Day 4 in Croatia (June 7th). Our hotel is by the sea, with a mountain view behind. This is the Velebit mountain range, between the sea and the mountains is the Paklenica National Park. In our stay, the edge of that Park is our focus for a number of 'Balkan' and 'mountain' butterflies.
We spent a day walking on rocky hiking paths on the edge of the park. There were large numbers of butterflies, lizards and Karst rocks. Birds of prey circled and song birds (nightingales, warblers etc) sang. There are also apparently bears and deer, not that we saw anything other than occasional wild animal tracks and dung. As a location it was beautiful and really hot.
An Italian Wall Lizard amongst many of various species of lizards and snakes seen.
The rocky terrain was home to Graylings, Wall and Large Wall butterflies. I love Large Walls
Whites including Southern and Mountain Small white flew alongside Marbled Whites and a few Balkan Marbled Whites (with their distinctive undersides)
I won’t post the whites as they are bound to be not what I say….
Some Graylings followed the script and sat on the ground or rocks with everything tucked out of sight, but some decided humans or flowers were to be preferred. Which was good as it enabled me to shoot my first ‘interesting’ Grayling shots.
I spotted this very large beetle. A longhorn species about 3 inches long (8cm). Our local guide said it was a wood boring species. It was a feisty fellow and a good flyer.
On this holiday I saw more hairstreaks than in the rest of my life to date. It was unbelievable. Thousands upon thousands. Sloe, Ilex, False Ilex, Green and probably the most numerous ….the Blue-spot Hairstreak. I’ve always had a soft spot for this (to me) ‘rare’ species. I had previously seen very few and taken care to shoot a good number as you never know if you’ll see another. After a while I realised that I needed to amend that strategy…
Once again Pearly heaths were in similar good numbers.
There were some butterflies which we saw only briefly including Gliders, a two-tailed Pasha and this Southern White Admiral which I shot from distance.
And just for Wurzel. A couple of shots of a nice Chequered Blue.
I followed this Holly Blue as she was ovipositing.
And took a 'dreamy' shot of a Black-veined White
I believe this is a Dryad, or if not another Great Sooty Satyr. It’s not the best angle and it was just passing through…
Alongside the butterflies I include these last two for the spider and grasshopper lovers.
Both were enormous.