Padfield

[Wurzel]

Fantastic stuff Guy Aside from all the fabulous Erebia that Purple-edged Copper really stands out, the shimmer of purple on the leading edge of the fore wing - lush

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Padfield]

Thanks Jack. I have enjoyed showing friends some sites in Switzerland but for me butterflying is essentially a solitary pursuit, except for any accompanying dog. I will leave leading or joining groups to others. In answer to your question, yes, it is possible to see many fantastic butterflies within walking distance of easy public transport stops or mountain installations. The télécabines at most ski resorts operate in high summer, allowing easy access to slopes. Of course, there are species you will never see like this, requiring hairy climbs into inaccessible terrain (christi, warrenensis, for example), but I know sites for cynthia and other iconic butterflies that are really quite close to installations.

Thanks David. I don’t know what I deserve, but I certainly felt privileged to see christi again, especially so early in a late season.

Thanks Wurzel. You’ll crack before long and jump on an EasyJet flight to Geneva, telling your family you’ve just popped out to the shops.

Yesterday was the last day of this trip - I write these notes from Geneva Airport. Although storms were wandering around the mountains, it was locally hot and sunny in the valley and I had another good day, bringing my butterfly list for the week to 105 species. Here are a few piccies, pending proper treatment of the images when I get back to the UK, as always:


(southern white admiral)


(eastern Bath white)


(lesser marbled fritillary)


(knapweed fritillary)


(turquoise blue)


(Provençal short-tailed blue)


(Provençal fritillary)


(scarce swallowtail)


(Queen of Spain fritillary)


(Niobe fritillary)


(marbled skipper)


(great sooty satyr)


(ilex hairstreak)

Guy

[Wurzel]

"Thanks Wurzel. You’ll crack before long and jump on an EasyJet flight to Geneva, telling your family you’ve just popped out to the shops. " You're giving me ideas Guy There was similar story about someone at Aberystwyth Uni; he popped out to get a pint of milk and came home 6 months later having hitched to the Pyrennes, spent several months goat herding and then hitched back I reckon I could get away with a couple of days
A fantastic array again

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[kevling]

Guy,

I have been thoroughly enjoying your diary from Switzerland. It's a country I adore and have been fortunate to visit a couple of times. Every time I see you diaries, the longing to return gets even greater. Flying back from Geneva, was that due to you being based in the Vaud or Rhone Valley? My last visit was to Zermatt and I am always looking for new areas to try.

Regards
Kev

[David M]

..I write these notes from Geneva Airport. Although storms were wandering around the mountains, it was locally hot and sunny in the valley and I had another good day, bringing my butterfly list for the week to 105 species.

Superb return, Guy. Whilst butterflying in the UK is enjoyable, it simply can't compare to doing likewise in the mountains of Europe.

Hope you had a safe journey back.

[NickMorgan]

" You're giving me ideas Guy There was similar story about someone at Aberystwyth Uni; he popped out to get a pint of milk and came home 6 months later having hitched to the Pyrennes, spent several months goat herding and then hitched back I reckon I could get away with a couple of days
Wurzel

Did he remember the milk, though?

What an amazing trip. You obviously have a great advantage of knowledge of the sites and where to find particular species. I am very tempted to return to the Alps now. Again, my father took me there when I was a kid, and I did appreciate the beautiful scenery and wildlife, but I wasn't so hooked on butterflies and obviously didn't have a digital camera in those days. I haven't seen the vast majority of the species you have shown and I would love to experience Alpine meadows again. I don't think the "pint of milk" excuse would work with my wife. I need to find a luxury resort where she would be happy to relax while I popped out to look for butterflies.

[Jack Harrison]

"Thanks Wurzel. You’ll crack before long and jump on an EasyJet flight to Geneva, telling your family you’ve just popped out to the shops.

If you're very lucky you might get my son as your EasyJet captain.

Jack

[NickHull]

Crickey Guy your last couple of posts read like a "Who's who"of European butterflies A stunning range of species

Thanks Wurzel. The thing is, I’ve got a week to catch up on a year ... It’s certainly exorcising the demons that have been haunting me these past months!
Back to my old haunts in the Bernese Oberland today, for scarce and dusky large blue. I got there early, both for the weather and because the numbers of walkers and mountain bikers build up steadily during the day. As expected, both species were out in numbers.

(male scarce large blue)

(male scarce large blue)

(male scarce lagre blue)

(female scarce large blue)

(female scarce large blue)

(female scarce large blue)

(dusky large blues)

(dusky large blues)

(dusky large blue)
Also new for the year were purple-edged copper and safflower skipper. Other species flying were black-veined white, marbled and lesser marbled fritillaries, heath and false heath fritillaries, little blue, mazarine blue, silver-studded blue, dingy skipper, violet copper and assorted common species. I was focused on the Phengaris because they are so lively in the heat and I wanted to come home with some photos. In fact, I have hundreds, which I look forward to processing properly when I get back to my computer.
Guy

I remember that site, Guy!
Absolutely amazing numbers of both Scare and Dusky Large Blue, plus other frits and coppers.
Fabulous!

[Padfield]

Thank you for your comments and kind wishes, Wurzel, Kev, David, Nick, Jack and Nick. I've had my hands full since my return and won't reply in detail to each now, just because I need to get my beauty sleep - sorry!

Just one notable butterfly since my return. Where the starski commas were flying in our garden in February, March and April, brilliant, shiny, new and very blond hutchinsoni commas are now zooming about:





It was too hot today to get uppersides - I'll try early tomorrow morning while they are warming up.

Guy

[essexbuzzard]

Or evening if it is sunny. Try between 7 and 8PM.

[bugboy]

A hibernating Comma will now forever be known as a starski to me, thanks Guy . We'll leave the youngsters on here to figure that one out themselves

[Pete Eeles]

Just catching up on UKB - brilliant reports from Switzerland, Guy. The variety of species, no doubt partly due to the changes in altitude, is just incredible! There’s almost the range we see in our entire year found in a week in CH. I really must get a trip to mainland Europe in next year!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Wurzel]

"Where the starski commas were flying in our garden in February, March and April"...Ace

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice detail you've captured on the underside, Guy. It's a fascinating concept having two different types of summer brood specimens with just one going on to hibernate.

Do you know if any other European species do this?

[Padfield]

Glad you enjoyed the pun, Buggy and Wurzel, even if it does show your age ...

You're right, Buzzard - evening works too. In fact, there was one around this evening in a brief moment of sun but I didn't get decent pictures.

Thanks, Pete. If you choose to go to Switzerland again I'd be glad to show you a few sites I've discovered since you last came out.

Nettle tree butterflies do something similar, David. Some books describe them as single-brooded but a certain percentage emerge in June and breed before dying, never to hibernate. I don't think they look different but their behaviour is obviously different. I photographed this female apparently ovipositing on 3rd July 2014:



This afternoon, with muted joy, I found a single silver-studded blue at my old Martlesham site. Muted, as this was once extensive heathland with abundant blues. A single male in mid-July is bitter-sweet:



The gatekeepers have emerged in East Suffolk.

Guy

[Wurzel]

That particular male is in very fine fettle Guy - a pity that he's such a loner - fingers crossed that there were some others hiding away

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks, Pete. If you choose to go to Switzerland again I'd be glad to show you a few sites I've discovered since you last came out.

Thanks Guy

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

You're right, Wurzel - and studying Google maps I think there may be other residual sites where they fly. I haven't had a chance to check out my theories yet.

Hi Pete. It will happen!

I've had too much to do recently to get out butterflying but had an opportunity this afternoon to revisit the site I last checked out on 21st May for white admiral caterpillars. Then, I (we - Minnie and me) had walked miles looking for suitable rides with honeysuckle and bramble. Today the weather was off and on but I headed straight for the places I had found and quickly saw a white admiral - sadly put up by some passing mountain bikers (mountain? - oh well, I ride a mountain bike in Suffolk too ...). Over the next hour I saw just three more but given the poor weather I think I have found the right place. Only one stopped to nectar, the far side of a bramble bush, on the wrong side of the ride, but I got a few record shots:







Hutchinsoni commas are now common everywhere:



Second brood brown arguses are out in my local meadow, but as I usually go there with my sister's wild dog I didn't get any pictures.

Painted ladies have dried up completely. I hope there will be a sudden emergence of beautiful, UK born adults very soon ...

Guy

[David M]

Nice reward for your earlier labours, Guy. Yes, I agree that Painted Lady numbers have dropped off alarmingly lately (towards the end of my French Alps trip they all seemed to be aged and worn) but they have undoubtedly laid a subsequent next generation on the available foodplants and if all goes well we could have a further explosion in August.

[Wurzel]

Good luck with the further investigations Guy That is a beautifully marked Comma Guy

Have a goodun

Wurzel