Marseilles and South of France 2018
- Roger Gibbons
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Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
You may well get to see epistygne, David, but whether you'll get to photograph it is another matter.
I spent two hours wandering around in northern Var this afternoon for the one rather poor photo below.
There are three basic weather conditions:
1. sunny - so it flies non-stop
2. overcast - it closes up and settles in the undergrowth
3. windy - it is airborne never to be seen again
Added to that, it is very nervous and difficult to approach.
I spent two hours wandering around in northern Var this afternoon for the one rather poor photo below.
There are three basic weather conditions:
1. sunny - so it flies non-stop
2. overcast - it closes up and settles in the undergrowth
3. windy - it is airborne never to be seen again
Added to that, it is very nervous and difficult to approach.
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
These are the kind of challenges I like, Roger. Being in France is always a pleasure, and even more so when you've a new butterfly species to pursue...regardless of how flighty it is!Roger Gibbons wrote:You may well get to see epistygne, David, but whether you'll get to photograph it is another matter.
I spent two hours wandering around in northern Var this afternoon for the one rather poor photo below.
There are three basic weather conditions:
1. sunny - so it flies non-stop
2. overcast - it closes up and settles in the undergrowth
3. windy - it is airborne never to be seen again
Added to that, it is very nervous and difficult to approach.
- Chris Jackson
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:35 am
- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Don't worry David, you have the right friends in the right places which can lead to the right sightings.David M wrote: .. These are the kind of challenges I like, Roger. Being in France is always a pleasure, and even more so when you've a new butterfly species to pursue...
Chris
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
This is the kind of language I like, Chris, and, of course, there is a 'payback' element as a matter of routine!Chris Jackson wrote:Don't worry David, you have the right friends in the right places which can lead to the right sightings.
- Chris Jackson
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:35 am
- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
26th April - South of France
The olive grove behind my workplace is coming back to life.
This place saw nearly 40 species of butterfly over the year and they are slowly drifting back.
It burnt down 2 years ago and this week it has seen the return of Glanville Fritillary and Spotted Fritillary.
Today I had my first sighting of the year of Southern White Admiral #37: The path down the side of the olive grove: Chris
The olive grove behind my workplace is coming back to life.
This place saw nearly 40 species of butterfly over the year and they are slowly drifting back.
It burnt down 2 years ago and this week it has seen the return of Glanville Fritillary and Spotted Fritillary.
Today I had my first sighting of the year of Southern White Admiral #37: The path down the side of the olive grove: Chris
- NickMorgan
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Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Beautiful. I saw these guys in Corfu last summer for the first time. They really are beautiful butterflies.
- Chris Jackson
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- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Hi Nick,
I'm sorry, I didn't reply to you from Tuesday but I was overtaken by things.
Let's hope your sightings in Scotland start picking up soon.
The Southern White Admiral is a real cracker when it is fresh like this one, with the metallic blue sheen.
I was pleased to get this shot because of the wind today so I can't complain.
It is always the same case that you want something that you havn't got, and what is pretty exotic for me would be to see quite simply a regular White Admiral - now that would be original, but they cannot be found down here.
Perhaps time for you to plan your summer holidays or a spring getaway?
Happy hunting.
Chris
I'm sorry, I didn't reply to you from Tuesday but I was overtaken by things.
Let's hope your sightings in Scotland start picking up soon.
The Southern White Admiral is a real cracker when it is fresh like this one, with the metallic blue sheen.
I was pleased to get this shot because of the wind today so I can't complain.
It is always the same case that you want something that you havn't got, and what is pretty exotic for me would be to see quite simply a regular White Admiral - now that would be original, but they cannot be found down here.
Perhaps time for you to plan your summer holidays or a spring getaway?
Happy hunting.
Chris
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Beautiful reducta, Chris; it's a species that's tricky to get a fully open winged image of so well done there.
Nice to see your olive grove recovering too after the awful destruction in 2016. It doesn't take nature long to recolonise, does it?
Nice to see your olive grove recovering too after the awful destruction in 2016. It doesn't take nature long to recolonise, does it?
- Charles Nicol
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- Location: Cambridge
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
cracking photos Chris ! i enjoyed the SWA especially.
chapeau
chapeau
- Chris Jackson
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:35 am
- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Thanks, David and Charles,
April 29th - South of France,
Weather a bit dodgy for the coming days even down here.
This is what I saw today very locally in Marseilles:
A recently emerged Orange Tip cat on "Arabis sagittata", heavily cropped ...
(FZ150 ) ... less heavily cropped ... ... and true size : its host plant down here, Arabis sagittata: the woodland context: In the same place on the outskirts of Marseilles, a Western Dappled White cat, cropped (FZ150 ): on "Biscutella laevigata" (Buckler's Mustard) : ... its context, looking east to Aubagne .. : A Scarce Swallowtail subdued by the overcast conditions: In English this may be called "Hound's tongue .. something .." (Cynoglossum creticum). Not good fodder for cattle, apparently: Chris
April 29th - South of France,
Weather a bit dodgy for the coming days even down here.
This is what I saw today very locally in Marseilles:
A recently emerged Orange Tip cat on "Arabis sagittata", heavily cropped ...
(FZ150 ) ... less heavily cropped ... ... and true size : its host plant down here, Arabis sagittata: the woodland context: In the same place on the outskirts of Marseilles, a Western Dappled White cat, cropped (FZ150 ): on "Biscutella laevigata" (Buckler's Mustard) : ... its context, looking east to Aubagne .. : A Scarce Swallowtail subdued by the overcast conditions: In English this may be called "Hound's tongue .. something .." (Cynoglossum creticum). Not good fodder for cattle, apparently: Chris
- Chris Jackson
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:35 am
- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
30 April - South of France.
Next up in the Zerynthia saga.
My Southern Festoon (polyxena) eggs having hatched, and the caterpillars steadily growing, today I turned my attention to the Spanish Festoon (rumina) site not far from my workplace.
This species runs slightly later than polyxena, and the females were still laying today.
I was in the right place at the right time.
Female laying on Aristolochia pistolochia: Topsides of same female at rest: The egg (not always on the underside of the leaf): The host plant: The context: Cheers,
Chris
Next up in the Zerynthia saga.
My Southern Festoon (polyxena) eggs having hatched, and the caterpillars steadily growing, today I turned my attention to the Spanish Festoon (rumina) site not far from my workplace.
This species runs slightly later than polyxena, and the females were still laying today.
I was in the right place at the right time.
Female laying on Aristolochia pistolochia: Topsides of same female at rest: The egg (not always on the underside of the leaf): The host plant: The context: Cheers,
Chris
Last edited by Chris Jackson on Mon Apr 30, 2018 2:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Great reports Chris, what a beauty that SWA is.
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Lovely though rumina is, I'm afraid it doesn't age well! Nice to see the context again, Chris. Always gives me pointers for the future.
- Charles Nicol
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- Location: Cambridge
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Blue Hound's Tongue
- Chris Jackson
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:35 am
- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Thanks Andrew, David and Charles for your comments.
I've been rushing around recently and getting nowhere, that's why I've been so long in replying.
Down here the weather is still far from predictable at the moment and with one thing and another I'm not getting the sightings that I should at this time of the year.
Here is a follow on from my local Southern Festoon colony. The SF adult is (obviously) no longer flying on this date.
This is a short summary of the progress of my Southern Festoon cats this year on their host plant Aristolochia rotunda, near my workplace in the Bouches du Rhône:
Reminder, April 24th: Reminder, May 3rd: Today, May 16th: In this last photo, the large cat = 2.5 cm (its head is on the right); the smaller cat = 1.0 cm (its head is on the left).
Cheers,
Chris
I've been rushing around recently and getting nowhere, that's why I've been so long in replying.
Down here the weather is still far from predictable at the moment and with one thing and another I'm not getting the sightings that I should at this time of the year.
Here is a follow on from my local Southern Festoon colony. The SF adult is (obviously) no longer flying on this date.
This is a short summary of the progress of my Southern Festoon cats this year on their host plant Aristolochia rotunda, near my workplace in the Bouches du Rhône:
Reminder, April 24th: Reminder, May 3rd: Today, May 16th: In this last photo, the large cat = 2.5 cm (its head is on the right); the smaller cat = 1.0 cm (its head is on the left).
Cheers,
Chris
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Wow! That’s quite an increase in size, Chris, particularly when comparing it to the smaller larva. Do either of these species go on to have restricted second broods like Dingy Skipper?
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
In southern Spain, they do, but I'm not sure if that is the case in southern France.
- Chris Jackson
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:35 am
- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Hi David and Chris,
I think I would have heard reports if there were any restricted second broods.
Here at low altitude (150 m ASL) both these species have stopped flying this year, but higher up there were reports of Southern Festoon still flying last weekend.
Here are a few of the recently emerged species down in the south of France.
The Marsh Fritillary has been around for a couple of weeks now, whereas I had my first sightings this weekend of Spanish Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. Western Marbled White is on the wing in good numbers, and today at lunch I saw my first False Ilex Hairstreak #49 of the year, not affected by the offset that affected earlier species this year. Here is some context. You can see the mountain of the Sainte Baume in the centre background. Orchis pyramidalis Red-underwing Skipper Spotted Fritillary, female Adonis Blue Small Heath Southern Heath Fritillary Green-underside Blue Cheers,
Chris
I think I would have heard reports if there were any restricted second broods.
Here at low altitude (150 m ASL) both these species have stopped flying this year, but higher up there were reports of Southern Festoon still flying last weekend.
Here are a few of the recently emerged species down in the south of France.
The Marsh Fritillary has been around for a couple of weeks now, whereas I had my first sightings this weekend of Spanish Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. Western Marbled White is on the wing in good numbers, and today at lunch I saw my first False Ilex Hairstreak #49 of the year, not affected by the offset that affected earlier species this year. Here is some context. You can see the mountain of the Sainte Baume in the centre background. Orchis pyramidalis Red-underwing Skipper Spotted Fritillary, female Adonis Blue Small Heath Southern Heath Fritillary Green-underside Blue Cheers,
Chris
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Lovely Red Underwing shot, Chris. Are things warming up for you yet? Seems like France is being squeezed out of the high pressure zones right now.
- Chris Jackson
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:35 am
- Location: Marseilles, France
Re: Marseilles and South of France 2018
Thanks David,David M wrote:Lovely Red Underwing shot, Chris. Are things warming up for you yet? Seems like France is being squeezed out of the high pressure zones right now.
The weather has got better these last few days, with 30°C announced for tomorrow (Saturday 26/05). However a look at the forecast shows some more damp for next week. As a general comment I would say that down here the butterfly phenology has rejoined its norm, and that the 10-day lag in butterfly emergence noted with the early spring species no longer seems to apply. I had my first Two-tailed Pasha sighting this week which is bang on time for me .
Following the wildfires in August 2016, my lunchtime olive grove patch has been steadily growing back. Honeysuckle is visible and yesterday I made an interesting discovery which fits in with a sighting of a Southern White Admiral at the end of April.
L. reducta egg on Lonicera implexa This L. reducta cat is currently the largest at 1 cm long There are other smaller cats and we can note the characteristic feeding pattern, with the central rib remaining Here is the context in the olive grove and the Lonicera implexa This is the imago that was seen back in April Cheers, Chris