Big Butterfly Count at Pewley Down

Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford is a very special place. This wonderful area of chalk grassland enjoys fine views, and an abundance of wild flowers and butterflies. It’s ideal if you’re looking for an inspiring place to visit. If you’re looking for a level walk or somewhere to take a disabled person, Pewley Down is ideal, as the paths, although natural are fairly level and you can park close by. — Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford is a very special place. This wonderful area of chalk grassland enjoys fine views, and an abundance of wild flowers and butterflies. If you’re looking for a level walk or somewhere to take a disabled person, Pewley Down is ideal, as the paths, although natural, are fairly level and you can park close by.

I love butterflies and moths! Today I took part in another Big Butterfly Count for Butterfly Conservation.

I spent 15 wonderful minutes at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford, a beautiful area of chalk grassland that is fairly level and is accessible to wheelchairs, noting down different butterfly species and counting how many butterflies I saw of each variety. As you’ll see from my photographs, I saw a large number of blue butterflies, I didn’t manage to photograph all the butterflies I saw, but during this visit to Pewley Down I enjoyed seeing Small Blue Butterflies, Common Blue Butterflies, Chalk Hill Blue Butterflies, Meadow Brown Butterflies, Large White Butterflies, as well as one of the Burnet Moths, possibly a Six-Spot Burnet – a colourful black and red, day flying moth.

It’s great fun watching butterflies and moths, if you want to join in and take your own Big Butterfly Count, you have until Sunday 9th August 2015 to take part, and until the end of August to submit your results to Butterfly Conservation, who will use the survey results to assess the fortunes of butterflies and gain information about the spread or decline of individual species. There’s even a special offer of half price membership of Butterfly Conservation for anyone that takes part, for all the details, please click here.

Here are just a few of the butterflies I saw today:

Two Chalk Hill Blue Butterflies at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford. — Two Chalk Hill Blue Butterflies, or Polyommatus coridon as is their scientific name, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A blue butterfly feeding in the chalk grassland at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford. — A blue butterfly feeding on Centaurea scabiosa in the chalk grassland at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus coridon, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford. — A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus coridon, on Centaurea nigra at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford, Surrey.

A rather tatty male Meadow Brown Butterfly or Maniola jurtina, as is its scientific name at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford. — A rather tatty male Meadow Brown Butterfly or Maniola jurtina, as is its scientific name, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, or Polyommatus coridon, as is its scientific name, feeding on Origanum vulgare at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A beautiful male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, the scientific name for this butterfly is Polyommatus coridon. You can see this male has suffered a small amount of damage to the lower part of one of its wings. — A beautiful male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, the scientific name for this butterfly is Polyommatus coridon. In this close up, you can see this male butterfly has suffered a minor amount of damage to the lower part of one of its hindwings.

A day flying moth, possibly a Six-Spot Burnet, Zygaena filipendulae, feeding on Centaurea scabiosa, also known as Greater Knapweed, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus coridon, feeding on Scabiosa columbaria, or small scabious, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Surrey. — A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus coridon, feeding on Scabiosa columbaria, or small scabious, in the chalk grassland at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Surrey.

A male Common Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus icarus, resting on a bird's foot trefoil flower, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford. — A male Common Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus icarus, resting on a bird’s foot trefoil flower, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford, Surrey.

A blue butterfly feeding on Scabiosa columbaria, also known as small scabious, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus coridon, feeding on Centaurea scabiosa, also known as Greater Knapweed, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, or Polyommatus coridon, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford. — A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, or Polyommatus coridon, feeding on Centaurea nigra, also known as common knapweed, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus coridon, feeding on Origanum vulgare, also known as wild marjoram, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford. — Two male Chalk Hill Blue Butterflies, Polyommatus coridon, feeding on Origanum vulgare, also known as wild marjoram, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A female Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly feeding on Origanum vulgare at Pewley Down. — A female Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly feeding on Origanum vulgare, also known as wild marjoram, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Surrey.

Two blue butterflies feeding at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

A male Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly, or Polyommatus coridon, feeding on Origanum vulgare, also known as wild marjoram, at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

If you’re thinking of taking a trip to Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford, here’s some photographs to give you an insight as to what to expect at this beautiful and very special place. As you’ll see the ground is fairly level and accessible, although it’s not paved at all, so if you visit in a wheelchair it’s a little bumpy in places, more so in others, especially near to the parking area for the reserve, but if you stay close to the main paths it is fairly level. More able and adventurous types can head down and explore the sloping paths, but everyone can admire the far reaching views and enjoy the wildflowers and butterflies at this very special area of chalk grassland in Guildford, in Surrey.

Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford, an area of chalk grassland with far reaching views. — Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford, an area of accessible chalk grassland with an abundance of wildflowers and butterflies, visitors can enjoy far reaching views across Surrey.

In this photograph of Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford, you can see that many of the paths are level and accessible. Pewley Down is a very special area of chalk grassland with far reaching views, an ideal place for a walk or to look out for butterflies and moths.

Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford is a super place for an easy, level walk.

Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildord is a lovely place at any time of year, it’s a wonderful place to see butterflies.

Part of the beautiful view at Pewley Down Nature Reserve in Guildford.

Pewley Down Nature Reserve is a beautiful places to visit, it’s ideal for all the family and has a long, fairly level accessible path, where the fine views over Surrey can be enjoyed and admired. — Pewley Down Nature Reserve is a beautiful places to visit, it’s ideal for all the family and has a long, fairly level, accessible path, where the fine views over Surrey can be enjoyed and admired.

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To see photographs from my previous Big Butterfly Count at a different location in Surrey, please click here.

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