18th April - Magdalen Hill Down, Hampshire

The sun was shining as I walked up the hill to the reserve at Magdalen Hill.  Entering the reserve I walked through a field of Cowslips, it seemed like there were more than there had been on my last visit.  There were plenty of Brimstones flying amongst the cowslips, both bright yellow males and the whiter females.  A Green-veined White showed well on a bramble leaf.

Then along the main path a male Brimstone nectaring on a Cowslip.

A gap in the hedge afforded views across the field covered in the yellow cowslips.

A little further along the path a view across a field looking towards Winchester.

I walked through the chalk pits and then down the hill, a patch of bramble provided an opportunity for relief and it turned out to be a very good spot.  First, Peacock, Brimstone and a few Holly Blue, then a surprise, a Green Hairstreak dropped almost in front of me.

A lovely fresh looking specimen.

THere were two about and they were pinging each other which meant they moved away from me, but provided some nice scenes with the leaves.

Leaving the hairstreaks I walked down the hill to the sheltered area at the bottom of the hill, there were a few clouds about, but when the sun came out so did the butterflies.  Brimstone, Peacock and Comma, then a small one, a Grizzled Skipper, sitting nicely on the grass.

There were at least six skippers along the bottom of the hill.

Then I came across two more Green Hairstreak.

Holly Blue were difficult to count, but there must have been at least half a dozen.  This one settled on the leaf while the sun was behind a cloud and then as the sun cam out it opened the wings to show the upper side.

Looking out across the field to the south with the clouds sending sunshine out across the fields.

As I walked along the bottom of the hill I came across a singing Lesser Whitethroat, I could see the bird but it never showed well enough.  It then became a challenge and I waited and waited and finally got an acceptable shot.

This was the ninth warbler species seen today.

I decided to walk around the perimeter of the reserve following the path away to the east at the bottom of the hill and then up the slope and back to the gate by the cemetery.  No small butterflies along the path, but plenty of Brimstone, both male and female.

At the cemetery gate there were some interesting views across the cowslip covered fields.

Looking south the variation in spring greens on the far slope was impressive.

I made my way to the path that leads through the scruby area.  Once again plenty of cowslips and a trail that winds carefully through them.

Another period of the sun behind clouds had this Holly Blue settle on a leaf.

Then slowly opening the wings to show the darker blue tips once more.

On my last visit here I had found a Dotted Bee-fly, today It was the commoner Dark-edged Bee-fly.

The cowslips have been incredible this year and as I left the reserve I had to take one more photograph, that doesn't do them justice.

A better visit than the last one here, but still awaiting some of the other early butterflies