Photo 1 - Main Track in Whiteley Pastures

Highlights

• Forest Enterprise managed woodland in South Hampshire
• Late June through to mid-July is best time to visit for the woodland species such as Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreak.
• With luck Purple Emperor and White-letter Hairstreak may also be seen then.
• A visit can be combined with the adjoining Botley Wood providing further woodland habitat variations, with the chance of seeing Grizzled Skipper in a woodland setting. Details of a detour into Botley Wood are included in this feature

Description

Whiteley Pastures, despite its name, is a managed woodland (Forest Enterprise) just to the west of Fareham in the south of the county and close to junction 9 of the M27 motorway. Although the area is now on the very edge of  housing, out of town shopping and business park developments, it is still an excellent woodland for butterflies, especially if a visit is combined with the adjoining Botley Wood (which is managed by Hampshire County Council).

The main entrance gate to Whiteley Pastures is indicated on the map. Parking is available on the Parkway (north section which passes the Zurich offices), then make your way on foot heading north up the track to the entrance. There is space for a couple of cars at the end of the access road to the new NATS technical centre, which will save about 5 minutes walk to the entrance.

As one nears the entrance gate, a minor detour can be made to a single Wych Elm tree which has a small colony of White-letter Hairstreak (best chance of sightings is late June to mid July). Just before the track bends right towards the entrance gate, keep straight on up a minor track. You will reach a brick built hut on the left after about 50m, opposite a small meadow. The Wych Elm is few yards to the right of the track at the back of the meadow. White-letter Hairstreaks can sometimes be seen flying around the top of the elm, or occasionally coming down to feed on thistles or bramble flowers. In the oak trees beside this minor track there are also Purple Hairstreaks, normally seen flying near the tree-tops during July.

Now return and enter Whiteley Pastures proper via the main gate and  follow the main track (Photo 1). This open ride with a ditch to the right (with regular crossing places) is good for the commoner browns such as Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and also for Skippers (Large, Small). Brimstones and some of the Vanessids (Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma) are also likely. The oak trees on both sides of the track, but particularly on the right, provide a home for Purple Hairstreaks, and they can sometimes seen crossing between oaks from one side of the ride to the other. It is worth inspecting flowers, especially brambles and thistles along the way to check for feeding butterflies). On luckier days, Purple Hairstreak, White-letter Hairstreak (once!) and White Admirals (on brambles) are possible. Occasionally Purple Emperors are seen (usually in flight) along the main track, or around the tall trees on the right close to the entrance.

Photo 2 - Shady Glade Beyond The Ridge

As one walks the main track, the character of the woodland evolves, becoming less open and providing better habitat for Silver-washed Fritillary and White Admirals. The highest point of the wood (The Ridge) is reached just over 1km from the entrance gate where there are cross-tracks. Again in July, Purple Emperor are occasionally seen here usually high in the canopy. An optional detour can be made from here into Botley Wood which is described at the end of this feature.  To remain in Whiteley Pastures continue straight over the cross tracks and descend into a shady glade (Photo 2), with brambles and thistles. This is an excellent area to see Silver-washed Fritillary in numbers and also a few White Admirals, gliding amongst the boughs and feeding on brambles, as well as commoner butterfly species. Whilst late June through to mid-July is probably the best time to visit for the main woodland species, commoner butterflies will be seen from April though until early September.

The return is made by retracing the route. Alternatively, before returning, a detour can also be made into Botley Wood (Hampshire County Council managed nature reserve). To take this detour, turn right at the cross tracks at the Ridge and continue past an area where there is a fine display of bluebells in spring, crossing under power lines to reach a stile and notice board marking the entrance to Botley Wood. Continue along the track for a few minutes into the wood and take the first a right turn which descends gently downhill.

After a further few minutes, a glade running east-west is reached (arrowed on this map but note the glade is not shown directly). Take a left turn into the glade (east). This glade is used as a thoroughfare by butterflies (depending on season) including Brimstone, Orange Tip, Peacock, Comma, and in the summer Silver-washed Fritillary and occasionally White Admiral. In May a few Grizzled Skippers could normally be seen in its rough margins and in other rough open areas of the wood, however they have been declining in recent years, possibly due to the generally wetter winters we are experiencing and their future here seems to be in the balance.  In July look out for Purple Hairstreaks high in the oaks along its edges. The glade then glade bears slightly left and opens out. Marbled White, Large and Small Skippers can sometimes be seen in this more open area. Return by the same route to Whiteley Pastures and then back to its entrance.