Sheelagh Hill led a walk which started from the Stag and Huntsman pub at Hambleden on the hot, sunny morning of Wednesday 16^th 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.