Sally Rankin led a walk at Chalkhills, Whitchurch-on-Thames, on the pleasantly warm and sunny afternoon of Sunday 3rd August. Owner Sandra Parkinson kindly escorted the group for the first section of the route. The first field had a lot of False Brome Brachypodium sylvaticum and not much Marjoram. The False Brome would normally be kept in check by sheep, but while the bridge across the Thames at Whitchurch remains closed, it is not economical for the regular grazier to keep his flock there. The next paddock contained a number of different varieties of Hazel, with items such as brown plastic bowls and red and blue plastic lids suspended from their branches. Apparently the trees are colour-coded to help the pickers to identify the different varieties. Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell and Common Blue butterflies and Marjoram, Agrimony, Wild Basil, Vervain and Burnet Saxifrage were amongst the sightings here. Continuing up the valley, Guelder-rose with reddening berries and a Cherry Plum with ripe red fruits were growing beside the track. Two friendly donkeys were grazing in the next paddock. Disturbed ground across the fence in the adjacent woodland edge had an interesting collection of plants, including Ploughman’s-spikenard, Viper’s-bugloss, Cat-mint (which is on the Oxfordshire Rare Plants list), Hound’s-tongue (whose leaves reputedly smell of mice) and Great Mullein. Butterflies seen here included Brimstone, Peacock, Gatekeeper, Brown Argus, Red Admiral and a single Clouded Yellow.

The walk continued steeply up through the woods. In a clearing were several Deadly Nightshade plants, with both flowers and berries. There were small clumps of Box and a Buzzard slipped away between the trees. Near the top of the woods were a number of Spurge-laurel plants and the seed heads of White Helleborine plants. The path led onto superb chalk grassland at the top of the hill. Common Rock-rose, Clustered Bellflower, Squinancywort, Small Scabious, Wild Parsnip, Stemless Thistle and Carline Thistle were amongst the flowers seen here. Flower seeds are being collected from a paddock at the top of hill from which the sheep are excluded. Small Copper, Large White and Small White butterflies were added to the species tally here. The group then spread out to explore the Basin, the steep chalk slopes which look southwards across the valley of the Thames. About 6 Chalkhill Blue butterflies were seen, together with a few Marbled Whites. Chalk Carpet moths were quite numerous, as was the little Red Data Book micro Mecyna flavalis. Tiny solitary bees were visiting bare patches of chalk. It was interesting to compare the flowers of Clustered Bellflower and Autumn Gentian, which were growing conveniently close together. Other plants here included Yellow-wort, Quaking Grass, Wild Thyme and Purple Fleabane. On a steep bare-soil patch at the bottom of the field were a few clumps of Basil Thyme, together with very small Pale Toadflax plants and some white Common Centaury. The last stretch of the walk led down through woodland, where there were Hornbeams with dangling seeds. At the entrance to the final field were a number of plants of Common Calamint. Sandra kindly provided tea and cakes afterwards.