and results.

Opposite the Visitor Centre a twittering flock of goldfinches appeared on cue, to feed on the mainly thistle seed-heads and persuade the gathered crowd of the effectiveness of the management-for-wildlife measures to date. Adverse weather and an astonishing growth of thistles meant the barley crop had developed poorly, so rather than harvest it, all had been left for the birds.

A grey partridge, a pair of tree sparrows and a corn bunting, farm species whose numbers have declined worryingly in recent years, had already been recorded in the Country Park this year, as well as the much celebrated breeding success of the barn owls, who successfully reared five chicks. These are heart-warming signs.

Andy talked about the importance of regarding Fairlight Place Farm and Hastings Country Park as an integrated unit. The next step in the process will the designation of the entire site as a Local Nature Reserve – perhaps the most exciting step since Hastings Country Park was declared one of the first Country Parks under the 1968 Countryside Act. This demonstrates the commitment of Hastings Borough Council to the future of the Park

The previous farming regime at Fairlight Place was intensive dairy with a small amount of arable, mostly maize, a crop which requires much fertiliser, and was planted to the field edge for maximum yield. The emphasis will now be on farming for wildlife rather than for profit. This will not however be a drain on the local purse because of the C.S. grant. There are a good number of grants available today targeted at reversing the damage done to wildlife as a result of grants aimed at maximum crop yields in the past.

We stood overlooking the eastern slopes of Warren Glen, our faces to the west. The field behind us, we were told, was to be kept as pasture, with low intensity grazing, to encourage skylarks and meadow pipits. The slopes ahead will be managed to increase the areas of acid grassland/heathland, a rare habitat. Already the Volunteers have cleared a large patch of bracken. The results – see picture – are impressive. Andy emphasised the importance of the work done by the Volunteers.

Why clear the bracken? Bracken shades out plants on which insect larvae feed, which means Dartford Warblers cannot feed their chicks. Bracken clearance helps provide the right conditions for rare heathland insects such as the green tiger beetle, the minotaur beetle and the lesser bloody-nosed beetle. It also widens the paths so people need not walk on ruts - people trampling the dry sandy paths create the ideal habitat for rare bees and wasps. Philanthus triangulum, a Red Data species of wasp, has been found here.

The aim is not to remove all of the bracken, which is useful to other creatures, but to create a mosaic to attract the greatest diversity of species. Such are the complexities of land management!

From next year cattle will graze on those slopes in summer, trampling the bracken rhizomes which helps destroy them, and crushing the bracken litter. During the rest of the year there will be open access to this land.

Where land is to remain arable, low-fertiliser crops such as barley will be planted, with wide field margins.

I read recently of the unexpected degree of success in restoring field-edge farmland plants simply by leaving wide field margins.

The field Between Warren Glen and Breaky Bank will be narrowed by "softening", or creating a less defined, woodland edge, which will benefit dormice. This is the field which will be lightly grazed to maintain the tussocky grasses which suit field voles.

The field opposite the Stables Block is a favourite early morning hunting ground for our barn owls. Short-eared owls, daytime hunters, have also been seen there. The field to the west of it, on the other side of the Fairlight Place track, will be arable, and it is planned to put lots of tree sparrow boxes along the hedge. I can recall the first flock of tree sparrows I saw in the Country Park perhaps eighteen years ago. I'm looking forward to their becoming part of the area again.

Andy told us many things in the two hours he spent with us, not all of which I have recorded. If you read his management update it will fill a number of gaps in my account. The overall message is – so far so good - very good. I shall certainly hope to join the next walk, in the spring. It's fascinating stuff!

Jacqueline

Hallowe'en

Saturday 29th October

This year Kay decided she wanted a well-earned break from the Hallowe'en event, so we hired Ben Fairlight to tell spooky stories , as we had sometimes in the past, .

Well, the day arrived, as had the rain for a few days beforehand. The Quarry was nicely waterlogged, and the steps down to it treacherous during the day, let alone after dark. We really didn't want to cancel the event that so many people were looking forward to and money had been spent on, but things were not looking hopeful. Suddenly it came to me – why not hold it in the picnic area by the Horseshoe car park? Although not as atmospheric as the Quarry it is well drained, and if people didn't want to sit on the tarpaulins on the grass there were also the picnic benches. Lighting the way was much easier, and the steps to it aren't slippery or particularly steep, and there is a good handrail.

Steve agreed, so the decision was made.

Our newest Volunteer, Melanie, to whom I would like to extend a warm welcome, kindly came along to the Cottage and spent the afternoon slaving away cutting pumpkin heads. When I went home that night I was told about a girl who had had to carve three heads and had complained she was sick of them. What a lightweight! Melanie and I carved twenty! Unfortunately Melanie could not stay for the evening because of a prior engagement.

Just as I was beginning to feel panic set in as to whether any Volunteers would show up you started to arrive. I don't know why I worried, you have never let us down yet.

Although not wanting to take a major role in things, Kay couldn't resist getting her witch costume out, and she stood in the car park and directed people to the picnic area. I was very grateful for that, and would like to thank Kay.

As I said, the picnic area wasn't as atmospheric as the Quarry, but once it was dark and the pumpkins lit, it wasn't bad at all, and it was a lot safer for people to get to in the dark. So it will probably be used again.

Ben threw himself into telling his stories with much gusto, and kept his audience enthralled with stories about ships with skeleton crews and lovers cursed by fairies.

All in all it was an enjoyable evening and everybody seemed to go home happy. Events like this are only made possible by the Volunteers, and whether you are making pumpkin heads or showing people where to go, your help is much appreciated. So I would like to thank publicly all of you who took part and I hope you will support us again next year.

Alex Bailey

Assistant Countryside Ranger

Blame it on TV

Alex had to take a woman to hospital. She had been bitten by an adder.

I was surprised. Adders would rather get away and only turn and bite if they feel really threatened, for instance by dogs rushing through the bracken .

"Was she wearing open-toed sandals?" I asked.

"No, she picked it up," Alex replied.

When I managed to close my jaw which had dropped open, I asked, "Why?"

"To show her children," Alex replied, adding as an afterthought, "It was the second time she has done it and been bitten."

Some people never learn. Let's hope it won't be third time unlucky.

Kay

Sand, Sun and Piddocks

On a sunny Saturday in August a few Volunteers, two beautifully behaved children (Isaac and Thomas) and two well-behaved Rangers gathered at Pett Level beach for a fun day involving cabbages, killers and Hastings rock.

On approaching the beach, Steve quickly spotted some of the flora which survive very well in such a hostile environment. Sea kale (Crambe maritima) was abundant. Sometimes called winter asparagus and looking very much like a cabbage (a close relative) this plant can be eaten. Apparently the winter shoots can be steamed and served with a butter sauce. It has a very long root system which extends far down into the shingle in search of water. A beautiful yellow flowered plant was then seen. This was common toadflax (Linaria vulgaris). This again is a plant that can survive in dry areas and would not look out of place in a cottage garden.

With buckets at the ready the children (and I) were now ready to get their feet wet in the rock pools. The first thing we noticed as we walked across the beach was the amount of wood lying around. These are the remains of an ancient forest dating from 5000 years ago when the sea level was much lower.

The first crab of the day was caught by Thomas, and was a common shore crab (Carcinus maenas). I was then caught by a velvet swimming crab (Necora puber). It did eventually let me go though the scars still remain. Common cockles(Cerastoderma edule) were also seen, as well as the killer I referred to earlier, the dog whelk (Nucella lapillus). It uses the edge of its shell to prise open bivalve shells and may drill holes into the shell of its prey in order to access the soft tissues inside. It also scavenges for carrion, which it detects by smell from some distance. Steve found one drilling its way into a common mussel(Mytilus edulis). This mussel is also the prey of gulls, starfish, oystercatchers and crabs as well as Homo sapiens. Not an easy life. Common piddock (Pholas dactylus) was also spotted by Steve, boring into some of the timbers. This bivalve is also able to cut its way into soft rocks such as chalk and sandstone. A blenny (Lipophrys pholis) was also caught. In medieval times, this fish, known as a sea frog, was used as one of the ingredients, with eggs, in hair shampoo. Anyone who knows why please let me know. It habitually leaves oxygen-deficient pools and can be seen basking on rocks and completely out of the water at low tide. An abundance of hermit crabs (Pagurus bernhardus)were seen on the move. Many needed to upgrade to larger accommodation as they could barely squeeze into their whelk shell homes.

Lunchtime arrived. How glorious it was to gaze out to sea, munching on cheese and pickle sandwiches and joining with Isaac and Thomas in a game of target practice with some pebbles.

The afternoon was spent on a geological survey. Facing landward the awesome sight of the cliffs rose above us. These rocks date from the lower cretaceous period and are therefore over 100 million years old. The lower bands of sandstone are called the Ashdown beds and above them lies a bed of Wadhurst clay which includes shale, clay and Cliff End sandstone . Within the Sandstone is a bone bed which contains numerous fish remains and other fossils. Steve impressed us all with his knowledge of the geology, pointing out some faults and finding examples of ripple marks in the rocks. Evidence of erosion was clearly visible and we didn't linger for too long close to the cliffs.

The few hours we spent were not only fun but also extremely interesting. Thanks to Steve and Alex for organizing something a little different. It was also great to see the children getting involved. I only hope that should such an event occur again my description will have tempted a few more people to come along with their families for a great day out.

Andrew Dyer

A Cycle Track in the Park

An imminent change not related to the Countryside Stewardship scheme is that there will soon be a new cycle track through the Country Park. The exact route will be agreed shortly. The plan is for it to pass from Barley Lane to the Visitor Centre. For part of its length it will go from Breaky Bank to Warren Cottage between the upper and lower fields , then wind behind the Quarry.

It will form part of the SUSTRANS scheme which aims to put in place a safe and continuous route for cyclists throughout the country

The route will be designed to have the least impact on wildlife in the Country Park.

Hastings Country Park – Local Nature Reserve Declaration

The various steps towards declaring Hastings Country Park a Local Nature Reserve will be completed by Spring 2006. There will be an official opening ceremony with events and activities to celebrate the designation, which will be held on 15th July to coincide with national Local Nature Reserve events.

Recipe - Giant Puff-ball

Because of the dangers of poisoning through misidentification, I usually prefer not to print recipes using fungi. However, the Giant Puff-ball is UNMISTAKABLE! You can find it in fields and under hedges. It is also reputed to grow in woodland. To find one is to experience the thrill of the unexpected—you don't hunt for giant puffballs, they suddenly and magically appear. They are white skinned, smooth, more or less spherical and stalkless, and usually measure six inches to a foot across. They can be much larger – four feet across has been recorded! The edible skin is like finest leather, and the flesh white and firm. Later they yellow, but then they are no longer good to eat.

A fresh giant puffball can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. The traditional way to eat them is to cook some rashers of bacon, then fry half-inch thick slices of the puffball in the resultant fat. If you prefer, you can first dip the slices in a batter made with egg, flour and a little water before frying. The flavour is mild, and pleasantly resembles mushrooms. They can be used to add interest to other dishes, or as the main feature in a quiche or an omelette. As Steve warns, try just a little the first time, some people find them very indigestible.

If you discover one, let us know! Good eating!

Jacqueline

Dormouse Diaries II

I have had three further outings to check on the little furry things down in Warren Glen, each with somewhat more success than the first. In July I trailed behind Steve again as he led me to each of the boxes dotted about the Glen. We only found one pair, but that was an improvement on the previous month. Having found them, we then had to catch them, sex them and weigh them. I didn't handle them on this occasion, but in our August outing Steve handed the sack and the ‘stuffer' to me, and it became my job to check the boxes while he did the recording. We found two boxes occupied, one with a pair and one with four very active young ones. It's not easy trying to catch teenage dormice. It's even harder trying to return them to their box. However, I managed it without harm to them or me and even managed to distinguish the boys from the girls.

In September, we found lots of dormice. We didn't get to weigh them all, as one escaped by running up my arm and over onto my back as I was bending over the sack. From there he took a leap off into the undergrowth and disappeared. Another couple escaped after weighing as we tried to return them to their nest. And I got bitten! Twice! By two different animals! Steve had assured me on several occasions that dormice don't bite. So either I found two very aggressive dormice, or (which is more likely, I must admit) they didn't like my handling of them. I hope I haven't given them a taste for blood! Anyway I still think they are sweet little animals – I'll just try to be nicer to them next time.

By the way, we found the wren's nest again, this time it was empty, so it looks like mummy wren recovered from her disturbance (see the last Newsletter) and managed to raise her family.

Suzanne

Willowherbs (Onagraceae)

The true Willowherbs (Epilobium) are quite a large group of mainly slender plants with pale pink flowers and leaves in pairs. The giant of the family, the Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) is, as its name tells us, tall and hairy. It has large four-petalled pinkish-purple flowers. A well-known local name is Codlins-and-cream.

The other giant is Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium). This differs in having the leaves spirally arranged. When massed, as on the edge of the Firehills and in the Horseshoe picnic area, it makes an impressive display, with its bright flowers. As in Epilobium, the long thin seed capsules split to release abundant white-plumed seeds. The capsule then coils back making an attractive display. I have a photograph somewhere which is quite beautiful in its symmetry.

The Rosebay Willowherb is the food plant of the caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth. The moth is an elegant pink and fawn creature which appears in June. The caterpillar is large and ugly, turning from green to brown before it pupates in the soil. It gets its name from the proboscis which can expand like a miniature elephant's trunk in front of two large dark eye spots. If it gets in to gardens, it feeds on the leaves of Fuchsias (which are in the same family as Willowherbs) and I have often had distressed gardeners pleading for someone to get these awful things off their prize plants. Sometimes showing them a picture of the pretty moth makes them feel it is worth losing some leaves, others shriek, "Take the thing away and put it on the wild plant"!

Kay

To the Editor

I am a little cursor
And Trembler is my name
And when my laptop's opened
I play a little game.
I wait until you're typing fast …
It makes you oh so cross!
When I decide to take a rest
And show you then who's boss.

You push me here, you pull me there …
I'm at your beck and call.
So when I think I've had enough,
I go and take a walk.
I saunter slowly up the screen
And trembling go off right,
And then I hear you, furious,
‘It's disappeared from sight!'

You chase in vain to capture me,
Reports still left to ed. (sic!),
I take a rest behind the screen
Until you threaten, ‘BED!'
The laptop's closed, it's all gone dark,
I creep out to the screen,
And sit there with the newsletter,
All ready to be seen.

Another day, another sort,
The news then all typed up,
And pictures, photos fitted in,
You whistle like a lark.
I'm really rather proud you see,
When all read the finished script -
To know that there's a part of me
In everything that's writ!

Penned by Linda during the vagaries of editing -

thought the readers would like some background colour!

A Gourmet Delight -or a Trip Too Far

For centuries wild mushrooms have been revered by some and looked on with scant indifference by others. Picking wild mushrooms is almost a national pastime in some parts of Europe and high prices are paid for some species considered to be gastronomically superior.

Some, such as the wild truffles, are sought after with great enthusiasm, which is matched by an equally enthusiastic price in the restaurant. Indeed, in some parts of Europe this is big business. One London oven this year charged £100:00 for a pizza which, amongst a number of other items, contained the shavings of a most expensive white truffle. At that price it would not to be hard for a person to convince himself or herself that it tasted divine. Truffles are rather odd looking organisms found under the earth and notoriously difficult to locate. Dogs have traditionally been used to locate these culinary treasures, as have wild pigs - a profitable way to bond with an animal friend. Alternatively, spores can be distributed under native bushes and the prize cultivated.

Some less exotic but equally interesting species can be hung up in the path of a warm air draught and dried for later use - particularly useful for those winter soups and casseroles.

What is it about wild mushrooms though? Certainly some taste better than others, but do some species really deserve the accolade they receive? Are they really worth the price people are prepared to pay for them? Or is there an element of mystique about these strange organisms that causes us to allude to a culinary wonder that simply isn't there? Does the excitement of finding a long sought specimen add to the whole experience? Is it the case that because the book says it is good to eat, and as it has taken so long to find we convince ourselves the book must be right.

It has to be said that once a person has learned to identify safely a few of the more edible common species, there is something very appealing about gathering the occasional addition to the home menu. Perhaps it is the spontaneity of suddenly coming upon a troop of interesting fruiting bodies on a seemingly barren winter woodland floor. Indeed this can seem an almost eerie, even quite ethereal, experience. It is also true that fungi can exhibit a fantastic array of colour, shape and size, adding an aesthetic appeal to a fungal foray. Also, there is always something appealing in the concept of food for free; the hunter-gatherer instinct aroused perhaps?

In some places fungi that are known to be hallucinogenic are still picked for the purpose. In Lapland the Fly Agaric, an unmistakable species, is harvested, dried and pieces swallowed without chewing to induce a state of stupor in which the recipient succumbs to powerful visions. On waking from this state the person feels an increased sense of awareness and euphoria and is in a very physically active state due to the effect of toxins on the central nervous system. Reindeer also find this species particularly tempting and, it is believed, experience the same effect. Indeed, it is claimed that local herdsmen only have to scatter a few broken pieces of the mushroom on the ground for the herd to come trotting. Incidentally, the reference to 'Fly' comes from the practice of breaking off pieces of the toadstool and placing them in milk to ward off flies.

But there is a downside to this fascination; from time to time there will be a fatality due to an error in identification, for some species that are good to eat have poisonous counterparts similar in appearance. The common names of some of these are very apt, such as Destroying Angel or Death Cap.

The former is not common and has an almost ghostly, deathly white pallor to it as one comes across it on the woodland floor. There is a deadly allure here, a fatal attraction that has claimed lives. In the species equally aptly called the Death Cap, the mechanism of destruction is particularly insidious. The toxin that does the damage causes the death of liver cells, and when filtered through the kidneys is returned to the bloodstream to be recycled. Unfortunately as it is not passed out of the body this damage is repeated and accumulative. The patient will seem to recover after the first bout of some most unpleasant symptoms, only to become ill again a week or so later. Alas, there will be no recovery from the second episode of sickness; the victim can only wait for the grim reaper to call. Any hope of avoiding this unfortunate end relies on very early diagnosis and treatment.

Both the Death Cap and Destroying Angel belong to the genus Amanita. This group has some of the most deadly species in the whole fungal kingdom. A few are deemed edible, but the entire genus best avoided.

There are some simple rules that can avoid this type of tragedy.

Firstly, only pick something you are absolutely sure of, and always go with someone more experienced if you are new to the world of fungi. Choose species that are safe, for example, if your field guide says, "can be confused with the deadly---", take heed, look for something more distinctive. Only try a small amount of something new; even edible species can cause stomach upsets, and you may have an adverse reaction to that particular species.

Also it may pay to keep a portion of the uncooked feast back. If, despite the best precautions, you are still taken unwell, you will have something an expert can identify. This may speed up the commencement of any medical treatment required, thus considerably increasing the chances of recovery.

Finally you may consider trying the safest way of all, buy a home-growing pack. Nowadays a number of native European species are cultivated. This is better for conservation, and is risk free. There is also an element of fun and the satisfaction of eating something that is the product of your own effort - and you will have left the wild fungi where they were for others to admire as they pass. Or you may just enjoy another excuse to pop down to the shed when a dearly beloved reminds you someone needs to do the washing up!

All said though, fungi are a fascinating and complex group of organisms, ranging from the microscopic through to some species with fruiting bodies the size of a football. A few are good to eat and a well-planned fungal foray can add that little extra tasty addition to the home pot. But even without this culinary benefit they can be enjoyed as part of countryside ramble simply for what they are, and left in situ to be enjoyed by many. When it comes to fungi, the key word is enjoy.

Steve Prosser,

Countryside Ranger

What is Lurking in Your Pond?

Throughout the lakes, ponds and drainage ditches of our land lurks in the shadows a warty amphibian, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting morsel, or crawl through the undergrowth looking for a suitable victim.

No, it is not some surviving relic long thought extinct, nor is it a fearsome predator brought from some distant shore. It is our friend the Great Crested Newt. The question is, do we have them in the Country Park?

So far the answer to that question is not promising. The Great Crested Newt is the largest, most colourful and most impressive of the three native British newts, the other two being the Palmate and Smooth Newts. But what else is so special about our friend?

Firstly, the Great Crested Newt is the least common of the three species, and tends to be a little more exacting in its habitat requirements than the other two. Small garden ponds are rarely used; something a little larger is normally more suitable for this newt. Having said that, they do sometimes appear in places that are less than ideal. Part of the reason is that they are long-lived for amphibians. Having reached sexual maturity (which takes two or three years), they may

survive as adults for some years, thus a population can hang on for some time after the habitat has become unsuitable for breeding purposes. Obviously this is undesirable, and if a population is found in an area that has become less suitable, appropriate management may lead to the population returning to breeding status.

In terms of habitat requirements, it is very important to bear in mind that breeding is only one part of the newt's life, and is the only stage at which standing water is essential. Newts actually spend a large proportion of their life on land. In addition to a favourable breeding pond, woodland, scrub, rough grassland, logs, boulders etc. can all be important, and sites with woodland nearby seem to prove popular with this species.

The young newts spend their first couple of seasons on dry land before venturing into the water. When they do, it is desirable that the breeding pond receives a fair amount of light; 25% shading is considered the maximum, less is ideal. This will encourage plenty of emergent vegetation, to give shelter, foraging and a place to lay eggs. The eggs are laid singly, each one having a leaf wrapped around it. Fish are a very potent limiting factor to Great Crested Newts; predation from fish is likely to prevent a stable breeding population from surviving - another reason why putting unwanted fish into a strange pond is a bad idea!

How do we survey for these interesting animals? There are several main methods.

Egg searching is one technique that can yield dividends. The eggs of Great Crested Newts are slightly larger than the eggs of the other two species, and yellowish rather than greyish. This method is simply used to establish presence/absence. As soon as an egg of our target species is identified, no more work is necessary. This is good practice, as unfolding the leaves to inspect eggs may render them susceptible to predation. However, very little disturbance is caused to the aquatic environment overall.

Dip netting can be useful, but causes a lot of disturbance, rendering the water cloudy which may interfere with animal's courtship and hunting. It is also the least effective method for capturing this species.

Torching with a powerful lamp of at least one half a million-candle power is very effective in clear water. Great Crested Newts are larger than the other two species, and the males have a flash of silver on the tail along with a wavy crest which is broken at the base of the tail, a handsome beast indeed.

Bottle trapping is another method used, and is particularly helpful in cloudy or weedy water where torching is likely to be ineffective. It consists of making traps from used 2-litre drinks bottles. The top is cut off and inverted into the main bottle, providing a funnel through which animals can enter the bottle but seem unable to leave. These are secured in the pond with garden canes, ensuring an air bubble is present. There are animal welfare issues here though; newts can become starved of oxygen and suffocate in hot weather, so traps are usually set late in the evening and checked early in the morning. This method is widely used by ecologists on development projects, which brings me neatly to the last point.

Great Crested Newts have full protection under both European and British legislation. This means they have to be considered in any developments, and to disturb, take, harm or kill them without a licence is an offence. Where a development is proposed and animals may be present, a consultant is usually called in to survey the site before any work takes place. If they are found, then a licence from DEFRA is required before any work can proceed. This will only be granted after submission of a detailed report and method statement. This will have to outline survey methods, results, impact assessment of the development on the relevant protected species and mitigation strategies that will ensure the population is not detrimentally affected. This is actually a very complex process that requires a high level of skill and expertise from the consultant to ensure all criteria are met for a licence to be granted. To handle the animals as part of legitimate survey work requires an English Nature licence.

All in all, a very important amphibian. And if you are wondering where the warty bit comes in, they have skin that is very granulose, or warty, in texture.

So, do we have them in the Country Park? Well, one pond has fish, another is very shaded, others very small. Unfortunately the ideal combination of factors is not there in any one place. So far we have found none, but, as said earlier, we should not rule them out, the survey is not yet complete.

I hope this has provided an insight into one of the most fascinating animals lurking in our waterways.

Steve Prosser

Countryside Ranger

Hastings Botany Group.

After a successful first year, with indoor sessions looking at the parts of plants needed for identification followed by field outings to look at plants growing in different habitats, we are looking forward to the next.

Among our activities will be vegetation surveys in the Country Park, as part of the monitoring of the effect of the Countryside Stewardship management plan. We hope to continue the surveys over the next few years, noting the changes as the effects of new management swing into place, so this should be an exciting project.

It is an informal group, and we have members with all levels of knowledge. If you enjoy looking at wild flowers and would like to learn more or share your knowledge, please ring Jacqueline on 01424-441635.

Heathland and Maritime Cliff Management

First and foremost we would like to acknowledge the hard work of the Volunteers, the current work being heathland management in Warren Glen and Firehills. Your involvement in one of the most important habitat restoration and re-creation projects in Hastings for many years is invaluable.

Heathland is restricted to only a small number of areas around the globe, and in Britain it is a nationally scarce habitat. Some of the species that occur on the cliff-top heathland and grassland at Hastings Country Park are restricted globally to a very small number of countries spanning the Atlantic coast of western Europe. The work being carried out on heathland restoration ensures the continued survival of such species at this site.

Heathland and cliff-top habitat restoration are key priorities in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, the Sussex Biodiversity Action Plan and the Hastings Country Park Management Plan. This Plan is linked to the regional and national action plans, and key actions from the Sussex and UK plan are nested in the management plan. This means that any work you do on heathland and cliff-top management within Hastings Country Park contributes to achieving the targets in regional and national biodiversity action plans, and towards achieving a global slow-down of species extinction.

As this is such an important project a great deal of work needs to be carried out to clear bracken and manage gorse. Much of the work within the fenced areas of Warren Glen will be carried out by contractors. In smaller areas in Warren Glen and Firehills it can be carried out by Volunteers, and it is here that all your hard work has been so valuable.

To monitor the ecological benefits of this work we are carrying out a number of surveys. Breeding bird surveys will be carried out annually within Warren Glen and Firehills. We have also started carrying out vegetation surveys to monitor the changes in vegetation caused by the management. Any Volunteers who would like to be involved with this monitoring are welcome to help out. We are also organising an invertebrate survey to give us a baseline of what still occurs here. We hope to repeat this survey every few years to analyse the changes the management is effecting.

We would also like the help of Volunteers when they are on patrol in monitoring key species over the years. The species we have identified as useful to monitor are green tiger beetles, lesser bloody-nose beetles, green hairstreaks and glow-worm larvae. We also want evidence of ground-nesting bees and wasps. We have chosen species that are easy to identify without prior experience. All that needs to be done is to record the start and end time of a patrol, the weather, the location and abundance of any of these key species. We can arrange a short training session for anyone who would like to help out.

Arable

As the weed burden amongst the arable crops was high this year, the barley will not be harvested and will be left as tall stubble for wintering birds such as skylark, yellowhammer, and reed bunting.

Starting next year, a combination of spring-sown barley, autumn-sown barley, fallow and set-aside will be rotated throughout the arable fields each year. Winter stubbles will be left in one or two fields and three areas of wild bird cover will be sown.

The more wildlife friendly management is already achieving results, with up to 300 goldfinches feeding on thistle seeds throughout the autumn. A pair of tree sparrows and a male grey partridge spent the summer at the farm but did not breed. The barn owls successfully raised five chicks, and short-eared owls and little owls have been seen more regularly feeding throughout the farm.

Pasture

Water provision has been installed in all the fields allocated for pasture and arable reversion management. It will now be possible to graze all the fields.

Recent advice advocates allowing the arable reversion fields to regenerate naturally rather than re-seeding them, especially fields adjacent to established grassland. We will be using green unwilted hay from the meadow areas at the top of Ecclesbourne Glen and Fishponds meadow to supplement natural regeneration. Where the weed burden is high in parts of the pasture we will weed-wipe to control thistle, dock and ragwort.

Biological Recording

As already mentioned vegetation surveys and a breeding bird survey have been completed this year. Bird ringing studies are ongoing and a wintering bird survey is in progress. The results of these surveys will be put on the wildhastings website in the New Year.

Andy Phillips

Local Nature Reserves Officer

Please add your own wildlife sightings using the report sightings form on the website.

The wildhastings website can be viewed at www.wildhastings.org.uk and includes the latest conservation news, the latest wildlife sightings, conservation and wildlife event listings and information on nature reserves and wildlife in Hastings. If you do not have access to a computer the website can be viewed on the touch screen display in the Hastings Information Centre at the Town Hall.

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Saturday 5th November 2005

Hastings Country Park (Firehills, Warren Glen, Fairlight Place Farm)

Never Mind The Numbers: no string of noughts could give a sense of this morning's awesome spectacle at Fairlight.

A clear sky and chilly night suggested it would be good day for Woodpigeon migration, but as I drove up the hill there seemed to be nothing going on. As soon as I reached the car park, however, hundreds of pigeons were spilling over the crest while a vast ribbon of birds was snaking round the hillside and out to the coast. It seemed as if flocks coming south across the Weald were deflected eastwards by the steep sandstone scarp, to pour out across the sea. At any one time there were thousands in sight.

Once over the water and into the wind they ramped up sharply to head out with heart-stopping audacity for the cold and unmarked horizon where clouds were endlessly stippled with previous departures. Other birds skirted the cliffs as black speckles against the waves, passing beneath the distant hummocks of the French coast and above the RX fishing boats, till they veered away from the land at East Hill and burst into flickering colour as the sun rose over Boulogne. Hundreds, caught between impulse and obstacle, fell back briefly to the coastal oakwoods, only to clatter up again and join twinkling towers of pigeons receding southwards.

I found a warm place to watch from, on the landslip, out of the wind, where most Woodpigeons passed below me. Overhead, the soft pulse of whistling wingbeats from others surging over the Firehills, joined the pinpricks of passerine contact calls. Stock Doves too were migrating in unusually large numbers, sometimes scattered among the Woodpigeons but often in distinct tight groups

The main rush was from 07.00-08.15, after which the flow diminished to hundreds rather than thousands in each flock, but by then I could see that a new set of birds was arriving off the sea, appearing to have cut across from the luminous hills of the Pas de Calais. By 10.45, flocks of up to 500 were still making landfall, first appearing against dark rain clouds right out over the freighters, and crossing paths with coastal migrants before dropping into the treetops.

By midday, the Woodpigeons had all but ceased, but compact groups of Stock Doves were still racing through.

How many?

I didn't try counting them because a) it looked too much like hard work; b) it looked impossible; c) I just wanted to watch – it was fantastic. But it would be good to know, or at least to invest this account with a spurious air of objectivity.

For more than an hour I watched birds passing with thousands always in sight. For another two hours there was a regular flow in flocks of 1/2/500. After that, a trickle with 100s quite often…

Right then: 20,000 Woodpigeons and 800 Stock Doves.

At least.

Cliff Dean

(Originally posted on the RXwildlife News & Events website, www.RXwildlife.org.uk)

(Cliff Dean used to lead the birdwatching walks in the Country Park. Many thanks to him for letting us use his thrilling account of an autumn migration spectacle. Ed.)

Staff News

Congratulations to one-time Volunteer Ranger Stewart Alexander, who has accepted the post of Ranger for Hastings Borough Council. Stewart will be working part-time at present, and will be posted wherever the need is greatest. It will be good to see him in the Country Park again.

A warm welcome to Bob Warner, our new Estate Ranger, and also to Matt Deering who recently started work as a Ranger for Hastings Borough Council. Like Stewart, Matt will work in different areas as need arises, and we will doubtless have a chance to meet him in the Country Park, especially during Alex' absence.

From the Editors

Thank you one and all for your contributions. Please keep them coming, titbits of news, stories and pictures, as well as information, poetry—anything you would like to see in your Newsletter.

PLEASE SEND YOUR ARTICLES FOR THE NEXT EDITION AS YOU WRITE THEM. THE FINAL DATE FOR COPY IS THE END OF FEBRUARY 2006, marking it ‘not for the internet' if you prefer. Either post them to 16 Old Humphrey Avenue, Hastings TN34 3BT, or if you prefer to use e-mail, to aphillips@hastings.gov.uk. Please mark your e-mails "High Importance" and request a reply. If you don't receive one within three days, send again. It is also a good idea to ring me (01424 441635) to say you have sent an e-mail. This elaborate procedure seems to offer some guarantee against blocking by the Council's high security system!

Do think whether you would like to attend the Management Forum meetings when Paul is unable to go. Volunteer Ranger participation is important, and we have an opportunity, if only in a minor way, to shape the future of the Country Park.

(Illustrations marked EN courtesy of English Nature)

Mission Statement 2000

We, the Hastings Country Park Volunteer Rangers, aim to be ambassadors for the Country Park.

We will provide information, guidance, education and management for the benefit of the people visiting, working and living here. We will protect, conserve, promote and enhance the natural environment of the Park, and encourage others to join us in this work, so that the value of the Park and its wildlife is protected for future generations.

Newsletters

From Alex
Welcome
News
Reptiles Relocation
Big Sky Country
Update – Spider-repellent Paint
"Hello Again!" from Liz
Volunteers needed for the Management Forum
Countryside Stewardship Walk Sunday 16th October 2005
Hallowe'en
Blame it on TV
Sand, Sun and Piddocks
A Cycle Track in the Park
Hastings Country Park – Local Nature Reserve Declaration
Recipe - Giant Puff-ball
Dormouse Diaries II
Willowherbs (Onagraceae)
To the Editor
A Gourmet Delight -or a Trip Too Far
What is Lurking in Your Pond?
Hastings Botany Group
Heathland and Maritime Cliff Management
Arable
Pasture
Biological Recording
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Staff News
From the Editors
Mission Statement 2000