Wurzel

[millerd]

Terrific shots of a whole range of species it would be nice to see. Much indeed. Looking forward to more of this - it's far too grey and colourless at this time of year and needs brightening!

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor There are a few more lifers to come .
Cheers Jenks It would have been even more spectacular if I'd been there a couple of months earlier during the main
Cheers Mike In my previous incarnation as a bass player I got used to juggling pints, seems I still have the knack
Cheers Philzoid I'm still hoping for a Niobe
Cheers Guy I had a look back and some other shots showed the under wings which were lacking the silver studs but if there is a possibility of it being something else I could PM you with the shots? And if any of my HBFs are Niobes just let me know
Cheers for the Mr Greens Bugboy, mind you when it comes to careers yours gets plenty of from me!
Cheers Pete I know I said it was c££p but only in relation to what it could have been and because of the high expectations that I had so lesson learned, expect less, enjoy more
Cheers Dave Hopefully the next set will keep the brigthening going

10-08-2015 First day at the Dam

Once again we were up early, which because of the time difference was even earlier so as soon as breakfast had been dealt with the girls went out to run around, my wife relaxed with a cuppa on the terrace and I disappeared out with my camera – pretty idyllic really! As I made my way down towards the bottom of the hill and the damper ground I was accompanied by Dusky Blues, High Browns, Silver Washed and Dark Greens as well as the odd White and Common Blue. At the yellow flowered bush the Map didn’t reappear, instead it was replaced by a Small heath. On the way back a dark vanessid had me holding my breath until it came out of the shade and revealed itself to be a Red Admiral.

Today’s activity was visiting the local lake formed from flooding by the Pastviny Dam. It meant a 45 minute walk down through the woodland, past the local shop and along a footpath with a few fields along the side. On the way there were whites and a few Maps to keep me busy and outside the shop a Small Tort, Common Blue and Dusky Blue caused me a bit of a problem as I tried to take photos of them while holding a ‘Nogger’ (like a Toffee Feast) at the same time.

The best bit of the trip was when we took the footpath on the final stage of the journey. Having crossed the road there were a couple of fields and in them Common and Dusky Blues (no Chapman’s though I did check) a Brown Argus and numerous whites plus two very pale Yellows. I managed to get the briefest of shots.

We carried on over the bridge and my butterflying became slightly curtailed; not just by the pressing and incessant heat but also because I had to revert to Dad mode – driving the boat for an hour, ordering lunch by pointing at a phrase book and supervising the girls on a pedlo for a further hour. Then came the return journey with tired legs, hot heads and a massive thirst. To keep us going we stopped for more ice creams before continuing the slow walk up through the wood. I stopped occasionally; for a Map and a stunning Sooty Copper (female?) and unlike usually these little stops were welcomed by the girls as they could have a rest.

Once back the girls seemed to find more vim and so they bounded off giggling to run around the field a la Heidi. This meant that once I’d unpacked the day bag, sorted out the towels and swim suits and had an all important cuppa I too could bumble out and around the field, hopefully a lot less Heidi like!
Flapping around all over the place were HBFs as well as a few more aged looking DGFs. I’d scan around the red topped grasses and each little clump seemed to have its own Dusky Blue. Down at the yellow bush there was no sign of the Map but this time there was a Small Pearl (in August!) and an older Sooty Copper (male?). I strolled back up the hill ready for something to eat stopping occasionally for the HBFs, wondering if there was a Niobe amongst them, and a lovely Common Blue which I wish was a Chapman’s. And so ended yet another glorious day, more species added to the life list, a few more added to the trip tally and for the first time in a very long time I was calm and relaxed .

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Cracking stuff, Wurzel. Looks like you had a great time.

I look forward to more instalments.

[Paul Harfield]

Great report Wurzel Particularly that Weavers Fritillary and thats just the first day. Looking forward to more

[trevor]

Now you're getting to the stuff that would have spoilt my Christmas dinner!.
Some lovely images there.

Trevor.

[Philzoid]

Loving the Sooty Coppers Wurzel. Lovely open-wing intermediate form (f. porina) Map too

ordering lunch by pointing at a phrase book

smart move. I'd draw the line at trying to read out Czech.

Phil

[Goldie M]

Just catching up Wurzel ,Fascinating report Wurzel, it must have been great seeing all the different Butterflies sorry you missed the Camberwell,
but hope you got it eventually , looking forward to the next instalment Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers David Day three will follow soon
Cheers Paul A few more days to report on yet
Cheers Trevor I'll try and get the other posts out before the big day, I wouldn't want to ruin your sprouts
Cheers Philzoid The language was really tricky so 'point and gesticulate' was a useful fall back
Cheers Goldie Missing a Camberwell was pretty much the sub-story of the holiday

December 2015

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

11-08-2015

After two cracking days I was probably due a quiet one and so today turned out to be...

It started well enough with yet another post brekkie sortie in glorious weather and this time I worked my way up the hill towards the road. It seemed that the Walls preferred this area with three representing the species and behaving in their usual frantic manner. As I worked my down the hill towards the damper area near the stream I found a few Small Heath, the odd Meadow Brown and a Common Blue. Once here I managed to relocate the Small Pearl from the day before or found a different one. Also here was a Silver-spotted Skipper amongst the tussock grass, 3 Maps on the yellow flowers and 3 Duskys on various red topped grasses. When I got back to the cottage K wandered off with my camera and found a Red Admiral as well as an alien looking grasshopper. Thomas leant us his car and with the reminder to drive on the right and a quick glance at a google we set off for Potstejn and its castles.

The first one that we visited was the old ruined castle and after a walk up a steep wooded hill we reached the fortifications and sat down to wait for our tour guide. While we waited a Common Lizard popped up between L’s feet and scuttled up the wall much to L’s amusement and a few whites fluttered here and there. As the tour started a smallish Fritillary hove into view whilst I was watching it I couldn’t decide if it was a Small pearl or a Weaver’s and it was only when I managed to have a quick check in the wine cellar later that I could see the large spotting on the hind wings – so another Weaver’s it is then. The only other butterflies about were the odd Wall Brown and a single Peacock so quite quiet really and I was left wondering whilst wandering the ruins whether it was too warm?

I zoned out from butterflies and settled into ‘Dad’ mode for a while trying my best to answer questions for my daughters by scanning through the English guide notes. It seems that this castle was destroyed not by soldiers trying to winkle the bad Count out from his lair but by the Count himself as he was searching for treasure that had been hidden somewhere within the grounds or the fortification itself by a previous occupant who was a bandit chief. A few embellishments along the lines of ‘blood, gore and hacking limbs off’ and my daughters were happy . And when we meet the resident goats they were ecstatic!

As it was quiet at the Castle we set off to the next place, another Castle this time at Zamberk and I was pinning my hopes on this one as not only was there a small petting Zoo (grasses, animal dropping etc) but also a ‘maintained’ garden. However as we drove through the town we reached the railway crossing and the road was closed! So we turned round and headed back to Potstejn. Really we should have parked, crossed over the railway on foot and there we would have been at Zamberk Castle but with no SatNav, maps and only the briefest of glances at Google Earth that morning it seemed better to head to where we knew.
After lunch we took a tour of the ‘New Castle’, more of a manor house really. A quick shufty round the garden yielded a Red Admiral, Silver-Y and a Common Blue, a whiz round inside and a quick Kofola later we were heading back to Pastviny. A good family day out but a poor butterfly one with no new species.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Nice photos Wurzel I wouldn't have minded the Silver Spotted Skipper didn't get one this year I must rectify that next year. Goldie

[Philzoid]

Great weavers shots again Wurzel .

Potstejn castle looks smashing (I've googled it) and comes with a handy ready-made history story for the kids .

Your Grasshopper might be a male Oak Bush Cricket Meconema thalassinum.

Phil

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie Over the summer I discovered a great site for them nearby but it was odd seeing them in what was essentially the back garden
Cheers Philzoid for the ID The castle was a great place apart from the heat and the lack of butterflies, though the blood, guts and treasure made up for it, for the girls anyway
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice images again, Wurzel. Did you get to any high altitudes whilst you were there?

[Neil Freeman]

I am really enjoying your Czech reports Wurzel and some lovely photos to accompany them

Cheers,

Neil

[Wurzel]

Cheers David With regards to getting to altitude...read on
Cheers Neil Despite the lack of species due to the incessant heat it was still great seeing so many new things

12-08-2015 – Mountains!!

Today was probably the day I had been looking forward to most as we were going to drive to a ski resort and take a chair-lift to the mountain top. I didn’t even do my morning check of the field as I was checking my kit again and again but I did stop for a huge Cricket next to the back door.

The drive was quite long but there various notable things on the way – huge bunkers from WWII, rolling hills changing to forests, a native American camp with Tee-pees and Totem pole plus we got to count how many times we criss-crossed the same rail track (11 in total). Once there we parked and waited for the others to arrive. Around the car park a Peacock and a couple of Whites flitted about and try as I might I couldn’t get the Small Tort to change into a Large one! A quick trip to the toilet revealed a few more Small Torts and a Black Redstart.

With the whole group together we then boarded the four seater chair-lift for the first stage of the ascent. Below us were butterflies a plenty – more Peacocks, Small Torts plus a smallish Fritillary – possibly Small Pearl Bordered? Then we had to disembark before switching to an older, less comfy and much more rickety looking two seater chair-lift. As I thought little L was going to hate it I went with her. In fact she loved it, wanting to rock it, asking questions like ‘what happens if the cable breaks?’ and pointing out the butterflies below - which were Ringlets of some sort – with great delight as “you can see them but you can’t photograph them Daddy – ha, ha”. We carried on chatting as the chair traversed the air and L revealed that actually she wanted to find me a ‘tick’ as “mummy found you the Swallowtail and K found you the Fwatillary”.

Luckily as soon as we got off at the top little L ran straight over and pointed at a Ringlet – job done! We all then strolled along the mountain top path to a chalet building for a beer at 10:30 am. There was as stunning view across the range and in the direction of a nearby Spa town the buildings resembled Lego blocks in the distance. All around butterflies flew and besides a single Red Admiral they were all Ringlets. As I wasn’t up on my identification so I tried to photograph each and every one that I saw and I’d worry about what they were later. For now they were just Ringlets (turned out to be Large Ringlets with the odd Arran Brown – both ticks for me).

Suitably refreshed after a Holba it was time to head back down. Luckily for me my wife had hated the journey up and couldn’t face going back down so I got to accompany her on her descent by foot. The girls went down with Eva, Thomas, Luca and the Grandparents and we waved them off expecting to see them two hours later once we’d zigzagged down the mountain side under and round the chair-lift. On almost every clump of flowers there were Ringlets, they were all over the placeand it was only when we got about half way down that other species started to appear – Small Whites, Small Torts, Peacocks and the occasional Comma. Some of the Peacocks were tiny, smaller than the Small Torts.

As we approached the final stretch a Queen of Spain showed itself amongst the taller vegetation and there were now Silver-Washed, HBFs, Brimstones as well as the ubiquitous Ringlets whose numbers were now starting to drop off. A vivid orange butterfly flew up and down the verge a couple of times, never stopping close enough but I was able to see that it was a Large Copper and one that got away though a fantastic sight to see.

We then had lunch and the girls played in a small park while Lucas had his nap. A Wall Brown stopped just long enough for a photo but the Red Admiral and possible Large Tort didn’t. All the while a Peacock was sitting, wings closed on the gravel in the car park. As everything else was flying away I decided to try for a photo of this. As I approached I realised that it was large for a Peacock. It also had a very pale margin and when it flew I was in no doubt – a Camberwell Beauty – possibly my third of the trip. As with the others this one proved to be a bugger but it stopped just long enough for me to sprint towards it, take two distant shots before it carried on and off into the woods not to be seen again. It may only be a record shot but I don’t mind as I’d actually gotten a shot!

Happy with my haul I didn’t mind when we moved on, or when the weather broke and the inevitable thunderstorm and torrential rain came – I’d gotten a Camberwell!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Great stuff, Wurzel! Glad you found some erebia (not to mention a Camberwell).

Your QoS is posing beautifully too. Excellent image.

[trevor]

That QoS image would have spoilt my Christmas lunch !. Gorgeous stuff.

[trevor]

That QoS image would have spoilt my Christmas lunch !. Gorgeous stuff.

[Goldie M]

Fantastic shots Wurzel and you got a Camberwell well done, Goldie

[bugboy]

Great read Wurzel. Love that QoS, looks only a day old if that and I'm very about your Camberwell!