I was thrilled to see so many varieties of butterfly at Bartley Park Meadows today. It is all a reward for the work put in the Friends of Bartley Park over many years.

There are lots of different wild plants to see, including many species of grass.

Sometimes, we don’t always appreciate what we have close to home. If you like to see insects, including butterflies and moths, I don’t know of many places in the New Forest National Park where you can see so much variety on a similar walk.

Today, the most common species of butterfly I saw were the Meadow Brown and the (surprisingly), the Marbled White.

Do let me know if you see something rarer… even better if you can send me a photo !