CFB

[CFB]

David,

Where we are there was very heavy rain for a relatively short time but there were no problems chez nous. But down-stream towards Biot and towards the coast there was exceptionally heavy rain for a longer time. At Biot two or three people were drowned, and some shops and camping sites had a meter or so of water, and the Biot glass-blowing factory was severely damaged.

To come back to butterflies, this morning I saw the same Painted Lady as yesterday.

At the same place was this female Berger's Clouded Yellow,

as well as an Adonis Blue, a Woodland Grayling, Speckled Woods, a Red Admiral and Wall Browns.
--
Colin

[David M]

Cheers for the info, Colin. I'm so glad you escaped relatively unscathed.

Nice to see the butterflies weren't too badly affected either.

[CFB]

This morning around breakfast time it was raining quite heavily and I resigned myself to not going out . But a bit later on, miracolo!, there was a blue sky and sunshine , so I went for my walk towards Roche d'Ardy.

There was one Small Copper in the company of some sort of fly,

two Berger's Clouded Yellows, this one being a male,

several male Provence Chalkhill Blues,

and many unphotographed Wall Browns.
--
Colin

[CFB]

I don't know where they all were, but the only butterfly I saw today was this delightful Small Copper.

--
Colin

[CFB]

This morning I saw and photographed my first butterfly of the year, a slightly damaged solitary Red Admiral. Last year I had to wait until the beginning of March before my first sighting, a Cleopatra. But the year before that I saw a Lang's Short-tailed Blue on the first day of the year. It was cold (3°C) this morning when we got up, but the sun soon warmed things up, and this afternoon I sat outside in the garden and read a Jack Reacher book. What more could one want .

--
Colin

[Goldie M]

You lucky devil Colin, apart from the lovely butterfly whether damaged or not, you could actually sit out, WOW! Goldie

[CFB]

After rain all day yesterday (and quite a lot of snow in the mountains) it was sunny with a few clouds this morning. Along the Piste de Darbousson I encountered my second butterfly of the year, a solitary Painted Lady. I was a bit surprised, as in previous years I've had to wait until the end of April or mid-May to see one.

It is now overcast .
--
Colin

[CFB]

Things are progressing very slowly in my area. In the last few days I saw a few Painted Ladies, mostly in fast flight, and that's all. Today I saw my first Wall Brown (#3) of the year, but no other butterflies .

But there are lots of Anemone hortensis .

--
Colin

[David M]

Is this 'slow progress' normal for your part of the world, Colin? I understand that parts of southern France have experienced a particularly mild winter in 2015/16.

[trevor]

Magic!. Your season has started .

Best wishes,
Trevor.

[CFB]

Is this 'slow progress' normal for your part of the world, Colin?

David, I think that it's more or less normal based on the last four or five years. And yes, we have had a particularly mild winter so far.

This morning I saw two Wall Browns at the same place as yesterday. I had expected to see other species, as it is sunny and warm here at the moment.
--
Colin

[CFB]

This morning in the Parc de la Brague there were several Cleopatras (#4) and more than several Brimstones (#5). I only managed to take photos of one of them, which I think is a female Brimstone, trying to hide behind a leaf.

I also saw what were probably a Red Admiral and a Painted Lady.

During the weekend it rained almost without stopping, and in the mountains it snowed. This is a photo of the Crête du Cheiron. The ski resort Gréolières les Neiges is just on the northern side of these mountains.

--
Colin

[CFB]

This morning in the Parc de la Brague I saw my first Green Hairstreaks (#6) of the year. There were 3 or 4 of them, and this one was quite happy to let me approach it .

I also saw many Brimstones and Cleopatras, one Wall Brown and a few unidentified Blues, but no decent photos of any of them .
--
Colin

[Goldie M]

Hi! Colin, your Green Hair Streaks look great though Goldie

[CFB]

Thanks Goldie. Another specimen wasn't in such a good condition, but at least it shows some of the upper-side, which we don't usually see.

--
Colin

[CFB]

Two days ago the temperature was 10°C at 8 o'clock in the morning and it was sunny, so I thought I would see more butterflies than I did. But I only saw four or so Wall Browns, two Brimstones, one Painted Ladies and one Small Copper (#7) the first of the year. But no photos.

This morning once again there weren't many butterflies around, just a couple of Speckled Woods, the first of the year (#8), and a few Brimstones including this male in the garden.

--
Colin

[Chris Jackson]

Hello Colin,
Considering the relatively small (but somehow significant) distance between us, it is interesting to see your Brimstone - a species I have never seen in the département of the 'Bouches du Rhone'. Your Rock Roses are also flowering ahead of ours, and I am still looking out for a Small Copper and my first identifiable 'blue' of the year. Looking forward to following your season, Colin.
Best wishes,
Chris

[CFB]

Hello Chris,

I seem to remember that Roger once said that Brimstones were relatively rare in his part of the Var.

The Rock Roses are not yet abundantly in flower here, just a couple of flowers.

Best regards,
Colin

[CFB]

I'm still not finding many butterflies. Yesterday I saw many Brimstones, one Cleopatra, two unidentified Whites, one unidentified Blue, a probable Speckled Wood and a probable Painted Lady. And no photos .

This morning, even though it was sunny with no clouds, I saw even fewer species: a few Speckled Woods and a few Green Hairstreaks. But I did get a decent photo of the latter.

--
Colin

[CFB]

During the last few days I saw my first Holly Blues (#9) and Orange-tips (#10) of the year, but no photos of either.
There were also Brimstones, Speckled Woods, Green Hairstreaks (including this one with the tip of a wing bent over), a couple of Cleopatras and one Small Copper.

This morning the only butterflies seen were a few Orange-tips and my first Western Dappled White (#11) of the year.

--
Colin