Warminster Group learns about the Butterflies of Bentley Wood

Warminster group of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust met on Monday for the first time at their new venue in the Athenaeum to hear about the famous butterflies of Bentley Wood.

Chairman John Walpole began the meeting, also their AGM, by thanking members for their support during the year. He reported that as well as the monthly meetings the group had had two bird watching trips, one to Portland Bill in February and one to Heavens Gate in April.

The speaker for the evening was John Notman, currently chairman of Salisbury National History Society and an advisory member of the Trustees of Bentley Wood. His talk on “The Flowers and Invertebrates of Bentley Wood” was illustrated by a wonderful collection of 200 slides taken in the Wood. The area covers around 1,800 acres of mixed woodland on the border of Wiltshire and Hampshire to the east of Salisbury. It is well known for the wide range of butterfly species that can be found there, especially Purple Emperors and Fritillaries.

The next meeting of the group will be at 7.30pm on Monday 14th December, again in the Athenaeum, and Ron Hoskins will give a talk called Bees Bite Back. Talks are open to non-members and there is a £2 admission fee which includes refreshments.

Photo by Lo Scorpione at Flikr.com shows the Silver Washed Fritillary which can be found in Bentley Wood.