Sheelagh Hill led a walk which started from the Stag and Huntsman pub at Hambleden on the hot, sunny morning of Wednesday 16th July. The route crossed the playing field then started up the steep side of a maize field. Plants beside the path included Vervain, Wild Basil, Nettle-leaved Bellflower, Hairy St John’s-wort and Ploughman’s Spikenard. Butterflies here included numerous Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Gatekeepers. The cool of the woods towards the top was welcome on such a hot day. Enchanter’s Nightshade was seen here. On the other side of the woods, the path led out onto a field of barley. In the field margin were an interesting collection of arable weeds, including Sharp-leaved Fluellen, Field Madder, Wild Radish, Common Poppy, Scarlet Pimpernel and Stinking Chamomile. Further on, Corn Spurrey and Swine-cress were unusual finds. Small Skipper butterflies flitted along beside the path and tall clumps of Weld were growing round a concrete drain.
The route led on into first Heath Wood and then Homefield Wood. The main ride through the woods had a wide flowery margin, with plants including Dark Mullein, Marjoram, Perforate and Imperforate St John’s-wort, Wild Parsnip, Bramble and Nettle-leaved Bellflower. The butterflies here were abundant and Brimstone, Peacock, Comma, Large Skipper, Small Copper and Silver-washed Fritillary were added to the tally. The meadow in BBOWT’s Homefield Wood Nature Reserve was full of flowers, including Broad-leaved Helleborine, Pyramidal Orchid, Yellow-wort, Field and Small Scabious, Common and Greater Knapwort and much more besides. Essex Skipper, Marbled White and Common Blue butterflies were seen here. Nemophora metallica, a small, bronze-metallic micro-moth with long white-tipped antennae, was seen on some of the Scabious flower heads. There were many bees and other insects on the flowers here. With much forethought, Chris and Sheelagh had left a car parked at the entrance to the reserve, so the drivers could be ferried back to the pub car park, thereby avoiding a long hot return walk. The walk was followed by welcome cold drinks and lunch in the garden of the Stag and Huntsman.
Pictures by Sue White and Laurie Haseler