Queyras region 2020

[Medard]

Over to you David ,
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The  Erebia , there were ten or so flitting around our camper but never stopping ,however two, sometimes three came in to inspect our travelling home, iPhone picture.

IMG_4495 3x2.jpg (128.61 KiB) Viewed 925 times

Skippers.
Olive Skipper (Pyrgus serratulae)  ?
I'm guessing ?

one has an intriguing looking tuft on its tail end

and the other Skippers looks rather worn, a broad winged species.

[Matsukaze]

...The  Erebia , there were ten or so flitting around our camper but never stopping ,however two, sometimes three came in to inspect our travelling home...

I hope for the butterflies' sake none of them got a lift back with you!

[David M]

Over to you David...

Is there a specific area where you have posted butterflies from this particular trip, Jim?

[Medard]

Is there a specific area where you have posted butterflies from this particular trip, Jim?

Hi David, no specific page, as you kindly gave me the information on this site I thought it would be of interest to you.
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Today is Fritillary day, not as many as I had hoped for, the small mountain stream was running high so no puddling butterflies were seen.

Picture of the day ,
A beautiful female Mountain Clouded Yellow (Colias phicomone) she stopped her egg laying activity's for a little sustenance.

Mountain Clouded Yellow (Colias phicomone)

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) Col des Vars

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) Col des Vars

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) Col des Vars

Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia) Col de Vars

Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia) Col de Vars

I'm hoping for a Melitaea varia amongst this selection, please make my day.

[petesmith]

Congratulations Jim! You certainly have varia in there.

[Medard]

No kidding Pete, you have made my day, the best is yet to come.

[David M]

Absolutely 100% varia, Jim.

Did you find them at Col de Vars?

[Medard]

I am very grateful David, they were found exactly at the site you recommended at the Col de Vars.Please can you take a look at the Skippers and Erebia, I can then add them to my reference folder.
This has made our journey worthwhile given all the problems that we encountered.
Next stop Col d'Izoard.

[David M]

I am very grateful David, they were found exactly at the site you recommended at the Col de Vars.Please can you take a look at the Skippers and Erebia, I can then add them to my reference folder.
This has made our journey worthwhile given all the problems that we encountered.
Next stop Col d'Izoard.

Great stuff, Jim. Glad you found them there. It's normally a very reliable spot for varia.

Yes, I will take a look at your skippers/ringlets as soon as time allows proper scrutiny.

[Medard]

As we left Camping St James I wondered if there is a patron Saint for  lepidopterists, if not I will nominate St James, may be he will bring me luck today.
We left early hoping to avoid the crowded roads and drove to Briancon choosing it as an alternative route to the narrow gorge from Guillestre to Chateau Queyras that my wife finds scary, the driver finds it scary as well,  therefore I  took the road from Briancon to the Col de l'Izoard, apart from a stream of cyclists the traffic was light and with an absence of bikers we quickly arrived at the the summit and parked with ease.
I then went in search of the Warren Skippers at a  site that had been recommendbut but without any luck.
I sat waiting for something to turn up, imagine my surprise and delight when it did , an Alpine Grayling came and sat on a rock before my very eyes, what luck ! I had written this species off my wish list as a “most unlikely ever to see”.
Other species were thin on the ground but I may have unwittingly taken some shots of new species of  Erebia.
We then left the Col with the intention to camp at Camping de L'Izoard but changed direction and made for Camping Le Gouret that we had visited previously, a mistake, unbeknown to us major roadworks had created access difficulties, the detour took us through the tiny narrow streets of the mountain village of Aiguiles, it was full of tourists, worst was to come a challenging drive along a very narrow mountain track, it was nerve racking, we arrived at Camping le Gouret with a great sense of relief but knowing that we would have to retrace our steps for our planned visit to the Col d'Agnei the following morning.
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Picture of the day.

Col d'Izoard, Alpine Grayling (Oeneis glacialis)

Col d'Izoard.2300m

[Roger Gibbons]

Hi Jim,

Your athalia isn't that - it looks more like a female varia to me, although the female of the dark form of Meadow Fritillary (M. parthenoides) can look similar. I'm guessing that you would prefer this to be female varia. Like many of these high altitude species, the females tend to be rather reclusive.

Your Alpine Grayling was great find, especially so late in the season. The four-leaf clover was working well that day.

Roger

[Medard]

Thanks Roger, I was puzzled so I plumped for athalia, varia will do very nicely thank you.

[David M]

You've sure earned your rewards during this trip, Jim, and the Alpine Grayling was a gold-plated one. I spent 2 hours looking for them on 5th July at that very location without success. I think timing is particularly important with this species, but it's hard to know in any given year when the right time is! I must have just got lucky in 2018 when I saw two there.

[petesmith]

I shall add a third voice celebrating your Alpine Grayling - a fantastic find and a great species!

I have only ever seen it twice - at a site about 25km south east of where you found it - on 8th July 2012 and 12th July 2017. Both were red letter days for me.

A truly memorable butterfly; I feel your joy!

[Medard]

Thank you all for the comments, it does cheer me, it seems that I was lucky enough to see a species on every ones wish list.

[Medard]

Col d’Agnel 1st day. 23-07-2020
Varia, Alpine Grayling, now what will Lady Luck offer at the Col d’Agnel  ?

We left our camping in trepidation after yesterday’s detour along the narrow mountain road, it had been an unpleasant surprise but the journey to  Ville- Vieille to commence our visit to the Col d’Agnel passed off easier than expected.
Our early start to the the Col d’Agnel gave us the advantage of finding no difficulty in parking as the tourist crowds had not arrived, butterfly sightings were slow but as the sun got to work and a clear blue sky arrived, things began to move  and by the end of the day I was pleased with my efforts.,
 The Erebia  seen were mostly showing signs of wear, these butterflies are a complete mystery to me not having had much experience with high mountain species so I do hope Roger or Guy can help.
Equally  Mountain Fritillary (Boloria napaea) and Shepherd's Fritillary (Boloria pales) baffle me, at least I did get some nice shots,  my late arrival due to the cursed corvid does seems to have been a little late for freshly emerged specimens. 
,
The croak of a Raven drew my attention skywards, four Griffin Vultures were soaring in a cloudless blue sky, a magnificent sight, it's the first time I have seen Griffins outside of the Falaise aux vultures, Laruns in the Pyrenees.
A splendid day in the mountains
We drove down the mountain and parked with other campers opposite a wooden dining hut in a parking area alongside the torrent where previously I had seen many different species puddling, the river was flowing quite strongly so there were no butterflies to be seen.
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Picture of the day.False Mnestra Ringlet (Erebia aethiopella)

Col d'Agnel False Mnestra Ringlet (Erebia aethiopella)

[David M]

Hi Jim, thanks for the images- they bring happy memories!

I think your first un-named erebia is euryale. There were plenty up that valley when I was there in early July.

The next erebia is pandrose.

The pyrgus I would say is cacaliae. They are chunky skippers and very common in that area.

Like you, I struggle a bit with Shepherd's/Mountain Fritillary. It looks to be a female in your image so I would opt for pales as female napaea, in that part of the Alps at least, has a rather verdigris sheen to it.

[Medard]

Hi Jim, thanks for the images- they bring happy memories!

I think your first un-named erebia is euryale. There were plenty up that valley when I was there in early July.

The next erebia is pandrose.

The pyrgus I would say is cacaliae.

Thanks David, very exciting, two more firsts for my folder.

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[petesmith]

Col d’Agnel 1st day. 23-07-2020

 The Erebia  seen were mostly showing signs of wear,

Your second Dewy Ringlet is in pretty good condition for 23rd July Jim! I find this species is usually well past its best by mid July at the col d'Agnel, being one of the earlier Erebias to emerge here.
False Mnestra is a lovely butterfly. Glad you had success at what is my favourite location in the whole of France...

[Medard]

your second Dewy Ringlet is in pretty good condition for 23rd July

Thanks Pete, I have had little experience with high altitude butterflies and it's always very exciting for me to find new butterflies species, it's good to have the backup of you guys who know the mountains so well, tomorrows visit will be  at l'Echalp ,a photographic visit of course, hope you enjoy the trip as much as I did.