Aston Rowant NNR - 26th July 2011

Aston Rowant NNR is a great place for butterflies with 35 species recorded on the site and 20 recorded the day before my vist. The sun wasn't out and there was a slight wind so hopes of seeing a high species count on my visit were not very high but with at least 10 on show I don't think I did to bad.
  Male Chalkhill Blue
 Female Chalkhill Blue
 Female Common Blue
Brown Argus
There were several species of Blue flying and along with Skippers I find them very difficult to identify until I get home and trawl through my photos. Chalkhill Blue were flying in large numbers and with it being the middle of their flying season and Aston Rowants chalk fields its main habbitat it wasn't a supprise.


Essex Skipper
Small Skipper
 Gatekeeper
 Small Copper
Small Heath
The Small Heath was both a difficult species to find and photograph with only 2 subjects seen on my visit and both deep in the grasses. Other species onsite but not photographed were Large Skipper and Meadow Brown




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Am also thinking of going there again, perhaps a bit early yet for Silver-spotteds though? Mike.

Derek Gallagher said...

Yes I think it was mid August when we saw the silver spotted last year. I was talking to a woman when I was there and she said there are also adonis blue there last year and they are on the site records so I think I'll try and call in again.