Belted Galloways

Had a fantastic walk with friends today at NT Ashridge Estate. We started at Ivinghoe Beacon and it was great to see these Belted Galloway cattle getting the chalk hills into good shape for the rare orchids and butterflies that grace their slopes from May onwards. The extra photo shows the view along the scarp slope towards Pitstone Hill, with one of the good slopes for the very special Duke of Burgundy butterfly beyond the cattle. It is now known that careful rotational management of scrub plus cattle grazing is what this very tricky butterfly needs. Many sites were ruined during the 1980s and 90s through over-grazing by sheep and either too much or too little scrub management. Can't wait for April/May to see this beauty again!