My name is Nigel Owen, and I live within walking distance of Latchmore, in the New Forest village of Frogham.  When I am not out counting butterflies, I can often be found helping the Education Team at the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust reserve at Blashford Lakes, or leading guided walks as half of Walking Picnics, a small business I run with my wife, Christine.  Outside the butterfly season, I have been known to carry out monitoring of bird species, including Dartford warblers, curlew, nightjars and wintering hen harriers.

 

I started monitoring butterflies during 2014, and quickly discovered that my local patch was both rich in species and relatively unrecorded.  At the time, plans were being made to radically re-shape Latchmore valley as part of a wetland restoration programme overseen by the (then) Forestry Commission.  There was much local opposition to the plans, which involved importing hundreds of tons of gravel to change the course of the stream, and during debates on these proposals (which were eventually turned down by the National Park Authority) I decided that I could do something to improve our knowledge of the butterflies in the valley.  

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All the photographs on this website are mine, and the vast majority were taken in Latchmore during the weekly recording walks.  Please don't copy or use the photos without asking me first, thanks.  Similarly, all the text is my own invention, with a little help from The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington, and I take responsibility for any errors, which I will happily correct if you let me know about them.  I would like to thank the Hampshire & Isle of Wight branch of Butterfly Conservation for offering training on identification, and in particular the New Forest Transect Group for welcoming me into their number, and giving much encouragement, support and friendship. 

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I am happy to take complements, queries and constructive criticism - please email me:  nigeltowen@aol.com