France/Spain Early 2016.

[LancsRover]

Hi Chris, thanks for the encouragement as usual. The season is definitely earlier this year with most of the butterflies seen so far are up to a month ahead of the last couple of years, Small Copper 6 weeks ahead!
I didn't expect to see a Plain Tiger at this time of year, it's usually Sept/Oct. and that is hit and miss;
2013 I only saw 2,
2014 there were scores, with cats. and eggs also seen,
2015 I didn't see a single one,
2016 1 maybe 2 seen already, it could be another good year like 2014, they might even get to the south of France, fingers crossed

Cheers Russ

[LancsRover]

Hi Nick, thanks for your comments and let's hope it's a good year for the Plain Tiger if you are coming to Spain this year.
Good luck with you 1st of the year this week too.
Russ

[LancsRover]

I'm having problems uploading reports, so I'll send photo's first if possible,
Russ

[LancsRover]

Sunday 13.3.16. 12noon, Sunny 15c. report of previous photo's.

A trip up the dry river bed, where I managed to find a single Plain Tiger, no close shots due to high and dense vegetation.
Russ

[David M]

You appear to be having a splendid trip, Russ. I hope you're right regarding Plain Tigers making an excursion into France. I'd very much like to see this butterfly in the wild someday.

[LancsRover]

Cheers David, Yes it's a lovely butterfly and I've seen many around Bay de Roses, which is only some 25 miles from the south of France.
We have had heavy rain here(on & off) for the past 36 hours, but I should be out this afternoon in the river bed area.
Russ

[LancsRover]

As stated in the last report, I've not been out and about for a couple of days, so I thought I'd post some flowers for a change.
All the following flowers are on the edge of the cleared field just south of our camp site but I haven't seen any butterflies on them yet, they seem to prefer the scrub and dry grass.
Russ

[LancsRover]

Here's a couple more photo's from the edge of the cleared field.
I haven't brought my flower book with me.

[LancsRover]

2pm Tuesday 15.3.16. still raining, so more flowers

[Chris Jackson]

Your first flower higher up (which you could call No. 1 ) looks like Onionweed to me, Russ (Asphodelus fistulosus (Liliaceae)).
I have already seen these in the South West of France near Perpignan.
Flower No. 7 looks surprisingly like the Irises I see in the scrub in the South of France: Dwarf iris (Iris chamaeiris).
And thanks for the detailed view of the river bed area, which makes the context much clearer.
Chris

[LancsRover]

Cheers Chris for info. on the flowers, I'm posting a couple more photo's of the "dry" river bed after 36 hours of rain see below.
Russ

[LancsRover]

Tuesday 15.3.16. 4pm Cloudy 14c.
I short walk up the not so "dry" river bed after the rain, only a large white braving the cloudy skies but plenty of birds about,

Bird One, my guess is a Wood Warbler??? feel free to correct me
Russ

[LancsRover]

One more of Bird One, notice the yellow stripe over the eye.

[LancsRover]

BIRD 2.
I think this is some sort of Pipit, maybe a Meadow Pipit as a wild guess, but it was on the river bed.
Russ

[LancsRover]

BIRD THREE, Is this a female REDSTART?

[LancsRover]

and finally(no birds left) is this a lady-bird?.... it's body looks too long?
Russ

[bugboy]

Hi Russ, I'll have a stab at your birdies.
First one I'm inclined to go for a Chiffchaff. Doesn't look yellow enough for a Wood Warbler and the tail looks too long in proprtion to the body. It also looks to have quite dark legs, Wood Warblers normally have pale legs (as do Willow Warblers). I'm inclined to go for Chiffchaff with the second one as well, the angle of the head and the sun accentuating the eye stripe.

The next one definately looks like a Pipit, the plain (rather than streaked) head suggests a Water Pipit

Your Redstart I'm pretty sure is a young Black Redstart

As for your beetle, it does look very familiar but I can't for the life of me find it in any of my guides....

I'm pretty confident with the Black Redstart but the others are educated guesses, happy to be corrected by anyone else

[LancsRover]

Hi bugboy, thanks for your interest and I agree that the legs on the Chiffchaff are dark/black like in my photo, rather than pink/light on the Wood Warbler.
The Pipit has a more speckled breast in my photo than the Water Pipit(in my book), maybe wrong sex? Anyway thanks again for your reply.
Russ

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Russ,
I would say your Coleoptera (bug) higher up is Lachnaia pubescens.
(You may think I'm clever, Russ, but its the only one I know ).
Cheers, Chris

[LancsRover]

Hi Russ,
I would say your Coleoptera (bug) higher up is Lachnaia pubescens.
(You may think I'm clever, Russ, but its the only one I know ).
Cheers, Chris

Hi Chris, thanks for the above info., I've learned something today. I think you are clever!

Cheers Russ