Maximus

[bugboy]

It really is amazing how many more species exist just over that strip of water . That freshly minted Large Tort gets my vote for best find but it's in fabulous company

[Maximus]

Thanks Wurzel, David and Bugboy

Certainly no regrets as regards those beauties, David

Yes just a small strip of water, and more species, but they do take a bit of finding (apart from in our garden ), Bugboy




Friday 16th July

We set off today taking another easy drive of about an hour (as the traffic is light in this part of France, and the roads are good), with just the odd tailgating driver to contend with, heading to a ‘possible’ site I had found while browsing google(satellite) maps. We didn’t know exactly what we’d find when we got there, eg. restricted access, private land or perhaps it would be fenced off, but it looked promising on the map, so nothing ventured. (I did have a back-up in case my first choice was no good).
We eventually arrived at the small hamlet that I had entered into the sat nav, and turned left into a single track lane that would hopefully lead us to a fabulous butterfly site. We drove on through some lovely countryside, until, on rounding a right hand bend, we were greeted by this...

The tarmac road ended and a track headed off far into the distance. There were conifers on the left and deciduous woodland on the right, which, as far as we could see, sandwiched some amazing looking, flower filled meadows. Our first impressions were that it looked good, and we both felt a sudden urgency to get out of the car and get going.
We set off expectantly and had not got very far when a several very fresh Silver-washed Fritillaries appeared, flying among the brambles alongside the track. A bit further along we encountered very good numbers of Red Admirals, Peacocks and Commas, they were everywhere along the track. There were more Red Admirals, than I’ve ever seen in one place before, an amazing sight.

This Red Admiral stood out from the crowd. Looks like ab. fructa/bialbata.

It was hard to drag ourselves away from these beauties, but we soon arrived at this lovely flower filled meadow, which also turned out to be butterfly filled

Loads of fresh Painted Ladies.

Plenty of Sliver-washed Fritillaries.

Many second brood Brimstones.

Small Whites and a Green-veined Whites, mud-puddling. I frightened a fair few away when I took this shot.

Several Queen of Spain Fritillaries.

Also seen in the meadow but not photographed, in order of abundance, were, Meadow brown, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Small Skipper, Large White, Large Skipper, Weavers Fritillary, Mallow Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Wood White and Map (f. prorsa).


It really was hard to drag ourselves away, but we headed off to explore a damp looking dip in the track that we could see a bit further along...

[trevor]

Your set of images above, could have been taken in the UK.
The last shot confirms that they were not.

Great stuff, Mike, stay well.
Trevor.

PS. A mrgreen for the QoS .

[Neil Freeman]

It sounds idyllic Mike over there Mike, not just the butterflies but your description of the light traffic

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

That looks like a fantastic site Mike - I'm looking forward to the damper area and what it had to offer...I really would love to get back over to France some time soon

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Thanks, Trevor, yes could have been the UK Perhaps QoS will be UK resident in the future

Light traffic is the norm, Neil, but the French do love their tailgating

It's a fantastic site, Wurzel, one of the best i've visited We do have a gite attached to our house for post Covid times




We headed up the track towards the low point which was shaded and overhung with trees. When we arrived at the spot Cathy moved further on while I tried to get a better look at several large butterflies I spotted zooming around the tree canopy. It wasn’t until one landed briefly next to me that I realised that it was a Lesser Purple Emperor, a lifetime first and quite a shock. Cathy then called out that she had also seen a large butterfly on the ground, so I quickly moved on to join her. They, (Lesser Purple Emperors) were landing near her but were not staying grounded for more than about 30 seconds and were very touchy and easily spooked. But by waiting for them to land next to us, we managed to get some shots. We saw seven in total, six around the damp spot on the track and one that landed on Cathy on our way back to the car, what stunning butterflies, they all appeared to be f. Clytie.

We were only able to explore a small part of the site, as the time flew by and it was soon time for us to head back home. On the way back to the car I saw a Clouded Yellow land on the ground and managed a couple of shots, it was a rewarding end to a great day at a new site.

It was fantastic to see the Lesser Purple Emperors and we made plans for a return visit, but ongoing unsuitable weather and then a punctured car tyre the afternoon before our planned visit put paid to it. Hopefully there will be another weather opening soon. In the meantime I will continue to look for other possible sites.

[trevor]

May I be first with the mrgreens ?
Absolutely fabulous, Lesser Purple Emperor and images.

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Maximus]

Thanks, Trevor, should have added this shot, looking back to where we parked our car, just below and to the left of the first pylon.

[Maximus]

Loads of Brimstones in our garden over the last couple of days and many more common butterflies. On Thursday 12th there were, 50 plus Gatekeepers, 43 Red Admirals, 28 Small Tortoiseshells, 12 Peacocks, 6 Painted Ladies, 5 Commas, and half a dozen Large and Small Whites, four Green-veined Whites plus lots of mostly worn Meadow Browns. They were counted across our garden and meadow areas, but were mainly seen on buddleias and verbena. This evening , at last, a shot of a Mallow Skipper which we've seen here recently, it was in our polytunnel so it was released (after I managed a couple of shots ).

Some shots of the others to follow.

[Katrina]

A few more
Wonderful collection of butterflies again.
The double Brimstone is a particularly pleasing photo.

[Maximus]

Thanks, Katrina, glad you liked the double Brimstone, they aligned at just the right moment




Today I found a female Sooty Copper in our polytunnel, she was pristine. Cathy offered her a lift out on her finger, which she accepted. She opened her wings just enough to reveal her lovely upperside to us, before she was liberated

A couple of others seen today...

Very fresh looking Small White.

A pair of Small Tortoiseshells.

And a Mallow Skipper, nectaring on knapweed in the evening sun.

[Wurzel]

Those LPE are something else Mike- the colours and hints of purple amid the browns - just stunning That habitat shot looks a bit like the spot I kept visiting when I stayed in the Dordogne - just a cutting between the trees for pylons but the species that I found there was crazy - you wouldn't get such a range/number of different species in a cutting in the UK And now you're farming the butterflies in your poly-tunnel

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

That wayleaf under the pylons looks intoxicatingly inviting, Mike. It must be satisfying beyond measure to explore sites like this for the first time not knowing what might turn up, and Lesser Purple Emperor is one hell of a prize!

[bugboy]

So much exotica and so close to blighty

[Maximus]

Thanks, Wurzel, yes LPE are brilliant and the habitat was amazing Yes we've bred a few species now, in the polytunnel

That site was intoxicating indeed, David It's great to visit a site for the first time and not know what you will encounter, it's magical

Yes, Bugboy, it's such a small strip of water, but it changes everything




Over the last few days we have seen several second brood Sooty Copper females.

Then today we found a male and a female in close proximity, lets hope that they mated

She looks to be, ab.extensa and the only shot I managed, she was sitting on bird's-foot-trefoil.

[Wurzel]

Cracking Sooty Coppers Mike the males really live up to their name though I much prefer their undersides

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

That's a lovely butterfly to have locally, Mike. Sooty Coppers are one of the most interesting species given their degree of variation.

How I wish we had them over here.

[Maximus]

Thanks, Wurzel I will admit that I like both sides(of Sooty Coppers) equally


It's nice, for us to be able to see Sooty Coppers in our garden, David and I do agree that they would make a great addition to the UK's butterfly fauna




On my 'walkabout' (in our garden) today, I was lucky (among others) to find this fresh female Wall brown

and a shot of another female from 14th June....

She was worn, but her lineage carries on

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Wall as a garden butterfly Mike I've not considered them that since I first encountered them flying around my Grans rockery over 35 years ago Saying that they're doing okay in Wiltshire and they have a habit of wandering into Hampshire and settling down

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Maximus]

It's nice to have Wall Browns in our garden, Wurzel Last year from the beginning of September onwards, Walls could be found in our garden on most days. Our last sighting (of this fresh male) was on 3rd November.

It would be interesting to know how well they are doing in Normandy? Glad they're doing ok in Wiltshire know what you mean about settling down in Hampshire



Some shots of day-flying moths, or moths we've seen in the daytime in our garden.

Willow Beauty.

Speckled Yellow.

Jersey Tiger.

Jersey Tiger moths appear to be common here, and we see them every day at various points around our garden.

Oak Eggar.

Freshly emerged Oak Eggar, drying it's wings.

Broad-bordered bee hawk moth.

I think this is Blood vein?

I have been unable to ID the next couple, they may both be the same species, can anyone help??

Plenty of Silver Y's and Hummingbird hawk-moths seen too.