In Pursuit of Pashas June 10th - 17th 2023

[Stevieb]

Unlike Pete Smith and his excellent report on his pursuit of False Ringlet Coenonympha oedippus I’m still at the stage where, using Pete’s analogy, I’m grateful to have a chance to pluck any low hanging fruit in the European butterflies’ department! However, one particular low hanging fruit I most definitely would like to pluck is the Two-tailed Pasha.

For the past couple of years, I’ve longed to catch up with and photograph Charaxes jasius.

I came close in May last year, in Kefalonia, where I managed to observe a flyby but alas no photo opportunities were forthcoming. I even tried the usual lure of banana in wine but to no avail.

I had resigned myself to having to book a trip to Gibraltar, some time in October, in whatever year, for a fairly reliable chance of photographing one, but a chance meeting with a birder who had been to Tossa de Mar, Costa Brava, mentioned the butterflies he’d seen whilst holidaying there in the middle of June and these included Two-tailed Pasha.

I had a holiday booked for this June to Turkey, so I thought maybe a trip for next year to Tossa could be in order. As it happened, I got an email from Tui with regards out Turkey trip advising us that the flight departure airport had changed from Bristol to Birmingham.
Fair to say if we had wanted to fly out of Birmingham on holiday we would have booked to fly from Birmingham. The other option was to cancel the holiday with a full refund. We cancelled.

As my wife had taken leave for the dates 10th June to 21st June, I thought it might be prudent to see if anywhere was available in Tossa de Mar on those dates. Fortunately, Jet2 could offer us 10th June, for a week, flying from Bristol.
I got back in touch with my fellow birder and gleaned a few more handy hints and tips. He also mentioned that he’d seen Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis, which would be a billy bonus.

Flying out from Bristol at 6am meant that we arrived at Girona at around 9am local time. A 35-minute transfer also meant that I could have a wander around and find a local patch in the afternoon.

I knew that butterfly numbers were going to be low, species wise, as Tossa de Mar is practically isolated from the neighbouring towns due to its rugged location, its landscape being determined by cliffs, small coves and forests.

There would be no flowering meadows full of fritillaries, blues and coppers here. No matter though as I only had one target in mind.

[Stevieb]

June 10th
On arrival we had an exploratory walk around the town.

Tossa de Mar is a very attractive little town, a world away from other more popular Spanish resorts. Its main draw is the beautiful old town with its fortifications and Roman ruins. The ‘new’ town is also very attractive with fashionable stores and street cafés and restaurants

old town Tossa de Mar

old town Tossa de Mar

After settling into our hotel, I ventured out, in the afternoon, to check out finding a local patch. The hotel was ideally located adjacent to the dry riverbed of Riera de Tossa and I followed this to get to Parc de Sa Riera, about 15 minutes’ walk from the hotel, from where many tracks lead up into the hills.

Dry riverbed of Riera de Tossa

The dry riverbed held plenty of Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus, my only Geranium Bronze Cacyreus marshalli and a Southern White Admiral Limenitis reducta.

Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus

[Stevieb]

Arriving at the start of the numerous tracks, leading up into the hills, large numbers of Cleopatra Gonepteryx cleopatra were seen around the flowering edges alongside a plethora of Spanish Gatekeepers Pyronia bathseba and the very attractive Pearly Heath Coenonympha arcania

flowery track into the hills

Cleopatra Gonepteryx cleopatra

Cleopatra Gonepteryx cleopatra

Pearly Heath Coenonympha arcania

Spanish Gatekeeper Pyronia bathseba

It was extremely warm and with it being my first venture out after a couple of hours I headed back to Claire, my wife, for a cool down in the hotel pool. I was ready, however, for a proper exploration of the hills tomorrow morning. It certainly looked to have potential.

[Stevieb]

June 11th.

After a hearty breakfast I was out and heading for the hills by 10am. Being a family holiday once again I am stuck to a fairly tight constraint of butterflying ‘till about 1pm when it was back to the hotel and quality holiday time and touristy stuff around the town.

Heading further up into the hills I followed the tracks encountering many Cleopatras, Gatekeepers and Pearly Heaths and my first of many False Ilex Hairstreaks Satyrium esculi

Track leading further up the hills

Spanish Gatekeeper Pyronia bathseba

Pearly Heath Coenonympha arcania

False Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium esculi

False Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium esculi

Eventually I came across some open areas where it would appear that a few areas of woodland had been cleared to try to cultivate small fields.

Obviously, this had failed, and the small areas had gone to seed with wildflowers having been established. These small areas attracted large numbers of Cleopatra but, surprisingly, not a lot else. The odd Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas, Common Blue Polyommatus icarus, Southern Brown Argus Aricia cramera, the occasional Meadow Brown Maniola jurtino and a few Mallow Skippers Carcharodus alceae.

Flowering fields

Mallow Skipper Carcharodus alceae

[Stevieb]

However, a very obliging Iberian Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides feisthameli was a nice find

Iberian Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides feisthameli

Iberian Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides feisthameli

Iberian Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides feisthameli

Once passed these fields, the track got steeper and was particularly hard going in the heat.

forest

It was as I was deciding to head back that I glimpsed a Pasha zip by and land in a nearby tree. Not the best views but after a scramble I was able to observe two Pashas taking nectar from the trunk.

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

Not the greatest of images but images, nonetheless. Mission accomplished.

As I headed back down the track, I suddenly started to see Pashas flying around nearly every corner. Isn’t it always the way that once you connect to a species then you continue to see them regularly thereafter?

Although all these were in flight, I found a likely looking slab of rock which looked ideal for the positioning of a banana lure. Tomorrow I would come equipped with some rather tasty banana lightly infused with Rosé wine.

[Stevieb]

June 12th

Heading back to the rock that I had identified yesterday as a good site for my lure I prepared to lay out the banana.

Having taken the banana from the dessert table at last nights evening meal I had infused it in some rather classy Rosé wine overnight in a large crisp packet! (Lay’s ) Not having thought it through before hand I realised I had no where else to keep the stuff.

Having arrived at the allocated spot I produced said crisp packet out of my waistcoat pocket, realising some of the juices had leaked through to my shirt.
Anyway, the lure was set, and I wandered off for a while to let it do its stuff.

lure station (with attendant Pasha)

A nice selection of butterflies were seen with the usual suspects being augmented by Wood Whites Leptidea sinapis, Lang’s Short-tailed Blue Leptopes pirithous and a Western Dappled White Euchloe cramera.

Wood White Leptidea sinapis

Lang’s Short-tailed Blue Leptopes pirithous

Western Dappled White Euchloe cramera

Western Dappled White Euchloe cramera

Western Dappled White Euchloe cramera

[Stevieb]

On approaching back to the rock, I was suddenly buzzed by a Pasha, obviously attracted to the spilt juices about my person! It was like being buzzed by a small bat and on a couple of occasions it attempted to land on my body and head.

Eventually it decided the banana was of more interest and floated off to have its fill.

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

Having now had better results than the previous day I headed back to the hotel a very happy chap.

June 13th

This morning I decided to explore various other tracks through the forest. My main objective was to locate any nettle trees Celtis australis and thus Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis

As it happened, within a 100mtrs along my first track, I came across a large patch of flowering brambles located in front of some nettle trees and there enjoying the nectar was a rather obliging Nettle-tree Butterfly. It couldn’t have been any easier.

Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis

Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis

Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis

Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis

[Stevieb]

Moving on along the track I noticed a large black and white butterfly flying strongly ahead. Initially thinking Southern White Admiral, the whole look and jizz was wrong.

In hot (very hot) pursuit I managed to follow it until it eventually came to rest. On closer inspection it turned out to be a rather splendid Great Banded Grayling Brintesia circe.

After a couple of record shots, it was off again but fortunately soon settled once more to allow a couple more photos before it was off again and out of sight.

Great Banded Grayling Brintesia circe

Great Banded Grayling Brintesia circe

Another successful couple of hours had been enjoyed thus it was off back to the hotel.

I had a couple of days off enjoying the holiday before I went out again on my penultimate day with the hope of maybe, just maybe, getting lucky with an opened winged shot of a Pasha.

[Stevieb]

June 16th

Again, set with my trusty banana in wine lure, and this time with it tightly sealed in a tin bought yesterday, I headed out to my lure station with the intention of remaining there for the duration, with no wandering about, and see what develops.

Whilst I waited, I was joined by a very curious Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus

Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus

Within ten minutes of placing out the banana a Pasha was buzzing around my head. I backed away a short distance and it landed and began to feed. After a minute or so another joined in, and they both got stuck in together.

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

They then started to become a bit feisty, and one flew off into a nearby tree where it proceeded to open its wings. Scrambling up to the tree I managed a dodgy photo but at least it was an open winged shot.

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

However no sooner had I taken the photo it descended back down to the rock, away from the banana, and proceeded to open up again. Result.

Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius

A fitting end to my pursuit of the Two-tailed Pasha.

It was back to the hotel for a celebratory cold drink and the onerous task of packing for our return flight home the next day.

Again, as in Tenerife, allowing for just a couple of hours a day in pursuit of butterflies I accomplished what I set out to see and do.

Oh, for the experience of a full-on butterfly tour where species totals seen can’t be counted on two hands. Never mind, one day.

In the meantime, I’ll just have to keep plucking those low hanging fruit a few species at a time.

Regards

Steve

[petesmith]

Excellent result Steve! Congratulations. You certainly nailed that one. Great images of the fabulous Pashas!

[Roger Gibbons]

I’ll add my congratulations, Stevie, it is a special experience for those lucky enough enjoy it. A big part of the fun is when they approach bird-size and swoop around checking for predators etc.

In southern France in May and June, I am fortunate enough to see them frequently and I use banana/rum (I don’t drink but my local shop wouldn’t believe it). The most I have had is four at one time, but I have heard reports of fifty on figs that have fallen off the tree, but that was some decades ago.

A little factoid – Pasha shares its larval foodplant with just one other species – the Chapman’s Green Hairstreak (Callophrys avis) – two species that couldn’t be further apart.

I see Pashas nearly every day, but never, ever, do they sit with open wings…..

Roger

[selbypaul]

Lovely report Steve, thanks for sharing it!

[Charles Nicol]

a lovely thread about one of my favourite butterflies Steve

if you do not want to go too far there are plenty in the South of France

[Stevieb]

Thank you Pete, Roger, Paul and Charles for your kind comments

[David M]

I've loved every word of this report, Steve. You set out with clear plans in mind and you got a sumptuous reward.

This butterfly is extra special and you had it on a string with your clever use of lures.

Like the Western Dappled Whites and Nettle Tree butterflies too.

[Stevieb]

Thank you David

[jasonsargerson]

Hello Stevie

Would you like to contribute this as an article to European Butterflies Magazine?

Let me know if you are interested and I can give you more details - email jasonsargerson88@gmail.com