Thank you Pete for the report. I really enjoyed reading it.
It is encouraging to see that thanks to the work of conservation and serious research, we are starting to learn more about our past mistakes, I just hope that it is not to late!!
Sylvie

Interesting article in the Guardian today :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... -butterfly

My first sighting of Painted ladies was in Sardinia first week of April this year and I was amazed to see so many so early in the year. After reading this thread I understand why. I was in Horton (South Gower) yesterday and I counted 5 on the sea front. Amazing!! I can recall seeing only 2 last year...

Hi Guy, You have brought back some memories of a few years back now when I saw a long chain of pine processionaries crossing a forest path somewhere in the South of France. I had counted roughly 50 caterpillars (same number as in your video), really amazing!! I wonder whether the number of cats is a...

I have just read the article that Guy mentionned and I think what a great idea!! Every dog owner and their dog must be assessed and trained thoroughly before being given a permit!!I am totally in favour of it! One trick that I have been practising and which works when you see a very uncontrolled dog...

Hi Fishee, I would be interested in knowing how close you can get with your 150mm macro. Adders are quite difficult to approach if you get too close, they tend to disappear very quickly. I have a 300mm telephoto and the closest I can get is 1 meter from the subject without losing the focusing point....

Sorry Fishee, I have read your comments again and the reply is already in there.
Excellent pics in this thread !!
Sylvie

I've been going to the same site for the last 3 years on Gower where I have discovered a good number of adders and recently grass snakes. Every year I found the same specimens sunbathing in the same spots. However, I've never seen 2 males in combat (FYI, the larger male always wins!) or a male and f...

I am not a great believer of boxes that you can buy in garden centers. I have over the years managed my garden to encourage animals and insects to live in it in the most natural way. The best I have found so far for attracting butterflies to hibernate was the ivy that I have left growing on my shed ...

And another one here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... ountryside

Name of the cream is Lyclear.
If you spray some Jungle Formula on your clothes, try to do this outside the field as this could harm local insects.
I would recommend that you spray them in the bathroom before putting them on in the morning and ventilate the bathroom as much as you can.
Sylvie

Hi Denise, I will have to come back to you on the name of the cream I bought, it was very effective for killing a very resistant tick once who did not want to die with the Jungle Formula spray so I put this cream on it and it died very quickly. I bought this cream in Boots and although it is quite e...

Ticks are everywhere in Europe also and carry the dangerous 'tick borne encephalitis' in countries of Eastern Europe (from Slovenia to Russia) and some parts of the Alps. You can not avoid them if you walk in the fields, chasing butterflies. The best advice I can give is to wear long trousers tucked...

WWF is campaigning against climate change and is encouraging people to join them by switching off their lights for one hour on 28/03/2009 at 8.30pm.
' Please sign up to show the world's leaders that you care and want them to take action to tackle climate change!'
http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/

Hi Damian, Thank you for the info. I will be happy enough to see the species you have seen yourself when you were over there (butterflies and dragonflies). I have found a lot of information on dragonflies in the region but not so much on the butterflies, so getting a copy of the book is probably a g...

Is the book by Ahmet Baytas ' Butterflies of Turkey' worth having? Is it lightweight to use in the field?
Also I will be in Turkey in May in the Mugla Province (Dalyan). Does anybody know the region for butterflies?
Sylvie

Is this book any good (photos, description, accuracy etc...) and is it easy to use in the field?
Sylvie

Hi Guy,

It's a shame for this year as I have already booked all my holidays.
If the course runs again next year, I may combine 1 week in Hte Savoie and one week in Aiglon!!
Sylvie

Hi Roger and Guy, The picture is from the underside, it has a whittish almost greyish background with small cell spots and faint orange markings on the unh and is blue at the base. The unf has some markings but not very clear. I don't really like posting pictures on the internet (I always think that...

Hi Roger and Guy, Thank you for mentionning Iolas because when I was in the process of identifying this butterfly, I hesitated between Iolas and Amanda's blue. For some obscure reasons which I can not remember, I decided that it was Amanda's. However, as I am not a butterfly specialist, I will have ...