Site Visit: Butser Hill/Rake Bottom – 8th May 2018
Opposite the Queen Elizabeth County Park near Petersfield is the open downland of Butser Hill. From the top there is a 360-degree view of the neighbouring countryside for many miles around.
![PICT1670.JPG (1.52 MiB) Viewed 79871 times View from top of Butser Hill](./files/thumb_16593_d632c2b5cd0ba35d7701f15a4d8375be)
- View from top of Butser Hill
Around the car park at the top of the hill in the right season you will find Vipers Bugloss, Montbretia, Toadflax, White Bryony and the largest mass of Rosebay Willowherb you will ever see. There are the usual chalk grassland orchids, especially large numbers of Early Purple Orchid and wild herbs such as marjoram out on the open hillside with masses of Cowslips in spring. Birds up here include Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch, Spotted Flycatcher, Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, Red Kite, Raven, Kestrel and Cuckoo. On the hill itself butterflies include Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Small & Essex Skipper, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Gatekeeper, Clouded Yellow, Brimstone, Small White, Orange Tip and Painted Lady. However as I am sure you are aware what most butterfly enthusiasts come here for is a visit to Rake Bottom, a dry river valley “round the back” of the hill.
![Rake Bottom (6).JPG (4.46 MiB) Viewed 79871 times In Rake Bottom](./files/thumb_16593_30fc33bfb7b5da7658b553045b2aeebd)
- In Rake Bottom
Its a rather steep descent but its worth the effort because here is a good location for Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper and Duke of Burgundy all in fair numbers at the same time. In May 2017 on a sunny day there was a Duke of Burgundy, Dingy Skipper and Grizzled Skipper at my feet all at one time within a couple of metres of each other while in the air just above my head two male Green Hairstreaks circled round and around in a sparring battle and in the distance at exactly the same moment, two male Cuckoos called to each other to establish territories. It can certainly be an enchanting place to visit on a warm spring morning if you have the stamina to negotiate the slopes.
This year I counted 10 Dukes, 12 Grizzled Skips (one was on the hill near the top), 1 Dingy Skip and 1 Green Hairstreak. Compared with last year on May 6th when there were 17 Dukes, 14 Grizzled Skips, 20 Dingy Skips and 3 Green Hairstreak. Of course there were the usual Brimstone, Orange Tip, GV and Small White, Speckled Wood, Comma (which on this occasion was walking on the ground taking salts from a dried up muddy puddle), Mint Moth and Cinnabar but even these were in lower numbers than the same time last year. Also last year at this time I saw 11 Small Heath and 2 Common Blue here but so far this year I have not seen these anywhere. It seems everything in Hampshire no matter where I go is still running a week or so later than last year despite the wonderful weather we are having now. The Dingies in particular are in noticeably low numbers.
![Dingy Skipper - underside.JPG (4.97 MiB) Viewed 79871 times Dingy Skip](./files/thumb_16593_595aed84290be36032f3a6f6963ca232)
- Dingy Skip
![Grizzled Skipper - underside (1).jpg (3.45 MiB) Viewed 79871 times Grizzled Skip](./files/thumb_16593_df254703ff8ee42d1fb292e902d0d655)
- Grizzled Skip
![Duke at Rake Bottom (3).JPG (2.93 MiB) Viewed 79871 times Duke](./files/thumb_16593_319aa9b73bd22ba39f44d22c02f9c88a)
- Duke
![Green Hairstreak at Rake Bottom (2).JPG (2.27 MiB) Viewed 79871 times Green Hairstreak](./files/thumb_16593_34f02cb4dfb2ec12b30dfa0087fe9fdc)
- Green Hairstreak
![Comma - collecting salts (2).jpg (4.69 MiB) Viewed 79871 times Comma taking salts](./files/thumb_16593_75821f66df073a30190c01d4dbfbfb13)
- Comma taking salts
![Mint Moth at Rake Bottom.JPG (2.81 MiB) Viewed 79871 times Mint Moth](./files/thumb_16593_048bb8799a5ae1a8ba9750f1c471987d)
- Mint Moth
Non-butterfly snapshots of the day
The Cuckoo is regular here. It is one of the few places I actually expect to see cuckoos rather than just hear them.
In 2016 for example two males were chasing each other, then they came to rest on the ground for a face-off! I had never seen a cuckoo on the ground before. They didn't actually come to blows but for a moment I wondered if they might! And as I said above, two males where here in 2017 too (perhaps even the same two?) but merely cuckoo-ed at each other across the valley on that occasion. At least one male was here this year too. He cuckoo-ed and then I saw him fly low between trees in the distance.
![Cuckoo.JPG (1.9 MiB) Viewed 79871 times Cuckoo](./files/thumb_16593_3b01a2e1bba87103a9f8663e0d09986e)
- Cuckoo
You may have to click to enlarge to see the Cuckoo face-off pic below better.
![Rake Bottom 2016 - two cuckoos on ground.JPG (3.45 MiB) Viewed 79871 times The Cuckoo "face-off"](./files/thumb_16593_1e9c4f141c4b0c82958ce5ec25cdc6ea)
- The Cuckoo "face-off"