Aston Rowant NNR - 2nd August 2011

I managed a second visit to this wonderful butterfly site in just over a week and what a difference. The temperature was around 25C  with very little wind and though it was cloudy the number of butterflies was treble the amount I saw on my previous visit.
Chalkhill Blue were flying in large numbers and were certainly the predominant species. Small Heath ans Small Copper numbers were up and I saw at least 10 Silver -Spotted Skippers which were not flying on my previous visit.

 Above the Silver-Spotted Skipper is common during its flying season at Aston Rowant and can be distinguished from other UK Skippers by the silver spots on its under wing.

 Above Essex Skipper below Large Skipper

The Large and Essex Skippers can be distinguished by the Essex Skippers black tip to the antenna.

  Above Small Copper below Small Heath

 Above Common Blue, below female Chalkhill Blue, bottom male Chalkhill Blue

 Top Small Tortoiseshell, above Speckled Wood below female Brown Argus

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



Aston Rowant NNR Revisted - 12th August 2010

I was again lucky to be travelling home from work via Aston Rowant and this time I met up with Mike Foley on the reserve who was hoping to photograph the Silver-spotted Skippers I saw last week. By the time I caught up with him he'd already seen Chalkhill Blue, Silver-spotted Skipper and Brown Argus, a species I'd hoped for but hadn't seen on my previous visit. As I emerged from the tree lined path down from the car park I spotted 2 Small Heath, something I thought I'd seen last week but upon searching around I couldn't find again to photograph. This time I took the opportunity when it presented itself and managed a few shots before it disappeared across the hillside.

MALE SMALL HEATH

I decided to search for the Brown Argus having not seen one before and I soon came across a worn example of a male (not shown). Whilst I searched for a better specimen I anaged to photograph a few of the species I saw last week.

ABOVE SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER, BELOW MALE CHALKHILL BLUE

ABOVE MALE COMMON BLUE BELOW WELL WORN FEMALE COMMON BLUE

I finally managed to find several Brown Argus flying hurredly between the plants and only occasionally alighting to feed. The female is distinguished from the male by its larger form, more rounded wings and bolder orange markings that reach the wingtip. 

ABOVE FEMALE BROWN ARGUS BELOW AND BOTTOM MALE BROWN ARGUS

Although the the weather was similar to last weeks visit there didn't seem to be as many butterflies around until the sun made an appearance from behind the clouds. It was during one such appearnce I came across 2 Small Copper a butterfly I'd only previously seen at my visit to Bishop Middleham Quarry.

ABOVE AND BELOW SMALL COPPER

The last species I managed to photograph and another first for me was the Essex Skipper. I'd read that they could be seen on the reserve but hadn't found one on my first visit and it wasn't until I was almost ready to leave that I found what at first I thought was a Small Skipper. The two species are very difficult to distinguish unless viewed through binoculars or a camera as the antennae of the Essex Skipper has a black tip.

ABOVE ESSEX SKIPPER BELOW NOTE THE BLACK TIP OF THE ANTENNAE

ESSEX SKIPPER

All in all another great visit to the reserve with a total of 4 new species and a grand total of 10 species across the 2 visits and I'm sure there is more to be seen through out the year.

Aston Rowant NNR - 5th August 2010

I'd been working in Crowthorne and decided I had time to call in somewhere on the way back. Having dismissed the first two areas I found due to lack of parking or a long walk from the nearest car park to the reserve I came across Aston Rowant NNR and it wasn't even off my trip home. As I approached the area I found I'd been driving past the reserve for years being just off the M40 at Junction 6 and for those who used to watch the Vicker of Dibbley its the chalkhill cut section of the motorway in the opening credits, anyway I digress.
I parked up and took the path that I hoped took me down to the chalk meadows.

It was overcast but warm with sunlight showing through on odd ocasions but there were planty of butterflies flying. I hadn't come for anything special but had noticed on the reserve notice board Silver-spotted Skipper could be seen and for once my luck was more than in. Silver-spotted Skippers are only found at a few locations with here being the their most northerly one. Their habbitat is made up of short flowery turf on chawk downlands and this area of the reserve was ideal with c10 flying whilst I was there, I'm sure there were more if I'd looked.

ABOVE AND BELOW SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER

There were many blue butterflies flying across the meadow and on further examination I found Chalkhill Blue as well as Common Blue two species I found difficult to distinguish in the field.

ABOVE FEMALE COMMON BLUE

ABOVE AND BELOW MALE CHALKHILL BLUE

ABOVE AND BELOW A MALE AND FEMALE CHALKHILL BLUE DURING MATING

Other Butterflies in flight during my visit included a single Painted Lady, Small White, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. If you are in the area at the moment it is well worth a visit to see these beautiful butterflies.

PAINTED LADY THE FIRST I'VE SEEN THIS YEAR