For Saturday the 28th everyone said they wanted to go to Munich :o :? . So that’s where we went … a 100+ mile drive to get there with my eldest navigating again. Prior to setting off from the resort, I snapped some shots of the cheeky juvenile Black Redstarts which were often loitering around the ca...

Oi geh von meinem Land :lol: :lol: Sadly we're on our way to doing It so to speak ... though that is not the general German sentiment :| It was still worth the aggro though great under wing shots Definitely :D Butterflies go where they want and we have to do so ... sometimes :D Love the Yellow-spot...

The next butterfly to catch my attention required a break-out from “my patch” or a break-in via the dreaded Barbed-wire fence :x . The butterfly looked like a Wall Brown patrolling an area of rocks on a steep slope and I just had to get nearer. The barbed wire fence was negotiated, I crept as close ...

and I'd forgotten about the Erebia manto Yes, I was please with that one and expected to get one of some description as where there are mountains there are Erebia. And the question on everyone's lips is "who was in the farmhouse?" Have a goodun Not sure as I didn't get to meet them for a ...

am enjoying the latest episodes of your German trip thanks Charles :) what can be the secret of the mysterious farm house ? Hopefully you won’t have to wait too much longer to find out. :) Your mystery flower looks like Grass of Parnassus https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-marsh ... 58161.html Brill...

Friday 27/07/18. I’d been looking forward to this day as we’d be taking another cable car journey but this time up Hochgrat mountain to an elevation of 1800m. I hoped that his would be the place to give my butterfly list a healthy kick and send it well beyond the 19 species so far :) . At the hochgr...

Great report Wurzel and that male Brostreak behaviour summed up perfectly ... I got some great shots of him :D Despite all the cloud watching Shipton was just the tonic to beat the after holiday blues 8) :!: . Talking of blues I dropped into Stockbridge Down on the way home and picked up some Chalkh...

I recall that Horse-fly - I still have nightmares about it now! You showed plenty of bottle at the time :o . You let me have the time to get some photos of it as it sat on your leg contemplating sinking it’s proboscis into your flesh. Respect man! 8) That scenery looks gorgeous, Phil. Indeed it was...

Wednesday the 25th was a day of relaxation, a coach-trip through the Swiss Alps via a small part of Austria to Luino in Italy (Lake Maggiore). As ever I took my cameras hoping that I may get to take in some wildlife as well as the wonderful scenery. Unfortunately and understandably, the coach driver...

These species can be tricky unless there are copious nectar sources (usually thistles/knapweed) to keep them becalmed Yes, I found that out later which I mention in another post :) My High Brown was a ‘easy’ because I think it was a female ovipositing (hope I'm right on this :?: ). Certainly, there...

Great to see Captain Haddock Philzoid Yeah, one of my comic book heroes :lol: . I grew up on reading Tintin books and bedtime reading them to my daughters when they were younger 8) . Thanks Wurzel and Guy for the confirmations for the fritillaries :D . My main doubt was whether the lighter coloured...

Back at the Sennalpe Bärenschwand farmhouse ‘bar’ and after a few games of cards (in which I won for a change :o … no mean feat as my eldest knows all the card games including Go Johnny Go Go Go Go) :wink: , I made my excuses to check out an area which we’d passed on the way in and where I’d seen my...

My sound advice is "beer never on the way up, but always on the way down". I’m not quite sure about that Chris :) but what I will say is in the UK my beer is always bitter but the Bavarian lager was just the tonic :D . Soon after getting back home we had a camping trip to Southwold in Suf...

There are lots of varieties of Echinacea which come in various colours and sizes. These were big indeed, around 1.5M tall and flowers probably 5 inches across

More (a lot of) Silver-washed (and others) to come.

Phil

You've put it much better than I did. Thanks Jenks

Those Sooty Coppers are great especially the female I so wish that they were in the UK I totally agree Wurzel :) . Love the Sooties and their colourful sheen which you’ve captured brilliantly on you female in the Dordogne :D . I have another female for later and she is more like yours although the ...

Thanks Charles . Part 2a is now up. Hope you may be able to help with some "identifications required" in the later posts?

Phil

24/07/18. After my morning’s sortie we decided to take a cable car up the Hündle mountain, a short drive from Oberstaufen :D . The whole set-up looked very modern, with the spacious gondolas seating up to 8 people. It was another hot day so I had to offload one of my cameras (I had three) to my elde...

Thank you all for your kind comments :D . Although the Mazarine Blue is very widespread and common it’s always a thrill to see and identify something you haven’t seen before. There are few more Mazarine shots in the postings to follow :) The White Wagtail subspecies I knew about but named it “Pied” ...

A change from Spain and Tenerife. This year’s family holiday would be in Bavarian Germany and I’d be driving there, with family (partner and two daughters) in my 13-year-old Nissan Almera loaded to the gunnels with luggage. Days gone by I’d have considered doing the 1140km journey in one go, but thi...