Due to the continued heat there are fewer and fewer butterflies to be seen, and the rivers are drying up. This is the Brague, which enters the Mediterranean between Nice and Antibes. IMG_2628.JPG Seen today were several Speckled Woods, which are quite happy to stay in the shade of trees, several Wal...

Hello Chris, Here it's still Wall Browns which are the most numerous species. I was in the middle of watering the garden this afternoon - I guess it's as hot here as it is with you - when this Lang's Short-tailed Blue came and visited a nearby plant. IMG_2612.JPG Incidentally this photo was taken wi...

This morning along the Chemin du Bruguet it was mainly cloudy, but still very hot, and there were not many butterflies. I did however see one Tree Grayling (the first of the year #59), IMG_2592.JPG several Small Heaths, IMG_2584.JPG a few Adonis Blues, IMG_2588.JPG a couple of Heath Fritillaries, IM...

This morning I visited the Bois de Darbousson thinking that it might be cooler under the trees. But I don't think it was :( . I saw one Common Blue, IMG_2531.JPG one Southern Small White, IMG_2534.JPG and a few male Cleopatras, this one leaving its wings slightly apart when feeding, which is unusual...

This morning it was hot and humid when I visited the Parc de la Brague. I saw a couple of Silver-washed Fritillaries, IMG_2510.JPG a few Berger's Clouded Yellows, IMG_2513.JPG two or three Scarce Swallowtails, IMG_2514.JPG a Provence burnet moth ( Zygaena occitanica ), IMG_2517.JPG and two Glanville...

Yes, but I probably wouldn't have noticed it until at least some of the white on the wing appeared.
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Colin

Thanks Roger and Guy for the correction. I'll now go through all my photos labelled phoebe to see how many are in fact deione.
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Colin

For various reasons my Personal Diary has been neglected during the last few weeks. To bring my list of first-sightings-of-the-year up to date: Jun 28: Lang's Short-tailed Blue (#52) Jun 29: Two-tailed Pasha (#53) in the garden :D Jul 01: Silver-washed Fritillary (#54) Jul 03: Marbled White (#55) Ju...

This morning, when taking a couple of photos of this Southern White Admiral, IMG_2497.JPG I noticed a foot or so away another one. IMG_2501.JPG On closer inspection I realised that it must have just emerged from its chrysalis. Twenty or so minutes later, on my way back, they had both disappeared. --...

The Ilex Hairstreaks seem to have been replaced by False Ilex Hairstreaks (first of the year #51) on the
the Helichrysum stoechas flowers.
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Colin

Another first of the year in the garden, an Ilex Hairstreak (#50) enjoying the Helichrysum stoechas.
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Colin

I haven't been able to go out much these last few days, but today in the garden I saw my first Great Banded Grayling (#49) of the year. It stayed around the Centranthus ruber (Red valerian) flowers for quite a time in the company of a couple of Meadow Browns. IMG_2166.JPG [EDIT] I saw the same speci...

Hello Pauline, Thanks for your kind words. I find that Pearly Heaths are particularly photogenic, provided of course that you have the patience or luck to find one willing to stop flying and let you get close enough to photograph it :) . Hello Guy, Thanks for your helpful analysis and comments conce...

It was very windy this morning, so there weren't many butterflies and only a couple of photos. This female (?) Clouded Yellow stayed around long enough for me to get a few photos, IMG_2133.JPG as did this Southern White Admiral which seemed to like the oak leaves, repeatedly flying away and coming b...

This morning in the Parc de la Brague I saw my first Blue-spot Hairstreak (#48) of the year. There were many of them but they were difficult to photograph. IMG_2088.JPG There were several Spotted Fritillaries (this one seemed to be asleep), IMG_2070.JPG several Clouded Yellows including a female f. ...

A couple of days ago I saw my first Large White (#47) of the year. In fact there were three or four of them together. IMG_2007.JPG This morning along the Piste de Darbousson I discovered what must have been at one time a field of some sort, but which is now abandoned by man, but not by butterflies :...

My first Heath Fritillary (#46) of the year, seen along the Piste des Tamarins.
Amongst others seen were Glanville Fritillaries, a Red Admiral, a few Small Heaths and a couple of Meadow Browns.
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Colin

This morning I saw my first Pearly Heath (#45) of the year. IMG_1939.JPG Otherwise much as the preceding days: a few Provence Chalkhill Blues, one Southern White Admiral, one or two Meadow Browns, several Adonis Blues, Glanville Fritillaries, and Berger's Clouded Yellow, a couple of Baton Blues, a f...

Two more firsts of the year in the Parc de la Brague this morning: a few Southern White Admirals (#43) IMG_1907.JPG and a lot of Provence Chalkhill Blues (#44). IMG_1917.JPG There were also a Scarce Swallowtail, a few Adonis Blues and Brimstones, several Glanville Fritillaries and Berger's Clouded Y...

Very few butterflies this morning, and the only one photographable was one of a few Knapweed Fritillaries, the first of the year (#42) .
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Colin