Andrew Graham and Peter Shallcross will lead our final excursion of the summer, an outing to the Bulford Ranges Training Area on Salisbury Plain.

Members of the public are permitted to use Rights of Way that cross the training area when firing is not in progress and the plan is to walk along these established footpaths through this gently undulating landscape of downland and mixed woodlands. As the area lacks the field boundaries and enclosures that exist across most of the rest of the countryside, it looks and feels quite different from what we are used to, and remote. 

It is hard to forecast what effect the recent drought will have had on what there will be to see, but we are hoping for late summer downland butterflies and birds. With migration starting, one never knows what birds might turn up.

Though we will be following well established paths and tracks, the parched, unforgiving ground means stout shoes or boots will be advisable. We will probably walk 3 to 4 miles; please bring refreshments and any snacks you may need, though the plan is to return to Tisbury by late lunchtime.

As there is only limited parking at the start point, we ask everyone wanting to join the outing to meet Andrew and Peter at the Nadder Centre car park on Weaveland Road, Tisbury at 09:30. If you are setting off from a different location, please car share. The meeting place is at What3words: starfish.bleat.idea off the road between Bulford and Tidworth. At this location for 10:30 am. https://what3words.com/starfish.bleat.idea

Members - please reply to the Treasurer's email sent on 28th August so that we know how many people to expect. 

Non-members (Guests) can join us for £2 per adult.  Any Guests wishing to join this field trip must please contact us in advance.

16 members gathered on a predictably hot day at The Learning Centre at Durlston Country Park near Swanage. Dorset Council ranger Paul Jones gave us an introductory talk about the different habitats and the wildlife that we were likely to see. Had we visited earlier (say early June), we could have seen, heard and smelt the colony of guillemots  nesting on the cliffs and seen the numerous different species of orchids flowering in the meadows that Durlston is well known for.

However, there was still plenty to see. Paul led us to an old quarry where, on hands and knees, he showed us the rare bastard toadflax (stars-in-grass is his more preferable name for it). He led us to meadows where we quickly saw brown argus, common and holly blues, meadow browns and a single grayling butterfly and, later on, a clouded yellow.

From the cliffs we spied a flight of cormorants and a few lucky members saw peregrine falcons and a white-tailed eagle (They have been re-introduced on the Isle of Wight).

After a fascinating 1.5 hour guided walk we bade farewell to Paul and most  of us made our way to the cafe in the castle where, to top things off, we were  treated to fly-by from a Lancaster bomber off Old Harry’s rocks as part of the Swanage Festival. 

​by Peter Shallcross

Breath-taking views were our reward at the top of a climb from the history barn at Tyneham last weekend, as Andrew Graham pointed out the geology and wildlife of this beautiful stretch of coast, towards Kimmeridge to the east and Lulworth to the west.

We had a pair of ravens circling above us for a while and admired Marbled White, Wall Brown and Grayling butterflies near the paths. Several in the group helped with pointing out flowers like wild marjoram, yellow wort and rest harrow which is so named because its leaf and stalk bundle is so strong it can cause hold back a harrow. One of the favourites of the day was the Duke of Argyll's tea tree, which has honeysuckle like tendrils with purple and yellow flowers.

A picnic near the beach, watching the kayakers and hardy swimmers finished off our morning before a stroll back and an exploration amongst the Tyneham ruins for some.

Andrew Graham will lead a walk across a stretch of the spectacular Jurassic Coast, starting from Tyneham, a village abandoned in 1943 when the surrounding land was taken over by the MOD.

As the public are, to this day, allowed access only to prescribed areas and walking routes when training is suspended, wildlife and plants along this stretch of coast have been left largely unaffected by human intervention for virtually eighty years.

Those who’ve been before will appreciate that the further we are able to walk, the more rewarding the views and sightings. But whichever way you go along the paths on this coast, some of the gradients are quite significant. The route has been planned so uphill slopes will be gentler, but stout shoes or boots will be essential, and those less sure on their feet may appreciate a walking stick or pole.

Bring refreshments and a packed lunch with you; weather permitting, we will be able to picnic on the beach at Worbarrow Bay where the bravest of us could even have a paddle (though swimming won’t be covered by the risk assessment!).

Before returning to Tisbury in the late afternoon there will be an opportunity to walk around the “ghost” village of Tyneham, where many of the buildings have been conserved, although roofless, and its history is described in a visitor centre in the church.

From Tisbury the route of roughly 40 miles via Blandford, Wareham and Corfe Castle will take roughly an hour and a quarter. The aim will be to rendezvous at the gate from the south side of the car park at Tyneham (GR SY881801 What3words – immediate.across.fashion) and set out from there at 11:00AM.

To share cars (and economise on petrol) please meet at 09:30AM in the car park of the Nadder Centre on Weaveland Road (n.b. not the one off Nadder Close).

There is no limit on numbers. Members will have received instructions via email for this field trip. Non-members (Guests) can join us for £2 per adult.  Any Guests wishing to join this field trip must please contact us in advance and let us know whether you will meet us at Tyneham or at the Nadder Centre and, especially, if you need a lift.

​by Dick Budden
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18 members visited the western end of Grovely Wood on Saturday 9th July.   This ancient woodland is of considerable size and our walk only took us through a small part of it. Although on arrival at the wood it had clouded up, as the morning progressed the sun broke through and soon good numbers of butterflies were active along the sunlit rides. Banks of blooming brambles proved an attraction at which they could nectar, and soon there were some splendid Silver Washed Fritillaries chasing around as well as numerous Skippers. We were fortunate to get good views of a White Admiral and to get in the right position to make a positive identification of an Essex Skipper.

It was really heating up by the time we got to the "downland" of Middle Hills and this may have been the reason we saw so few Dark Green Fritillaries which are normally quite numerous here. Although three had been seen in the wood that day, we failed to spot a Purple Emperor but an early Chalkhill Blue - possibly a vagrant from more suitable habitat outside the wood - was identified as was a Brown Argus.

Although, surprisingly, we did not see either a Small Tortoiseshell or a Speckled Wood, between us we identified 19 different species during our 3 hour walk:

​Small Skipper
Large Skipper
Essex Skipper
Brimstone
Large White
Small White
Holly Blue
Chalkhill Blue
Brown Argus
White Admiral
Red Admiral
Peacock
Comma
Dark Green Fritillary
Silver Washed Fritillary
Marbled White
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
as well as a number of Scarlet Tiger Moths and a Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

We were lucky with the weather and agreed we were lucky to have such a diverse butterfly fauna on our doorstep.

by Andrew Graham

For anyone who doesn’t know it already, Grovely Wood is one of the largest woodlands in south Wiltshire, stretching along the chalk ridge south of the Wylye valley; an ideal place to see butterflies. Andrew Graham and Peter Shallcross will be leading a butterfly walk into and through the wood.
 
Although the walk will focus on the wood’s rich butterfly fauna, there will be plenty of time to look for other wildlife and flowers along the way. The route will mainly follow paths and tracks, though there will be some slopes to climb. Unless the weather has been wet, it will mostly be easy walking. But stout shoes should be worn and, to protect against possible bites from ticks bearing Limes disease, and when walking through long grass with thistles, long trousers rather than shorts.
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The walk should last around 3 hours from mid-morning till early afternoon; do bring with you sufficient refreshments and a snack.
We will aim to be walking into the wood from its western edge at 10:30AM, starting from a stretch marked on the OS map as Dinton Beeches, where there is room to park to the right of the Dinton to Wylye road on a former ox-drove, now a long-distance footpath known as the Monarch’s Way (GR SU007347, What3words – snuggled.melon.wings).

To share cars (and minimise petrol) please meet at 10:00AM in the car park of the Nadder Centre on Weaveland Road (n.b. not the one off Nadder Close).

There is no limit on numbers. Members will have received instructions via email for this field trip. Non-members (Guests) can join us for £2 per adult.  Any Guests wishing to join this field trip must please contact us in advance.

We had an enjoyable visit on Saturday to Kingcombe Meadows Nature Reserve, near Toller Porcorum.

​27 people came along and were led by Dorset Wildlife Trust trustee Jim White.
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There was a moth trap opening event for National Moth Week, so we benefited from looking at the catch once we had finished the walk through the meadows.

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A reminder for this Saturday's field trip to the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve at Kingcombe Meadows - please let us know if you’d like to join us. We’re aiming to get there for a guided tour starting at 09:45, so leaving Tisbury at 08:30 or thereabouts.

In your email, please tell us whether you will make your own way there, whether you could offer someone a lift (and if so, how many), or whether you would like (or be willing) to be a passenger in someone else’s car.

Eight hardy souls donned boots and waterproofs, braved the dodgy weather, and explored Ansty Down on Sunday 15th May. Hoping to see the many spring butterflies that usually frequent this location, on a generally overcast and occasionally rainy morning, we were pleased to see five species. Crucially, this included the tiny Duke of Burgundy, the key butterfly we were hoping to spot. This species is on Butterfly Conservation’s list of Threatened species, so we are fortunate to have it in the vicinity.

We were joined by Dr Susan Clarke, ecologist, and expert on these (and many other) butterflies. Sue explained in detail what is known about the insect’s life cycle, what habitat it favours, how ideal site management is so difficult to determine and achieve, and how it is now more frequently seen on damp chalk hillsides than in coppice woodlands as in the past. Sue showed us how the north face of the Shaston Ridge between Burcombe and Donhead St Andrew represents the most significant location for the Duke of Burgundy in the country. This long string of interconnected unimproved grasslands provides the right habitat for a chain of colonies which, currently at least, appear to be vigorous enough to ride out good and bad breeding years.

We were very fortunate that the clouds cleared, and the sun came out briefly when we were in a patch of ideal habitat. Peter immediately spotted one and soon a few others were seen nearby. These were males, perching in prominent position to sun themselves and keep an eye out for females. They allowed us to approach and get good close views of the striking brown and orange chequered markings and even to see that the male only has four legs.

As well as adult butterflies we also spotted numerous Twayblade Orchids, a large Drinker Moth caterpillar and a large number of Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars feasting on a bank of nettles.
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Despite disappointing weather, we enjoyed a very informative walk and came away appreciative of having such an important insect colony nearby.

By Andrew Graham
Photos: Julia Willcock