Butterflies near the A3/M3 corridor late June

[Ian Pratt]

A friend and I are going to Juniper Hall near Dorking,Surrey for the RPS Nature Group weekend on 22 June.

Can anyone recommend places to see the Purple Emperor and Silver Studded Blue near the A3/M3 corridor?

Any other suggestions for butterflies between Portsmouth and Dorking?

[Danny]

South of Guildford, is the Chiddingfold, Botany Bay wood complex, for Purple Emperors and White Ads....and Wood white for that matter. Look up details for the reserve that's in the complex on the BC website. I can *never* remember it's name! But it begins with "Oak"! (Oakham, Oakley, Oakblah???)

Also a bit further away near Leatherhead (which is kind of Dorking way) is Bookham Common, which is famous for Purple Emperor. There are White Ads and SWFrit and Purple Hairstreak all over the place there.

As for SSBs....er...I have a feeling there's a place near the M25 in Surrey which has heather. I personally have seen them at Thursley Common, which is also en route(ish), but that place burnt down last year so they might be a bit ground on the thin.

Old Lodge near Uckfield is too far off the beaten track for you.

Danny

[Pete Eeles]

It's Oaken Wood

I believe that the SSB colony wasn't affected following the fire at Thursley Common.

Cheers,

- Pete