Tidgrove

One of the most beautiful signs of spring on the chalk downland of southern England is the Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris). With its deep purple petals, golden centre and soft silky hairs that catch the sunlight, it’s a remarkable native wildflower that appears briefly each spring on thin, chalky soils.

Now sadly quite scarce in the UK, pasque flowers survive at only a handful of sites where ancient chalk grassland remains carefully managed through grazing. These rare habitats also support a rich community of insects, including early pollinating bees and butterflies such as the small blue and Duke of Burgundy, which thrive in flower-rich downland.

We’re keeping a close eye on the chalk grassland here and hoping that a few Pasque flowers will be flowering at Tidgrove Estate before Easter. If they appear, it will be a wonderful reminder of how special these surviving pockets of chalk downland really are.

The seed of this idea started on a Woodland Trust trustees visit to Tidgrove in 2023. Very proud that The Woodland Trust made an idea become reality. A huge thank you to those celebrities who have offered there time and passion for trees and the environment to raise further awareness for our Living Legends

Celebrating our ancient woods and trees with Alastair Campbell, Nile Rodgers, Konnie Huq, Dominic West, Adam Henson, Fiona Bruce and Baroness May. 🌍 These images, taken around the UK, were recently displayed in front of world leaders at the Countdown to COP30 event hosted by @natural_history_museum and the UK Government. 🦋 Our ancient woods and trees are irreplaceable habitats - we can’t regrow or renew the complex biodiversity which has evolved around them over hundreds of years. 🦉 They harbour rare wildlife, provide shade and shelter, and have witnessed thousands of years of history. ⚠️ Despite this, they're at risk every day from climate change, disease and weak legal protection. 💚 As the UK's largest woodland conservation charity, we want to see a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature. 👉 Head to the link in our bio to learn more about the work we're doing to protect our ancient woods and trees. 📸 @charles_sainsburyplaice #AncientTrees #AncientWoodland #LivingLegends #AlastairCampbell #NileRodgers #KonnieHuq #DominicWest #AdamHenson #FionaBruce #BaronessMay #AncientOaks #BowthorpeOak #SkippinishOak #AncientYew #TemperateRainforest #WoodlandTrust

A Perch, a Pause, a Comeback: Spotted Flycatchers at Tidgrove
Once common across Hampshire, the spotted flycatcher is now a much rarer summer visitor. But at Tidgrove Estate, sightings have increased in recent years, including a confirmed pair. It is a hopeful sign of possible breeding and local recovery.

This quiet resurgence may be thanks to ongoing habitat restoration. Regenerating scrub, creating ponds, and managing pasture to encourage rare wildflowers have all improved conditions for insect life. Butterfly scrapes have added further value, supporting the rich invertebrate diversity these birds rely on.

Spotted flycatchers prefer open woodland edges and mature trees where they can perch and launch after flying insects. The photographs by Shane King capture this beautifully, showing a pair making use of the varied habitat now available to them.

Across the UK, their numbers have fallen by more than 90 percent since the 1970s. At Tidgrove, however, a thoughtful approach to land management is helping to turn the tide.

All photographs ©Shane King 2025
Test Valley Wildlife

Each sighting is a reminder of what can return when land is restored with nature in mind. With continued care, the soft call and quick flight of the spotted flycatcher may once again become a familiar part of Hampshire’s summer landscape.

Wild wonder at Tidgrove

At first glance, this striking seed head might look like an oversized dandelion, but it's actually Yellow Goats Beard (Tragopogon pratensis), a native wildflower with a fascinating story.

Also known as Jack go to Bed at Noon, this plant blooms with bright yellow flowers that open only in the morning sunshine before closing by midday. Now in seed, it forms a large airy globe much bigger than a dandelion puff designed to catch the wind and spread far and wide.

We’re always pleased to spot these thriving here at Tidgrove. Their presence is a great sign of a healthy diverse landscape and a small reminder of the wild wonders all around us.

Photographed on at Tidgrove this week. Look out for them in open meadows and field edges.

A Curious Bloom at Tidgrove

I spent the morning walking the meadows at Tidgrove, and was stopped in my tracks by something rather special. Among the clovers and bedstraw, pushing quietly up through the soil, broomrape is flowering in real numbers this year.

It’s not a showy plant. No leaves, no green, just pale, almost ghostly stems rising up through the sward. It doesn’t photosynthesise like most wildflowers, but instead draws all it needs from the roots of its neighbours. Parasitic, yes, but not destructive. More a gentle guest, making its way without fuss.

What’s striking is not just the presence of broomrape, but what it suggests. These plants only thrive where the land is allowed to be rich in variety. No sprays, no heavy-handed mowing, just thoughtful grazing and a trust in nature to balance itself out. Their appearance is a quiet marker of health and good management.

I watched a few bumblebees dipping into the flowers, drawn to the hidden nectar. Hoverflies, too, drifting through the grass. It’s a small reminder that even the oddest of plants plays its part in the rhythm of the land.

These things don’t make the headlines, but they matter. They’re part of the story of place, of care and time and patience. And they make walking the fields feel that bit more meaningful.

Butterfly Conservation