HAMPSHIRE Butterfly spotting on the chalky downlands of southern England
Love our colourful little fluttery friends? Then enjoy our expert’s experiences in the woods and chalky downlands of southern England
Agreen woodpecker laughed as we entered Bentley Wood on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border, a place synonymous among lepidopterists with the rare purple emperor. I wondered if the woodpecker was laughing at us and hoped it wasn’t an omen!
My wife, Sarah, and I had come here in the wonderful weather of midsummer to look for butterflies.
I was delighted by our first campsite, Robin Hill Farm, just half-a-mile from the north end of the wood.
As we wandered here through arable fields, yellowhammers gave us ‘a-little-bitof-bread-and-no-cheese’. From the long grass of field margins, complete with a scattering of poppies and field scabious, a covey of partridges took flight in a cacophony of calls and a marbled white butterfly fluttered by.
About three miles to the east along the Monarch’s Way is the beautiful Broughton Down, a chalk downland nature reserve situated on a north-facing escarpment with far-reaching views.
It seemed slightly ironic that it was the tiny south-facing strip of meadow in the nearest corner of the reserve that came up trumps for us. This is where we found the lion’s share of chalkhill blue butterflies as well as several silver-spotted skippers, a very rare species of butterfly usually best sought in August.
From Robin Hill we decamped to Morn Hill as Sarah wanted to visit Winchester Cathedral. It was just a coincidence that one of the flagship nature reserves belonging to Butterfly Conservation is on the route into the city. Martin Down, a National Nature Reserve and another of Hampshire’s best butterfly locations, was a fitting place to end our trip.
Chalk it down to flutterbies
In July, this chalk downland at Magdalen Hill is a stunning riot of colour with meadows full of wild marjoram, field scabious, knapweed and a great many other flower species. This Butterfly Conservation reserve boasts some quite rare species, including Duke of Burgundy fritillary and small blue (both seen earlier in the summer).
The species list might be less impressive in July but, for sheer numbers of butterflies, it is hard to beat. I enjoyed the common blues and clouded yellows. The most numerous butterfly that I saw is a rarity for me,
Knocking on Bentley Wood
All the experts say that, to see a purple emperor butterfly, you need to arrive between eight and 10am. After that, they spend their day in the treetops.
Some people take rotting fruit to leave on their vehicles in the car park to tempt the butterflies; others rely on the fact that purple emperors like to feast on horse and dog faeces. Having painted such a delightful picture of myself sitting between piles of festering fruit and faeces, I’m sure readers will be rushing to plan their visit!
But, despite spending about 12 hours in Bentley Wood at various times of day, the only sighting I got of a purple emperor was of a distant dark butterfly high in an oak tree. You might think I was disappointed, but no (well, maybe just a little).
This is a wonderful mature deciduous woodland with open rides and a surprising amount of wildlife. I saw plenty of roe deer, red kites and spotted flycatchers. Among the 18 different types of butterfly that I spotted were purple hairstreaks and an incredible number of silverwashed fritillaries, arguably the most graceful and beautiful butterfly in the UK and one that doesn’t have the odious habits of its rarer cousin.
TOP TIP Wander through the wood early in the morning to see deer – there are roe, fallow and muntjac.
If not staying at Robin Hill, there’s a car park (SP5 1JP) living as I do a long way from chalk hills; the chalkhill blue.
But how do you photograph a butterfly which, by day, never stays still in one place?
First check the weather forecast for a sunny, calm morning. The day before this, preferably late afternoon or in the evening, pay a visit to see where the biggest concentrations of butterflies are. Stay and watch exactly where the butterflies go to roost; this is likely to be at the top of flowers or grasses in sheltered spots. Then go back at dawn to photograph them while they are still roosting. As the sun rises they will begin to open their wings to warm up, giving you a chance to photograph them with their wings open before they become too active.
TOP TIP If visiting Winchester Cathedral (less than three miles’ walk from the site), look out for the peregrine falcons that nest there.
Bus services from Winchester to Winnall, Guildford and Petersfield pass along the B3404, where there are several reserve entrances butterflyconservation.org/ our-work/reserves/magdalen-hill-downhampshire
Harmony of the down
This National Nature Reserve is also chalk downland, like Magdalen Hill, but the two are very different in appearance and character. Martin Down is more than seven times the size of Magdalen Hill and footpaths and tracks cross the gentle slopes, some following ditches and banks.
The earliest of these banks and ditches are thought to have been the work of Bronze Age cattle farmers. Bokerley Ditch (aka Bokerley Dyke), along the western side, was enlarged as a defence against invading Saxons.
I would liken the grassland here to an oil painting, the meadow grasses bespeckled impressionistically with the pastel shades of wild parsnip, wild carrot, upright hedge parsley, wild basil and marjoram (which makes the place sound like an artisan greengrocer!). Among the plentiful butterflies were marbled white, dark green fritillary, chalkhill blue, common blue, small heath and silver-spotted skipper. I also saw lots of brown hares in the early mornings. Martin Down is a place where history and natural history occur in harmony.
Cherwell Leys Farm is really well-placed to explore Martin Down and there are several walking routes between the two, passing through the pretty village of Martin.
TOP TIP Visit Martin Down earlier in the summer to look for burnt orchid and adonis blue butterflies.
Just north of the A354 near the main car park (it has height restrictions), there is a woodland with further butterfly species including silver-washed fritillary and white admiral in the glades hants.gov.uk/ thingstodo/countryside/finder/martindown