HACKPEN HILL

I hadn't any plans for today, but with some time on my hands, I was reading through some Oxfordshire butterfly sightings and noticed that Chalkhill Blues and Dark Green fritillaries had been seen at Hackpen Hill near Wantage.  As it was only half an hour's drive, I decided then and there to make a trip over to see if I could locate any.

Having located the car park, I walked up part of the Ridgeway Path before deviating through a gate through a wheat field to  the entrance of the reserve. The usual  grassland butterflies were in abundance. I saw a few common blues, and was on my way back, when I noticed a slightly larger blue butterfly flitting about. It stopped a few times, with wings closed,  but then eventually slowly opened them a tiny bit to reveal  the chalkhill blue markings.

crossing the wheat field

walking down Hackpen hill

common blue

marbled white - I love the underwing pattern

chalkhill blue

chalkhill blue opening  its wings

juvenile green woodpecker in the garden at home

 

yellow hammer on the Ridgeway path