Aston Rowant

[Lawts]

Please can anyone confirm the optimum date to visit the site for Silver=spotted Skipper, and what's the general consensus on whether this will be a "normal" year?

Thanks.

[MikeOxon]

I've not been up there yet this year but there were plenty last year on August 9th.

If you are visiting the area, other good sites are Watlington Hill, a little further West, and my favourite, which is Sliding Hill, near Swyncombe; a high ridge jutting into the Oxfordshire Plain, mercifully free from the noise of the M40.

Watlington Hill, Oxon - 9th August 2010
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR lens, 1/1000s, f/5.6, ISO400

Mike

[selbypaul]

I went around the 8th August last year. There weren't many, I only saw two.

Saw a brown looking hairstreak there also, in the overgrown hedges by the now disused "old" road. Felt it could only be a Brown Hairstreak, but the reserve warden said they hadn't been seen at the site. Well worth keeping your eye out for them.

[David M]

I've been up there today and they're definitely about. I saw seven in about an hour and a half and I suspect their numbers will build steadily over the next few days.

[essexbuzzard]

I was there last Friday afternoon. Several adults have already emerged,including some females-Chalkhill Blues too. But it should be better in a couple of weeks.
Mark.

[Neil Freeman]

I went there this morning, beautiful sunny couple of hours.
Silver Spotted Skippers about in fair number, I saw a couple of dozen at least. Loads of Chalkhill Blues about too.

In the pic below SS Skippers were all along up to the hill at the end, mostly from a third to two thirds up the slope.

Aston Rowant - North side of the motorway looking West.

Cheers,

Neil.

[EricY]

After a steady relatively traffic free drive from Norfolk with no troubles at Silverstone, we arrived Aston Rowant just before 9.30am or at least we thought we had. We pulled up at a notice that said Aston Rowant NNR, but map on board was worn & faded. I proved to be the wrong side of the reserve. Afraid we misled a couple (very sorry about that if you read this) who pulled up having seen us at Lindrick last week. We all headed into the wood on right hand track, had we gone down left hand track we would have eventually got to the right place! After walking some way we decided to go back & take a track we saw that looked as if it connected with left hand path. Big mistake down a steep slope, by this time my friend had been so far ahead we lost him. 3 of us return up the steep hill to the cars. Then a couple came out of the wood & told us the correct car park was 200 yards further down the road! If anyone else is as unsure as we were, you must go down the road untill you can go no further for the main c/p & access to the hillside with the butterflies. I waited at the car for my friend to get back & so we lost over 2 hours searching time.

Arriving on the hill it was by now very warm & windy. Very few Silver spotted's were to be seen, none at top of hill around the thistles & longer flowers, all seemed to be at lower levels. I found none at all untill a couple were pointed out to me & then I found one of my own. Plenty of Chalkhills, some Brown Argus, small heath & small & large skippers.

Silver spotted skipper female I believe

Silver spotted Skipper male I believe

Also found this mating pr Chalkhill blues

Chalkhill blue mating pr

Also found this that I put down as a Brown Argus, but it has a metallic sheen to it, could it be something else!

metallic sheen to poss BA

After all our lost time we only had a brief chance to call in at Berwood meadows, grass had been mown & just a few common blue, gatekeeper & meadow brown about. No sign of Brown Hairstreak in long meadow hedges. Our day was compounded by a bad accident closing the A47 & losing us another three quarters of an hour! Eric

[MikeOxon]

I have noticed that several brown butterflies show a metallic sheen in certain lights. Yours is a fairly dramatic example on a very fresh BA!

Mike

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Eric,

That is indeed a brown argus.

Shame about the lost time and traffic - I had similar problems yesterday

Cheers

Lee

[millerd]

I was at Aston Rowant (N) on Sunday afternoon when Lee was there, and there were plenty of Silver-spotted Skippers about. They prefer the areas of shorter grass, and when not perching on flowers, like to sit on the patches of bare chalk and on the sheep-paths criss-crossing the steep hillside. Their flight is very fast, and they are particularly difficult to follow if it's windy.

It's just occured to me that there were no Common Blues to be seen at all - which seems unusual for this site.

Dave

[Lee Hurrell]

I think I saw about 3 on Saturday (wasn't it?), Dave, all at the bottom of the slopes.
Not very many at all

Cheers

Lee

[millerd]

It was Saturday, Lee - it was at the end of a long drive, and things are a bit blurry!
Yesterday was Denbies - where amidst the profusion of Chalkhills, I only saw one Common Blue I think. A little worrying.

Dave

[Lee Hurrell]

And I did make it to Sussex yesterday, only a handful there too...

Cheers

Lee

[celery]

I was also at Aston Rowant on Saturday (30th July). Early to mid afternoon... north side of the motorway. The slopes were teeming with silver-spotted skippers... plus loads of chalkhill blues, brown argus, small copper, meadow browns, whites, small heath, gatekeepers, marbled white... etc. etc.

I'm still sorting through my pictures... but here's a taster...


silver-spotted skipper on harebell within a landscape (Padfield stylee )

[MikeOxon]

That's a lovely photo, celery, and nice to see that blue sky and wild flowers don't only exist in Switzerland.

I was at Aston Rowant on Monday afternoon (see post in Aug 2011 thread) and the slope was buzzing with S-s Skippers until at least 6pm. I think they like the slope to be well-heated before they come out to play - suits me, as I am not a morning person!

Mike

ps also saw Essex and Large Skippers (just to confuse things)

[Neil Freeman]

Lovely Photo Celery, having been there last week, I can appreciate the contortions needed to get a shot like that on the slope

When I was there last Thursday morning, it was a beautiful morning and there were some S S Skippers already about just after 09.30am. The numbers definately increased as it got warmer through the morning

I also saw Large Skippers and Small / Essex skippers but these were not as fresh as the S S Kippers and tended to be in the longer grass whereas most of the S S Skippers were around the areas of shorter turf.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Lee Hurrell]

Lovely picture Celery!

[Crispin]

Interesting how variable sites can be.

It sounds like Aston Rowant is like Malling Down, Lewes East Sussex, teeming with silver-spotted skippers. On Wed morning I counted well over 70 in just 35 min! During thewhole period I was there there were probably many 100s!

I then expect other sites to have similar abundance but they dont!
When I visited Mount Caburn and sites along the Firle escarpment I would find just 3 or 6 individuals in an hour! Habitat at each site was perfect or ok.

What is it that is so special about Aston Rowant & Malling Down? The short sward? The microclimate? The topographic diversity of the sites?
I have possible ideas.

It is early days and more are yet to emerge.

But here is how SSSk have done since they colonised Malling in 1999:

SSSk Malling.jpg (54.31 KiB) Viewed 1213 times

BMS transect data

[essexbuzzard]

Evening all.
If anyone is thinking of visiting Aston Rowant, my advice is don't delay! Had the absolute pleasure of visiting today, where the Silver-spotted Skippers are probably near their peak-there were hundreds,if not thousands buzzing over the short turf areas! Sometimes a squadron of Skippers would shoot past at 100 miles an hour-females with males in hot persuit,picking up more as they darted over the grasses. This really is a favorite of mine-a wonderful species,full of character . Spent the whole day,arrived 9.30 and left 19.00.Some were still flying and i had to drag myself away!
Still plenty of Chalkhill Blues as well.
The Chiltern Gentians are coming out to the south of the M40-the site is full of wildflowers.
Lots of other butterflies as well including Brimstones,Brown Argus, Coppers and 2 worn Dark Green Frit females.
Kestrels,Kites and Buzzards thrown in for good measure!
What a day, wish i could go back tomorrow-but i'm working!
Happy butterflying everyone! Mark.