Ashley Whitlock
Hampshire & IOW Butterflies and Moths
This wood has a lots to offer and believe it or not ..solitude, you can easily escape from the main carpark where the main arena is for dog walkers and people eating. This ride on the North side of the wood close to the carpark has many magnificiant Oak stands.
West Walk
Forest of Bere
This magnificiant Purple Emperor was on the ground feeding when along came my field trip party and unfortunaetly we disturbed it and it fortunaetly flew up into a Caprea Sallow and sat there for about twenty minutes before moving further up the trees.
White Admirals are in the wood , however they dont seem to be very common well not in 2024 anyway.
Crossbills can be seen flitting in and out of the large areas of conifers especially in and around the carpark area.
One of the Assembly points for the Purple Emperor butterfly, this straddles the Rooksbury Wood caravan park area and the other side of the main road just out of the West Walk.
Silver-Washed Fritillaries can be quite plentiful in a good year, however 2024 was not one of those
In the Autumn there are lots of funghi to see and in the trees there is lot of fruit and nuts in the cherry trees and Horsechestnut and Sweet Chestnut trees.
Looking over part of the Forest of Bere, in the height of the summer a look with binoculars over the tops of the oaks and you may be lucky and see a Purple Emperor!
Mimi makes cake and coffee is a welcome sight after walking around the wood and believe me this wood is very big. Top some of the Orchids to be seen in some of the rides and in a meadow close to the wood. The Common Carpet moth can be seen in the grassy areas and in the rides in the spring and early summer.