Chalkhill Blue (male), Badbury Rings |
| A superb area of chalk down that has survived largely unchanged for over two thousand years. The Iron Age hill fort stands 100m high with 3 sets of ditches and ramparts. The ditches and slopes have created a range of habitats ranging from the more exposed to the very warm and sheltered. In Spring and early summer the site contains a wide range of Orchids including many of the rarer species. In Summer the sheer quantity of Butterflies and other insects amongst the flower rich downs is staggering. |
Chalkhill Blue on a seedhead. |
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| Restricted to the chalk downs of southern England in common with the related Large Blue its lifecycle is entirely dependent upon being raised by ants. | Herb rich chalk downs on the ramparts of the Iron Age hill fort. |
Marbled White on Hawkbit |
| Another butterfly associated with unimproved grassland. Again largely confined to southern England. |
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Western, outer rampart in summer. |
Rampart and ditch |