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2nd March
After cloud cleared just before lunchtime a blue sky and strong sun
blessed the afternoon. Down in Valais I checked my site for the subspecies
calliopsis of the Idas Blue, L. idas calliopsis. On the buds
of its foodplant Sea Buchthorn I found dozens of tiny Lycaenid
caterpillars - mostly green but some pinkish buff individuals too. Clearly
they had just hatched and I could find no eggs on the branches. A little
later on I met up with Guy Padfield and he took me to a spot where he had
found exceptionally early flying Grizzled Skippers, Pyrgus malvae.
Straight away we found 2 or 3 resting on the presumed foodplant Sulphur
Cinquefoil, Potentilla recta. Also flying were many very worn Small
Tortoiseshells, Aglais urticae, and dozens of Queen of Spain
Fritillaries, Issoria lathonia. The Large Tortoiseshell,
Nymphalis polychloros put on a good show with between 15 and 20
butterflies found during the afternoon. In all Guy and I found 10 species
on the wing during the afternoon - a tremendous number considering the
early date of our visit. 15th March
High temperatures but a veiled sun meant few butterflies today. I
travelled further east in Valais than normal at this time of year and was
disappointed about the numbers and variety of butterflies found, but that
may have been due to the thin cloud layer despite temperatures reaching an
impressive 19°C. 21st-24th
March, Easter. We headed south to the coast of Var, France. During our
overnight stop in Grenoble, the snow fell and the journey south was
pretty, white, cloudy and cold. Appoaching the coast however the sun was
out and temperatures reached a surprising 12°C. The Mistral was blowing at
around 100 kph. Saturday was very sunny but the winds took the edge off
the temperatures. That didn't stop a few butterflies spreading their wings
in sheltered spots and Baton Blue, Pseudophilotes baton, and Large
Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis polychloros, made their appearance. Sunday
was a magnificent day of burning blue skies and crucially no wind. A walk
into the maquis covered hills after breakfast yielded a dozen species
including an early Chapman's Green Hairstreak, Callophrys avis
amongst dozens of Green Hairstreaks, C. rubi. Other special
southern species were Western Dappled White, Euchloe crameri, and
Southern Small White, Artogeia mannii but it was too early for the
Provence Hairstreak, Tomares ballus, at my favourite site a little
inland and thus much cooler than at the coast. |
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5th/ 6th April
A visit to Lyon in nice warm sunny weather didn't produce any Geranium
Bronze, Cacyreus marshalli even though they were common here last
autumn. There were just a couple of whites flying at the roadside. 13th-15th April
Another visit to the coast of Var, France. Once again we left dreadful
weather back home. This area of France was the only one in western Europe
with any sun at all if the TV weather channels were to be believed. But
the Mistral was blowing again but only seemed to have a serious effect at
the coast. Despite this it was mostly warm with afternoon temperatures
reaching 20°C. Meeting up with Tim and Roger we managed to confirm the
presence of the Portuguese Dappled White, Euchloe tagis, in low
numbers at a sensitive site where I found a single individual last year.
At other sites we found lovely fresh Southern Festoons, Zerynthia
polyxena, Provence Orange Tips, Anthocharis euphenoides and
plenty of old ex-hibernation Large Tortoiseshells, Nymphalis
polychloros. But in general numbers of butterflies were very
low, an observation common with Tim and Roger.
Despite the wind on the 15th I managed a single female Provence
Hairstreak, Tomares ballus, looking tired and worn near the coast. Very
surprisingly, further inland and at much higher altitude we found the wind
had dripped to a light breeze and it was actually quite warm in the bright
sunshine. The season was delayed compared to the coast, in fact the season
had barely started here. But we managed to see 3 Spring Ringlets,
Erebia epistygne, at last one of them was very fresh.
20th April A hot morning before unsettled weather returned. We
visited the Valais to our favourite spots and found the Chequered Blue,
Scolintantides orion - early in the season, but it was already
reported from here a week ago. In general however, there were few
butterflies around and the season was only just starting in many places. 27th
April What?! Two
consecutive days of warm sunny weather? The trees have gone green
overnight. Too much to resist, I went to the Valais with Guy Padfield and
Asha to check on the status of the butterfly season. We found an
impressive 32 species, so 2008 is an early season despite the generally
cool conditions of April. Infact things are fairly similar to the
exceptionally early 2007 and unlike all previous years I've been in the (2003
to 2006) where half a dozen species would be considered a good species
count in these
locations. However, numbers of insects was generally low with only one
site being "busy" with butterflies. The generally low abundance could be attributed to a dry 2007
summer or the rather dull cool conditions so far in 2008.
The Rosy Grizzled
Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi) is early on
the wing and so it was not a surprise that on my earliest visit to their
site they were in some numbers and mostly fresh. It was very difficult to
photograph the underside but all the undersides we saw had the anvil mark
with shaded edges that characterises this species. This mark can appear in
about 5% of Obethur's Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus) but I am
sure that 100% is not only statistically significant but also highly
indicative of the absence of the latter species. No Grizzled Skippers (Pyrgus
malvae)
amongst our Rosies and still too early for the Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus
cartharmi). Another natural
highlight was an Aesculapian Snake, Elaphe longissima, on a track in open woodland beside a
stream.
Great to see 8 species of
blue during the day too: Provence Short Tailed, Baton, Common, Chapman's,
Adonis, Osiris, Green Underside and Holly (Everes alcetas,
Pseudophilotes baton, Polyommatus icarus, Agrodiaetus therites, Lysandra
bellargus, Cupido osiris, Glaucopsyche alexis and Celastrina
argiolus). We found the year's first Small
Coppers, Lycaena phlaeas, and a single immaculate Glanville Fritillary,
Melitaea cinxia.
Of the hibernators, we found
a couple of Queen of Spain Frits, Issoria lathonia, an old Camberwell Beauty,
Nymphalis anitopa, a few Small
Tortoiseshells, Aglais urticae, Peacocks, Inachis io, and plenty of Commas,
Polygonia c-album, in good condition and a
single Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni, but no Large Tortoiseshells,
Nymphalis polychloros. The latter were common very early
in the season. I think this shows that the hibernating species do not all
emerge together and that the use different environmental queues or
requirements.
Latest Update
4th May 2008
A couple of hours to spare in the Valais.
The weather is fantastic at the moment with bright sunshine and
temperatures approaching the mid 20s. Still, not so much on the wing
although the number of species remains high. First for the year today were
Mountain Dappled White, Euchloe simplonia, Duke of Burgundy
Fritillary, Hamearis lucina, Safflower Skipper, Pyrgus cartharmi
and Sooty Copper, Lycaena tityrus. Only the first two bushes of
Bladder Senna were showing a couple of flowers so still way too early for
Iolas Blue, Iolana iolas, which was flying this time last year. It
seems that the season may be becoming more "normal", whatever that is.
7th May 2008 A lunch time trip onto the plateau in bright sunshine
produced 3 spring generation Maps, Araschnia levana. Beautiful
butterflies. Frustratingly though, all 3 were in my meadow together for
about 1 minute and I didn't see any of them again during the following 45
minutes. |
