Warburg Nature Reserve  | - Click on the image above to view gallery
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I had a chance to stay in the Chilterns area for a few days and looked for local places to visit while I was there that would maybe give me some chances of seeing new butterflies for me. The internet is a great source of information and it doesn’t take long to find some likely looking places and I found there were lots looked after by the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust. One place really appealed to me when its description read “A wildlife showpiece, with excellent visitor facilities set in a secluded Chiltern valley, the Warburg reserve is a magical place throughout the seasons” Well how I could resist that description, but always when you visit a new place you never quite know what to expect. I wasn’t disappointed in the least in fact I’m really keen to return in a different season as I’m sure at anytime of the year there really will be plenty to see.
The visitor centre was actually shut the day I visited as the warden was busy but I did have a chat with him which was very interesting. Local knowledge of an area is usually the only way you will see some of the highlights and I was keen to see if any of the Violet Helleborines were in flower as indicated on the reserve leaflet Sadly this year had not been a good year for them which is how it goes some years but I was directed towards some Broad-leaved Helleborines and they are always good to see in flower. I also asked what kind of work he does to manage the site and a lot of the work is done by grazing cattle which I found while I was walking about. They also do a small amount of coppicing too but have to protect any new growth from the deer that that sometimes browse in the woods.
The warden recommended the best way to enjoy the reserve was to follow the nature trail and that’s what I did eventually but not before I had a good look around some of the more secluded footpaths. In the heat of the day I enjoyed being under the cover of the trees where the cool shade was very welcome. I walked to the top of the reserve which rises to 500 ft and some of the footpaths were steep in places but well worth it. I had seen some Red Kites as I drove there that morning and was certain I could hear their calls all day but the tall trees obscured the view.
 The wild flowers are butterfly heaven When I first entered the reserve I was greeted with the amazing sight of a wide open ride full of wild flowers. The predominant colour was yellow it seemed and this was Wild Parsnip and under this taller growing plant were large carpets of Red Clover, Wild Majoram and Wild Basil. The smell from these plants on a hot summer’s day was wonderful. Of course the butterflies just loved this area as they busied themselves feeding on the nectar rich plants. In all during the day I counted 11 different butterfly species on the wing. The most predominant were Brimstones and I came to the conclusion as they looked so fresh they must be just emerging. They were almost impossible to get a picture of as not only did they never seem to be still long enough for you to focus on them, their wings are quite large and the breeze always seemed to be moving them about. I have seen very few Common Blues this year too so was delighted to find a very obliging one who sat on some Wild Basil and allowed to me get very close.
One butterfly I had never seen before and knew might be at Warburg was the Silver-washed Fritillary a butterfly I was told I would know when I saw it and this was certainly the case. I climbed a path that allowed me to quite high up above the valley floor and to my delight there was a Silver-washed Fritillary feeding on some Marjoram. It allowed me to get close enough for just a couple of shots and it was obvious it was worse for wear. Our summer weather hasn’t been kind to the butterflies at all this year. The butterfly then seemed to delight in climbing to the highest point of the clearing and proceeded to glide down; when I thought I’d lost sight of it there it was at the top of the slope once more gliding down. I watched it for ages until it eventually stopped. I saw a few more individual Silver–washed Fritillaries during my visit and they didn’t look so tatty but none settled long enough for me to get any more pictures.
One more butterfly that is on the reserve and I would have loved to have seen was a Purple Emperor, a butterfly that’s very elusive. They live in the tops of Oak trees not coming down very often to the woodland floor. I looked longily at the tops of the trees but never saw any this time. The warden told me he never finds them when he goes looking for them but occasionally one will fly past unexpectedly when they are out in their garden. That must be a real treat for certain.
 Using a reflector to help fill in shadows I found the Broad-leaved Helleborines growing as they do in dappled shade which often means it’s a hard to get a good picture. There were only a few of the lower flowers actually open on one plant and the only way I could get any light into those flowers was to use my small reflector which I always carry in the bottom of my backpack for just such occasions. I needed three hands though so in the end I used my backpack to lean the reflector up against as I took the shot. Unfortunately it clouded up for a while during the afternoon which meant that the butterflies all seemed to disappear, although as soon as the sun's warmth returned they were in the air once more. It’s always a mystery to me where the butterflies hide when the sun goes in. The light was still fairly bright though and it’s this kind of light that is without harsh contrast and is excellent for taking pictures of flowers. I can nearly always find something to take a picture of especially in a place such as this.
To reach the reserve requires a drive along a single track road for two and a half miles, which was fine although I did wonder what would happen if I’d have met with a tractor. On the way there I had noticed some wonderful old barns and outbuildings at Valley Farm, Bix Bottom, so on the way back I pulled over and took a few quick pictures of the flint and brick buildings. I also drove through Henley on Thames and looked for a parking spot as I was doing so as I would have loved to have stopped and take pictures by the river but a quick shot through the windscreen as I was stopped at traffic lights was all I could manage LOL. If I’m ever passing through again I really must try to stop.
I thoroughly enjoyed my day visiting Warburg and really do hope I can make a return visit.
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