Where there are chalk-loving wild flowers there are chalk-loving butterflies…
The chalk grasslands are home to important populations of very rare butterflies including the Adonis blue, silver studded blue and chalkhill blue. These delicate insects feed on the nectar-rich blooms such as scabious. Other equally rare butterflies such as the marsh fritillary, silver-spotted skipper and Duke of Burgundy fritillary also have habitats in the AONB. Open, sunny woodland glades are a great place to look for butterflies as well as the marshy habitat that can be found around rivers and streams.
You could start your butterfly search at some of the places listed on our Visit & Explore Nature and Wildlife page or visit the BBOWT or Wiltshire Wildlife Trust website for more ideas and information about individual species. It is best to choose a sunny and calm day – butterflies do not like strong winds! To find out more about how you can help butterflies why not check out the Butterfly Conservation website?
These habitats, and the butterflies themselves, are incredibly fragile. When butterfly-spotting please avoid crushing plants, never pick flowers and never catch a butterfly.
