Wurzel

[bugboy]

Great stuff Wurzel, love the final shot. A patch of ground like that over here would be lucky to host a handful of species these days. From what I can gather I could happily spend a week there and not get bored!

[Goldie M]

Love that Scarce Swallow Tail Wurzel really majestic looking, Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Bugboy I almost did Bugboy I think the butterflies saw more of me than my family Oh to have somewhere like as a local patch
Cheers Goldie It was spectacular to see and beat the Swallowtail hands down for looks in my book

Have a fantastic Christmas everyone

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Philzoid]

Another great report Wurzel with wonderful butterfly shots . That Scarce Swallowtail reminded me of my own boomerang Swallowtail (P. machaon) in Spain allowing you to get in close .... such exciting rare moments .

I’d hate to guess how many species you saw locally in that one week but it’s blown my 2015 France + Andorra total of 40, into the weeds . Plus, you’ve got a whole host of species that would be lifers for me. If only our next year’s holiday to France was a bit further south .

I expect the surprises haven't ended here Looking forward to your next (final?) and total list

[Wurzel]

Cheers Phizloid I've still got two posts to go from The Dordogne - that was it for lifers and new species to the Tally but I haven't worked out the total yet though I suspect I might have seen as many species in a week as I did in the whole year in the UK Northern France will still hold some great species - Large Chequered Skipper, Large Copper etc

Home tomorrow 20-08-2018 Part 2

I headed out again later in between swims and just before tea. I didn’t fancy the death run through the Horseflies on the left hand side of the lake so instead meandered my way along on the right hand side past the little patch of meadow that I visited at the start of the holiday. There were all the usual suspects, most looking a little worn or tattered.

I was aiming to get to the Cutting for a final look but I only got as far as the track on the other side of the Lake when a Great Banded Grayling flies up from the road and I stand rooted to the spot as it glides this way and that, always looking like it’s about to land only it seldom does and on the rare occasions that it does it stays down for only a fraction of a second before deciding that there is somewhere better elsewhere. Finally it plops itself down on the fence and I can now attempt a stalk. I sneak up , take a shot, take a step, take a shot, take a step, shot, step, shot, step and then it’s gone again. It looks like it landed in the alley between the Poplars closest to the fence so I hop over but can’t relocate it. I then spend 10 minutes picking painful burrs off my feet and legs! I make my way back over the fence and there is the GBG I line myself up as it lands in the foliage on the other side of the road and I find I’ve got a cracking shot lined up. There it is framed by the grass but as I click away the camera won’t focus on the butterfly – it wants to focus on the grass instead. Oh well you’ve got to leave something for next time, thinking of which – Mallow Skipper – where were those ‘common’ butterflies?

I mooched along the path hoping for a Mallow Skipper to pop up but one didn’t and so I took a few record shots of the various parts of the site and also any butterflies that posed nicely for me including a resplendent Knapweed that shone out like a jewel amid all the tried looking butterflies.

The Driveway

Across the Lake towards Elvensong

The 'secret' path to Elvensong

I head back round to Elvensong and once back I drop the camera off, get changed and set myself back to ‘Dad’ mode and there’s time for one more bout of swimming and boating before starting the horrible task of packing…I wonder what downtown Bordeaux will bring?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Heading Home 21-08-2018

So the day had finally arrived. It was the day that I’d been dreading all week – today we were leaving Elvensong and heading back home. True there was the drive back and wandering round Bordeaux still to come but I didn’t hold out any hope for adding to the tally and so I dejectedly packed my camera and begrudgingly packed the car all the while trying secretly hoping for a Mallow Skipper to pop up on the numerous trips to the car with the baggage. Then there was the drive back and the roads got progressively wider and it took more time to travel through the villages and then town until eventually we were on the Motorway. Long gone were the trees and fleeting views of Wood Whites and Frits to be replaced with signs for large commercial Vineyards and then burger joints in the rests stops and garages.

Driving into Bordeaux was a nightmare and only slightly less worrying as the Sat Nav was keeping up with the ever changing roads and streets. After a week in the hire car I was desperate not to get a scratch or ding on the final stretch but I didn’t fancy my chances as ow not only did I have to contend with city traffic but also silent running Trams that just appeared from nowhere. We managed to park and with some relief I exited the vehicle.

After strolling round seeing various sights (the wine museum in the distance the Cathedral, the old city gates, various squares) and finally finding a Boulongerie we also found a small park situated in the middle of a round about where we could rest up for a while in the shade. I had a little look around and it reminded me of butterflying in Lisbon (see a few posts later WINK) as back then we’d wander through the urban jungle seeking small parks which served as oases amid the stifling heat and grey buildings. It also reminded me of Lisbon because of the butterflies that I saw. Very few in fact. There was a very flightly Specklie, a fly-by White and finally a Geranium Bronze which unusually was the best behaved of the three species seen.

I can now see why it’s a ‘Bronze’

The holiday also ended with a Bang! Not hypothetically but literally! At the airport we had to queue to return the car to the Hire Car car park. We couldn’t do the vehicle check and armed police in battle fatigues and brandishing Machine guns told us to stay inside the Europecar reception area. About 30 minutes alter and we were still in there watching many more armed people moving this way and that. Then there was a massive “BANG!”. It seems that someone had left a suitcase unattended and so it had been disposed of! Many hours later as we boarded the plane I had a sneaky look half expecting to still see a few pairs of pants and maybe the odd shoe on the run way but alas it was all clear. And so ended a truly epic excursion.
What more can I say? Well adding up the total for the trip I saw more butterflies in a week than I ever have even in the best year. True the total of 50 species which I am truly chuffed with may seem like small beer for some foreign adventurers but then I was in a single locale, on a family holiday and without any expert guides leading me to the very best spots for the rarest of the rare and also with a greatly reduced timescale. It was more like I'd swapped my local patch. To me now though France will always equal Fritillaries and I am counting down the days until my next foreign foray!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Coming to a reality near you soon! For 365 days only!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Really enjoyed your Holiday trip Wurzel and love the Calendar, all the best for the New Year and your next Holiday Goldie

[Maximus]

A nice end to your Dordogne trip with the Geranium Bronze, Wurzel Your write up clearly shows what's on offer in the depths of France

Mike.

[Philzoid]

The “metaphorical bang” of a Mallow skipper would’ve been the perfect end but hey, what a week ?:shock: 50 species, truly amazing and with others like the Tree frog dropping in ... great memories .

I understand where you’re coming from driving in a strange city, it can be very tough at times . Turning into 3 lanes of oncoming traffic in Mons Belgium was one particular hairy moment for me . Fortunately, we had no hassles at the ferry port. The guard had a cursory look in our boot stuffed to the gunnels (no room for a stowaway there) and waved us on. I could imagine being forced to wait in the car-port with armed police running around wasn’t a particularly nice moment ... but all part of the adventure .

I look forward to seeing your butterfly life-list some time so I can see where the huge gaps are in mine ... those gaps guaranteed to grow I’m sure , even in the unlikely event I do get to see Large Chequered Skipper and Large Copper next year.

And your Lisbon posts too

Phil

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie Glad you liked the 2018 Calendar, 2019 will start soon I'm a little behind as usual I've also got my holiday report from Lisbon 2016 still to post - although it was a bit bereft of butterflies
Cheers Mike I hope to get back there not next year but the year after that finger crossed and Brexit willing It was a quite a contrast with butterflying in the UK both in terms of the range of species seen and the numbers.
Cheers Philzoid I reckon you're probably a few ahead of me - I've only got 3 Ringlets and you've got more Skippers and Blues I'm sure plus you've also got Green-striped White(?) The best thing about the holiday was that all of the species baring the Large Copper and the Geranium Bronze were seen in and around Elvensong or up at my '(Foreign but still)Local Patch' At least the Bomb incident meant that the holiday really did finish with a Bang!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

January 2019

Only a couple of months to go now!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Laverstock 17-09-2018

It was with some sadness that I took Little L to her tutoring today as it was the last ‘proper’ session. I will miss that pre-session chats with L’s Tutor, those 10 minutes or so of putting the world to rights and sorting out the education system I find very soul salving and the tutor and her family are lovely people so it’s always nice just chatting spending time in their company.

As I walked for the penultimate time up the Down I mused over the forthcoming change in my routine my sombre tone mood wasn’t matched by the weather. There was a stiff breeze but the sun shone and it was surprisingly warm, almost hot. However I didn’t see a butterfly across the whole Down not even a white until I was almost at the Gully when something large and orange flew up from the grass and zigged and zagged up the Down. I followed it trying to work out what it was as the size and less so the colour reminded me of a Hedge Brown. As I made the final, slow approach I could see that it was actually a huge Small Copper. I’d gotten used to seeing miniscule butterflies over the summer but not here it was a giant.

After this encounter my mood lightened and I started working the lower slopes that lead up to the Gully. There was a conglomeration of Wasps around a rabbit hole for some reason and they seemed quite agitated so I swiftly moved on. Then I hit the mother lode, a lovely seam of Copper all on the left-hand side of the Gully. I worked around this working my way up and down and along and back to the start and round and round for a good half an hour. Over that time I reckon that I found at least 6 individuals some of whom I came across a second or third time on my sorties. They were recognisable; there was a large (female) with small marking, another (male) that was half the size of the large female, there was ‘torn guy’, a 2 badger and a four badger and there was the ‘type’ specimen. They buzzed around here and there, the large one made it clear to the smaller male in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t interested though not by strutting, just vibrating her fore wings. She also embarked on a little hind wing rolling later (at least I think it was).

I also notched up a faded Common Blue, a pair of Blues in cop, a female Adonis, 2 Small heath and a Meadow Brown. But I saved space on the memory card mainly for the Coppers. They were great company and watching their antics kept me entertained, eased the stress from my shoulders and cleared my mind. I left the Down a new man thanks to those fabulous little guys and gals.

Only one more session, seriously what I am going to do after that?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Punchbowl 24-09-2018

Being back at work in full flow for almost 3 weeks meant that the heady days of France, the summer and even the Laverstock trips were becoming a hazy memory. This day was forecast to be dry and sunny with a gentle breeze; perfect conditions in fact for some late butterflies and a chance for the family to blow away the cobwebs. Much of the morning however was spent waiting or the cloud to lift and the breeze to soften but as this pre-midday drear was forecast we set out hopefully…but with coast packed just in case. A good job as the BBC once again proved how great they are with rubbish weather forecasts. They can accurately predict rain, wind and cloud when it’s bad but it seems that their predictive modelling goes all to pot the minute they have to forecast sun or clement weather.

We pressed on up the hill on the first side of the horseshoe with the damp not penetrating our coats like the bitter wind was able to. Honestly it felt more like February than September, no mellow fruitfulness today just a stark reminder of what’s to come. A gentle nudge in the ribs to the memory “we’ll have to get through bad times before the good”.

At the half way point we stopped for a snack and watched a huge group of gulls pass over and on and down the deep chasm of the Punchbowl. Nearer to hand there was a Door Beetle but no blues or whites unfortunately. So we carried on slightly dejectedly and it wasn’t until we were almost at the end of the walk that I needed to brandish my camera again. Amid the merest of slithers of sun, the very weakest Rai d’Or, a Red Admiral slowly bimbled up high on the Bramble. A few record shots were all that I could manage before it shot off casing the elusive sun.

So that was it – hopefully not the final trip of the season as it was disappointing; mostly because I feel into the trap of actually believing the weather report – lesson learnt!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, love your shots of the Small Copper, for the first time last year after years of the odd shot of them I saw absolutely loads, I think they timed their arrival just right. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie They seemed to have a great year last year, long may it continue as they break up the 'monotony' of blues and browns nicely

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

That's nothing compared to the monotony of not seeing any Butterflies.
But locally there are some Snowdrops and Daffodils out, and the evenings
have started to draw out.

Patience is required!.
All the best,

Trevor.

[Andrew555]

Really enjoyed your reports from France Wurzel, you sure had an embarrassment of riches over there! Fantastic stuff.

Cheers

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor I long for the monotony of blues!
Cheers Andrew It was fantastic but threw up one problem...I'm itching to get back across the channel and continue exploring

Somethings afoot at work – or not…05-10-2018

So after a very busy few weeks there was a bit of an upturn in the weather and so fingers crossed I’d be able to get out over the weekend for a late butterfly fix. However I didn’t have to wait as long as that as one of the pupils brought in an unusual bug for me to have a look at. At first I thought it was just a Dock Shield Bug but it was more colourful than that with some lovely intricate markings. Luckily a few days later Ernie identified it as a Squash Beetle. I was so busy with the photographing that I almost missed out of the break-time cookies…almost.

After work I left at the same time as the Science Technician and as we walked through the ICT room heading speedily to our cars she almost trod on what she thought was a plastic toy snake. Only it moved which was a bit a shock. I kept an eye on it (well took a few shots) while she collected a cardboard box. It was almost immaculate with only the head looking a little odd as the old skin hadn’t sloughed off yet. We then encouraged it to slither into the box so that we didn’t have to handle it which could have stressed it out and it would have released a noxious substance in defence. We then carried it to the ‘Wildlife’ area and let it loose in the leaf litter. It didn’t take it long to realise that it was free to go and thankfully so we were; off to enjoy the weekend.

Hopefully there would be a few more butterflies from the weekend…
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Very brave of you Wurzel, when we went to Foulshaw Moss last year we kept clear of Snakes but we did watch one slither into the Moss from near the board walk, they warn you not to go off the board walk,( of course some did ) Goldie