Lardon Chase a fab place

[Gill Catton]

Hello!
just a note to suggest that if anyone lives near Lardon Chase (and Lough Down) near Streatley, now is a really ace time to visit. Its stuffed full of wildflowers and butterflies really gorgeous, I went with my chap for a picnic there with homemade sausage rolls, cake and coffee and it was brilliant.

Here's a few pics....


This picture (and none of the other's I have taken) do anywhere near justice to this fantastic vibrant glowing patch of bell flower in the grassland possibly clustered bell flower?





Also underfoot were these gorgeous Gentians (?) in varying shades of deep purple through to lilac though I'm not sure what kind of gentian... Autumn? Chiltern?

and so to the beasties of the day:



Lots of meadow grasshoppers


Lots of six spot burnets too.



Just a few of these such gorgeous stunning butterflies, and finally after a few good years of trying I managed to get a couple of ok pictures too...



Perhaps less stunning but the first EVER that I have seen properly and not flitting out of sight was this little thing..

A small blue butterfly perhaps a female as this little animal wasn't very blue at all.


All in all a fantastic day and I can strongly recommend it, I could have spent all day on those slopes.

[agrumpycow]

Lovely pics Gill, you should have posted one of the view over the Thames as well
I live just 15-20 mins from there and visit often, although not for a couple of months and you have reminded me I must go again soon, and I would also recommend it to anyone! It's a good spot to see red legged partridges and red kites too.

[Gill Catton]

Does anyone know which gentain it is?

[peppermint]

i saw my first adonis blue there last year. Sorry dont know which gentian.