Saturday, 21 May 2022

BUTTERFLIES AT BOSCOMBE DOWN WEST

 When I planned my visit to the Great Bustard Project, I decided that I would probably have time to visit a local reserve to look for butterflies, particularly the Adonis blue, which I hadn't seen so far this year. Looking in my Wiltshire Book of Butterfly walks  I found a  possible site at Boscombe Down West, about 15 minutes away. 

This site consists of a disused railway line now managed as a nature reserve. Either side are chalk embankments and being sheltered provides an ideal butterfly habitat. 

I parked at the entrance which is adjacent to an airfield and walked down the level path. I saw serveral small whites, a few Brimstones, and a couple of orange tips. In an area of kidney vetch I found some of the blue butterflies; a small blue, brown argus, and some common and Adonis blues. There were also dingy skippers here and I found  rather worn green hairstreak too. Due to time restraints, I didn't walk the whole kilometre length of the track but returned to the car ready to make the journey home. 

Adonis blue




Brimstone

entrance to reserve


No comments:

Post a Comment

TRIP TO SUSSEX

  It's been a while since I've visited Sussex, so when a  friend suggested meeting up I decided to book an airbnb for a couple of ni...