I always love to read the reports of your trips, thanks for sharing them Pete. We all have our bogey species, mine appears to be False Dewy Ringlet currently. So I understand the impending feeling of disappointment you must have been feeling, until you finally saw your prized target. Congratulations!

Sounds like a truly excellent trip David, and one that is on my radar when my diary allows! Your list includes 9 species I've not seen before!

It is a fascinating piece of legislation. The (positive) implications are huge, if implemented. But I worry that compliance will not be enforced.

Fascinating reports as ever Pete. You really were lucky in Germany, given the weather forecast. Well done!

I too am aiming for a Crete trip in early June sometime. One day soon!

Day 1 of the 8 day holiday involved picking up the guests from Nice Airport, and theoretically, driving the short 75km over the Col de la Lombarde into Italy. However, Roger Gibbons, who would be joining us for half the trip, had called me the day before to tell me the Col de la Lombarde was closed ...

Spinose Skipper - what a stunner!

Thanks Guy. We had mixed weather conditions here in the Italian Alps on Day 1. The season is very late here, with lots of relatively fresh Orange Tip still on the wing and some of the late Spring butterflies only just emerging. While we saw 38 species, the number of individual butterflies is low.

On the morning of Sunday 9th June, I set off from Sheffield for 12 days butterflying in France and Italy. As you'll have seen from my previous posts, I've been asked to guide for a wildlife holiday company, with my first 8 day tour (to the Italian Alps and French Mercantour) starting on Tuesday 11th...

Hi Guy Well remembered, I arrived in the Italian Alps late yesterday. Too late to go butterflying. So I will find out the state of things today! Your tale of woe sounds realistic for sure. The mountain passes from Nice in France to this part of Italy are all either blocked with snow or damaged and c...

It was my final day in Pembrokeshire today. Another good day of weather, great conditions. I spent it at Bosherston Lilly Ponds. Some fantastic habitat, of various types, including good wildflowers in the nearby dune system. Sadly, again, very few butterflies around. Common Blue was most common, wit...

I do love an Iola's Blue! Thank goodness the site has been suitably managed.

How's the season progressing Guy? Still roughly a fortnight behind a "normal" season? (Whatever a "normal" season is these days!)

Thanks Max, really helpful! Look forward to buying one and trying it out next spring!

I'm still in Pembrokeshire. The weather was poor on Tuesday, but the last two days, despite being cooler than normal, the weather has been generally sunny, and certainly warm enough for butterflies to be flying if they were around. Yesterday, (Wednesday 5th), I was at the National Botanic Garden of ...

Morning Phil Thanks for sharing this information. Here in Sheffield, I led an initiative locally, where we planted 543 Buckthorn whips in 2021, most of which were in a 1.8 square mile area of South West Sheffield. Specifically it was Purging/Common Buckthorn. Based on a similar scheme in South East ...

I'm currently spending a week in Pembrokeshire, based in Saundersfoot. Sunday 2nd was a glorious, sunny, warm and still day. A perfect June day for butterflies, I would have thought. Despite walking through decent habitat, my grand total over 6 hours in the sunshine was two butterflies. One Speckled...

Such a wonderful first day on the trip David! Can't wait to hear more!

Really interesting Max. Which UV torch are you using? I'd be interested in doing something similar here in Sheffield. We have a suburban colony of White Letter Hairstreak on a 120 year old Huntingdon Elm street tree that I saved from unnecessary felling. But I've always suspected small sub-colonies ...

I'd say that looks good for Southern Small White, I think

Glad to hear things improved down in Andalucia David. It is a wonderful part of the world, and loved my trip there with you last year.

Interesting to know the Lorquin's Blue's were much easier to see this year, there were very few around last year.

What a bizarre incident in the hotel! A fascinating read as always Pete, thanks so much for sharing. Looks like you had a wonderful trip otherwise. I know what you mean with Inky Skipper. I suspect I saw one in the Peloponnese last year. But it was just a flash of a glimpse in perfect habitat, never...