CFB

[CFB]

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.

Seen today were several Speckled Woods, which are quite happy to stay in the shade of trees, several Wall Browns, which are not too bothered by the heat, a single male Spotted Fritillary, a few unidentified Blues, and one Silver-spotted Skipper (first of the year #60).

--
Colin

[David M]

I'm always envious of you in spring and early summer, Colin, but the aridity of your region is not conducive to the kind of mid and late summer bonanza seen in the mountains.

Still, you could be here in the UK with 17c and rain.....

[CFB]

Hello David,

I hope that your weather gets warmer and dryer, and that our's gets cooler and wetter in the near future .
--
Colin

[CFB]

Yesterday:

I saw very few butterflies until I reached my local quarry where I found a crop of scabious amongst which
there were many Spotted Fritillaries, including this couple,

just one Bath White,

at least one Southern Gatekeeper,

a few Small Coppers,

and some Meadow Browns.

This morning:

One Weaver's Fritillary, one Scarce Swallowtail,

and what I think is a male Provence Chalkhill Blue.

--
Colin

[CFB]

Just a few butterflies seen today, and even fewer photographed.

One Silver-washed Fritillary,

a couple of Adonis Blues,

and a couple of Weaver's Fritillary, this one allowing me to get a close-up of its intricate under side.

Seen but not photographed included one Tree Grayling, many Spotted Fritillaries and a few Meadow Browns.
--
Colin

[David M]

Is this lack of numbers normal in your 'patch' at this time of year, Colin?

[CFB]

David,

I think it's a bit abnormal, probably due to the heat, which in itself is not exceptional but has been the same more or less every day for the last couple of months, with very few clouds and hardly any rain.

[David M]

Thanks, Colin. I guess that's the main pitfall of living in a relatively dry, arid area.

[CFB]

It was a bit cooler this morning along the Piste de Darbousson.

I saw many Spotted Fritillaries, several Provence Chalkhill Blues, Weaver's Fritillaries, Meadow Browns and Silver-spotted Skippers (at one point there were three of them on this flower),

a couple of Adonis Blues, Heath Fritillaries and Tree Graylings (this one being a female),

one male Cleopatra, one Large White and a couple of Silver-washed Fritillaries.

EDIT: This afternoon, in the middle of watering the garden, I took this tatty photo of a tatty Purple Hairstreak, the first of the year (#61):

--
Colin

[CFB]

I seem to have been neglecting my personal diary . So here is a list of first sightings:

Feb 16 2017: Red Admiral
Feb 16 2017: Brimstone (Many of these were seen)
Mar 07 2017: Clouded Yellow
Mar 10 2017: Cleopatra (And many of these also)
Mar 10 2017: Wall Brown
Mar 10 2017: Holly Blue
Mar 10 2017: Speckled Wood
Mar 11 2017: Green Hairstreak
Mar 11 2017: Large Tortoiseshell (I don't see many of these)
Mar 14 2017: Large White
Mar 18 2017: Peacock (And I don't see many of these either)
Mar 28 2017: Green-veined White
Mar 29 2017: Western Dappled White
Mar 29 2017: Nettle-tree Butterfly (This is also rare in my area)
Mar 30 2017: Orange-tip
Mar 30 2017: Provence Orange-tip (No photos of this beautiful butterfly )

Unfortunately I haven't taken many photos worth sharing, but here are some of the better ones:

[CFB]

How can I edit the post I just sent?

For "garding" read "garden".
--
Colin

[Allan.W.]

Hello CFB,
Reckon your moth is a Lunar Double Stripe(Minucia lunaris),a real rarity in UK,but I,m sure a fairly normal insect where you are,they have in the past,taken up temporary residence in the UK,but seem to soon die out,one colony which survived for some years was in my local area ie; Hamstreet/ Orlestone forest (Kent) Regards Allan.W.

[Padfield]

How can I edit the post I just sent?

For "garding" read "garden".
--
Colin

If you're using a computer, click on the little picture of a pencil or crayon on the right, next to the cross and exclamation mark. On a mobile device like an iPhone, you need to expand the choices by tapping a little option box at the top right, then selecting 'edit'.

Congratulations on catching the red admirals at it! That's a great coup!

Guy

[David M]

Colin, have you any idea how rare it is to find Red Admirals in cop?

I'm still getting over Neil Hulme's image of a coupled pair of Small Torts.

If anyone can grab a photo of mating Peacocks within the next few days I may well have to see my doctor!!

Magnificent stuff!

[CFB]

Allan,

Thanks for the ID. It certainly looks like that in the various photos I looked at on the net.

Guy,

Thanks for your help. In fact I found out how to edit just after I sent my post.

David,

I thought it might be a rather rare sight. What I didn't say was that they were in the same place for well over two hours.

--
Colin

[David M]

Well, that would tally with Neil Hulme’s Small Tortoiseshell observations, i.e. that this family of butterflies likes to take a good deal of time over such matters!

Have you uploaded it to the species specific section? I'm pretty sure it's the first image of its kind on here.

[CFB]

Yes David, I was invited to upload it to the species specific section, which I so did.
--
Colin

[CFB]

During the last week or so I saw the following firsts of the year:

Small Heath

Scarce Swallowtail (in the garden)

Comma (I don't see many of these)

Green-underside Blue

Also seen but no photos were Berger's Clouded Yellows, a Geranium Bronze (in the garden) and Lang's Short-tailed Blues.
--
Colin

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Colin,
A nice array of seasonal species' photos. I'm sure there will be many others coming soon.
Chris

[David M]

Thanks for sharing, Colin. You are making me truly yearn for the Pyrenees in May I can tell you!