www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Anybody know the best place to see Silver-Spotted Skippers at this site. I have heard counts of over 50 have been made already this year; with the peak season next week counts of over 100 must be possible. Any info on parking/best places to search etc. would be much appreciated.

Kind Regards

Alex

North side seems to be best. Parking is easy and when you enter the reserve go through the 50m stretch with long grasses and you'll emerge onto the short-cropped slope.

Pretty much anywhere will do but near the top of the hill not far in there's a patch of longer grass with wild herbs and thistles growing fairly profusely. This is certainly a good spot for SSS.

Great thanks

Hi,

I am planning to go down there tomorrow, I have always gone to the North side before. The car park is at grid ref. SU731966 and is signposted from the A40.

Walk through the short wooded section and out on the hillside where as David says there is a section of long grass and flowering herbs. SSS can be found all along the hillsides as can Chalkhill Blues and many others species, last year I had 19 species in a morning here. More details in my personal diary, scroll down a bit for the Aston Rowant stuff.

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5424&start=260

Cheers,

Neil F.

Don't worry if there's a bit of cloud - the Skippers then tend to settle on bare patches of ground, including the sheep paths that run across the slopes. Follow any of these very slowly and carefully, looking ahead for little orange/green dots against the earth or chalk. Approach from below the path if you can. It is possible to get very close in this way, and it's much easier than attempting to photograph them on scabious, which have long stems and wave in the slightest breeze. Watching SSS at Box Hill today in a strong wind, I noticed they seem to prefer waving scabious over that in sheltered spots. Most contrary!

I would say you are guaranteed to see them unless there's thunderstorm!

Good luck

Dave

Silver-spotted Skippers are very easy to spot,if not to follow,once you get your eye in. North or south of the M40 are equally reliable- simply look for the short cropped turf. This is the breeding area,where adults emerge. However,in good weather,they will happily venture over more overgrown grass,if there are nectar sources avalable there.
If you have never been to A.R. before,you're in for a treat!

I went to Aston Rowant today (Friday 2nd August).

Loads of Silver-spotted Skippers all over the hillsides starting from the long grass area mentioned above, most were on the shorter turf further along. No idea on actual numbers, too many to count, but once I got my eye in they were everywhere.

Will be posting more details and photos in my diary as usual.

Neil F.