CORHAMPTON Golf Club is renowned for its picturesque setting – but little is known it is home to many invertebrates.

Recognising the importance of the site, course manager Iestyn Carpenter called in Clive Wood for advice on how to improve its ecology by establishing areas of wild flower meadow.

Mr Wood is the chairman of Hampshire and I.O.W Butterfly Conservation and recommended the creation of chalk scrapes to provide a very rare habitat.

This advice was taken on board and two years ago four chalk scrapes, each about 75m long were created by removing the top soil.

Now, the course is home to many Small Blue butterfly – a rarity in Hampshire.

Gill Cooper told the Chronicle: "The creation of these scrapes would produce a mosaic of sparsely vegetated patches to provide the breeding, feeding and warm basking areas that many butterflies and moths require.

"Kidney Vetch was then planted into these scrapes to provide the right habitat for the Small Blue butterfly which had not been recorded in this area of Hampshire for many years.

"In July this year, butterfly expert Clive returned and any members of the golf club who were interested in the ecology of the estate were invited to meet him and to the progress of the wild flowers and vegetation on the scrapes.

"On a glorious sunny afternoon, a group of twelve members had the most interesting and informative two hours learning about the preparation and seeding of the chalk scrapes from the course manager whilst Clive taught the group how to recognise the many different species of butterfly and moth that were darting about in clouds of colour over a myriad of different species of wild flower."

Many members have seen butterflies and moths all over the course since they returned from lockdown, as well as hares, deer and barn owl.