Peace, quiet and butterflies in the tranquility of late summer.
Aldbury Nowers is 11½ hectares (28½ acres) of chalk grassland, scrub and beech woodland that supports a splendid mix of wildflowers and as many as 30 different butterfly species.
Cared for by the staff and volunteers of the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, the reserve is located near Tring in Aldbury Parish north-east of the Ridgeway Path on the rising slopes of the Chiltern Escarpment.
The open grassland is maintained by grazing sheep plus some judicious brushcutting. This preserves the unimproved meadows that are ideal for wildflowers and consequently for butterflies. It is one of the finest butterfly habitats in Hertfordshire and a place with fine views over the Tring Gap and Vale of Aylesbury. You are likely to spot Essex Skippers, Marbled Whites, Green Hairstreaks, Brown Argus and sometimes the rare Grizzled Skippers and Dingy Skippers.
The photo shows a Marbled White with a typical wingspan of 4-5 cm and displaying its characteristic browny-black and white pattern.
It is commonly found in southern, southeast and central Europe from lowlands up to 1800 m on unimproved and unfertilised meadows on the edges of woods – which is just what you find at Aldbury Nowers!