2022 Field Trips in Hampshire

Field Trips for 2022

June 2022

Sunday 26th June

Broxhead Common (SU805376) Meet at 13:30pm

Target Species: Silver-Studded Blue

Leader: Ashley Whitlock Tel 02392 731266 Mob: 07752 182340

Directions: Follow the main road A 325 north or south until you reach Bordon camp go right follow the Lindford road signposted Lindford /Headley. Broxhead Common can be found the first left as you go along the B3004. See signpost for Broxhead Common Nature Reserve Park in the cricket ground.

Wednesday 29th June

Danebury Hill Fort (SU323376) Meet at 10:30am

Target Species: Dark Green Fritillary, Possible Wall Brown

Leader: Ashley Whitlock Tel: 02392 731266 Mob: 07752 182340

Directions: A Old Ancient Hill Fort West of Stockbridge: If approaching from the east on the B3049 find Stockbridge or the A3057 from the south or north, follow signs for the A30 west until you see a sign for Danebury Hill, follow Kentsboro Road heading North West and turn west for the car-park. Please bring lunch

July 2022

Sunday 3rd July

West Wood/Pitt Down - Farley Mount (SU435295)

Meet at 09:30am

Target Species, Purple Emperor, Silver-Washed Fritillary (Valezina)

Dark Green Fritillary on Pitt Down

Leader - Ashley Whitlock Tel- 02392 731266 Mob: 07752 182340

Directions: Well signposted along the old Roman Road known as the Sarem Road from Winchester, the area has many car-parks, but park at the Pitt Down car-park known as Spindle Tree Car-Park. Please Bring Lunch

Wednesday 6th July

Whiteley Pastures / Botley Wood (SU530095)

Meet at 09:30am

Target Species: Purple Emperor, Purple Hairstreak, White Admiral

Leader - Ashley Whitlock Tel- 02392 731266 Mob: 07752 182340

Approach from the West or East on the M27, and at (Junction 9 Solent Business Park) drive towards the Whitley Outlet Village. At the Solent Business Park meet in the car-park (Marks and Spencer’s) opposite (3 hours maximum free-before payment) of the Whitley Outlet Village. A walk around one of the best woods in Hampshire for Silver-Washed and White Admiral butterflies. Please bring lunch

Sunday 10th July

Pamber Forest & Silchester Common (SU616621)

Meet at 09:30am

Target Species Purple Emperor, White Admiral,

Silver-Washed Fritillary

Leader-Ashley Whitlock Tel- 02392 731266 Mobile 07752 182340

You can join us for the full day (bring lunch) or for just the morning or the afternoon. Meet at the car park at Impstone Road, Pamber Heath at 09:30 a.m. for the morning walk and 2 p.m. for the afternoon walk.

Wednesday 13th July

West Harting Down (SU737157) Meet 09:30am

Meet at 09:30am: Target Species: Purple Emperor, Silver-Washed Fritillary, Dark-Green Fritillary, and Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Leader Ashley Whitlock Tel: 02392 731266 Mob: 07752 812340

Directions: Follow signs from the A3 motorway for the Village of Chalton, turn left at the Red Lion Inn and then over Railway bridge where there is limited parking at the side of the road going up to Ditchem Park School. Following on from the success in the 2015 and 2018 season where the Purple Emperor was seen at least twice on two occasions, plenty of good flora and fauna for the wildflower connoisseur. Buddleias on the ride side verges were packed with Comma, Peacock, and Small Tortoiseshells on past field trips. . Please Bring Lunch

Sunday 17th July

Creech Wood (SU640110) Meet at 09:30am

Target Species: Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral

Leader Ashley Whitlock Tel: 02392 731266 Mobile: 07552 182340

Directions: Follow the A27 Motorway east then north along the A3 until signposted Waterlooville at Junction (3) then follow the B2150 and over four roundabouts until you see a sign for Denmead/Hambledon Road. Turn Left onto Bunkers Hill and the wood will be in front of you. Car-park is on the left.

August 2022

Sunday 14th August

Noar Hill / Selborne Hill Meet 10:30am

Brown Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Clouded Yellow, good flora and fauna

Leader - Ashley Whitlock Tel- 02392 731266 Mobile 07752 182340

A look around the Noar Hill site for the elusive Brown Hairstreak, and other interesting invertebrates, especially in the set-aside fields on the North-East side of Noar Hill, in the morning and please bring lunch as in the afternoon we walk over to Selborne Common, on the way looking at the Blackthorn hedges for any indication that the Brown Hairstreak is not confined to Noar Hill. On Selbourne Hill we shall also be looking again for the Brown Hairstreak, where it has been noted from this site in the past. Park on the small road alongside Charity farm marked on the (OS Map Explorer 133)

Wednesday 17th August

Shipton Bellinger (SU222465) Meet at 09:30 am:

Target Species: Brown Hairstreak, Wall Brown

Leader: Ashley Whitlock Tel: 02392 731266 Mob: 07752 182340

Directions: Meet at the Village Hall car-park, and then it is straight walk up to the Blackthorn thickets, where hopefully Brown Hairstreaks will be observed. From the A303 (T) the main Amesbury to Andover road, look for the A338 Shipton Bellinger/Tidworth road, this road goes underneath the main road of the A303 (T). The village of Shipton Bellinger is 2-3 miles on the left on the A338. Bring lunch as we will visit another site in the afternoon

Sunday 21st August

Broughton Down (SU294327) Meet at 10:30am

Target Species: Adonis Blue & Silver-Spotted Skipper

Leader: Ashley Whitlock Tel: 02392 731266 Mob: 07752 182340

Directions: From Romsey follow the A3057 north for signs to Spearywell, from B3084 follow north until you see a sign for Broughton. Turn left along a rough track Broughton Down is in front of you. Or from A343/A30 from the north follow A30 until you see a sign for the B3084 for Broughton. Please Bring Lunch

Wednesday 24th August

Butser Hill (SU712205) Meet at 10:30am

Target Species: Adonis Blue & Clouded Yellow

Leader Ashley Whitlock Tel: 02392 731266 mob 07752 812340

Directions: Follow the signs from the A3 turnoff for Clanfield and then on towards signs for Butser Hill. There is a large mast on the top of the hill, park in the car-park where there is a charge. This will be a strenuous walk taking in the views on the way. With very uneven steep slopes not for the feint hearted. . Please Bring Lunch

Wednesday 31st August

Beacon Hill NNR (SU605227) Meet at 10:30am

Target Species: Silver Spotted Skipper, Adonis Blue, Clouded Yellow

Leader: Ashley Whitlock Tel:02392 731266 mob 07752 812340

Directions: Located just of the A32 the Wickham road from the south drive through Droxford village, and Corhampton Villages, then turn immediately left into the village of Exton (Easily missed) Past the public house called the Shoe Inn and along the narrow tracks up to Beacon Hill, to where the car-park is. Please bring lunch

September 2022

Sunday 4th September

Old Winchester Hill (SU640208) Meet at 10:30am

Meet at 10:30am: Target Species: Adonis Blue, Silver-Spotted Skipper, & Clouded Yellow

Leader Ashley Whitlock Tel: 02392 731266 mob 07752 812340

Directions: The reserve can be found from the north through West Meon on the A32 well-marked as a NNR Reserve, also from the south throughout the village of Droxford, again along the A32, very steep hillsides in places. Please Bring Lunch

Wednesday 7th September

Portsdown Hill (SU) Meet at 10:30am

Meet at 10:30am: Target Species: Possible Brown Hairstreak, Clouded Yellow, Small Copper Flora and Fauna

Leader Ashley Whitlock Tel 02392 731266 MOB 07752 82340

Directions: Directions: From the (A3) south into Portsmouth look for sign for Queen Drive towards Fort Widley. From the M27 find Junction 12 Southampton road (A3) then signposted to Queen Alexandria Hospital along London Road turn left at traffic lights, past hospital Alexandria Hospital. Southwick Hill Road very steep up to B2177 onto James Callahan drive roundabout then head east where the car-park is situated on the left hand side as you steep hill look for James Callahan Roundabout and follow signs for Fort Widley where the car park is on the left hand side.

De-brief on the 2022 season in the Churchillian public house

Message from the field trip co-ordinator

Depending on the Covid state is whether these Field Trips go ahead

Footnote: If the weather looks inclement then please phone the leader of the field trip advertised. I will personally change the date of my field trips if the long range weather suggests the weather is going to be wet and windy, on the Hants Butterfly website page a few days before and also on the Hampshire Butterfly Facebook page and my website, Ashley Whitlock Butterflies and Moths at

http//:www.purple-emperor.co.uk

2021 Field Trip Highlights

Abbotts Wood Inclosure Field Trip July 2021

Another season of field trips, several of which had to be cancelled due to the inclement weather we have encountered in 2021.

We started in the New Forest in April looking for the Emperor Moth, this was during the period when only 6 people could meet outside due to Covid. We were successful in attracting one fresh male with my ‘lure’. In early May the Duke of Burgundy's were beginning to emerge in reasonable numbers on the slopes of Butser Hill and later in the month the rearranged Bentley Wood and Martin Down trips turned out to be rescheduled luckily for the better weather.

At Bentley Wood Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries were past their best and we didn’t see the Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary as to was too early, but the Martin Down trip on the last day of May was a triumph, seeing the Duke of Burgundy at this site for the first time and also plenty of Marsh Fritillaries and Adonis Blues plus other flora and fauna.

In mid-June Dark Green Fritillaries adorned Abbotstone Down which also appears to be one of the best sites for the Green Hairstreak. However due to the wet weather several summer walks were rearranged but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the Purple Emperor was late to emerge in 2021!

In July we had two Purple Emperor field trips to Alice Holt Forest and West Wood in the space of three days and saw an extraordinary (24) Purple Emperors, and also another male of this impressive species was seen at West Harting Down the following week. In addition the beautiful Silver-washed Fritillary Valezina was seen in Crab Wood on the West Wood field trip.

August was no better weather wise but we managed to get in one of the best Field Trips at Shipton Bellinger where all the target species were seen. The Brown Hairstreak was noted about a dozen times despite the weather being cloudy with short periods of sunshine, and the elusive Wall Brown was encountered at least three times, along with good counts of Magpie Moths.

The New Forest at Beaulieu Heath produced the Grayling and in September the Adonis Blue and the lovely Silver-Spotted Skipper were seen in reasonable numbers at old Winchester Hill and Beacon Hill.

I would like to thank all those who joined me in 2021 and hope to see you all in 2022.

Ashley Whitlock

Field Trip Co-ordinator