Alicante

[roundwood123]

I am off to Alicante for a week in mid March and was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of any Butterflies i may find on my wanderings, also in June i am Spending 1 week in the Picos De Europa nr Potes and the following week on the northern coast of Spain, I know that the Picos area is amazing for Butterflies and Moths but does anyone know any specific sites that i may find any of the rarer species. Steve

[Padfield]

Mid-March is a very exciting time to go to Alicante because there will be so little on the wing in England and yet you will see masses of stuff there.

I can't give you specific sites, but obvious interesting things you are likely to see include Spanish festoon, Cleopatra, Provence orange tip, long-tailed blue, Western dappled white ... The list goes on and you can check in the maps in the books (watch out for the maps in the latest Tolman, which mess up the festoons). Green-striped white should be easy - it is common in southern Andalucía at that time of year but I've never stayed in the Alicante region. Provence hairstreak is another one that is common further south and probably easy to find there, but I haven't got direct experience. I would be very surprised if you didn't find geranium bronze too - but for that one you need to be in or near towns.

In 2007 I went to southern Spain for a few days in February and saw 18 species, including all the above-mentioned. I didn't see many blues then, but more should be out by mid-March.

Guy

[roundwood123]

Thanks for that Guy, sounds like i could have a productive time, as usual i will post pics of what i find and you lot can put me right on my miss-identifications, Steve

[Mikhail]

I have seen all the species mentioned by Guy in March, and would add Black-eyed Blue, often flying around bushes of various Brooms, and African Grass Blue, in irrigated areas. You may be too far east for Lorquin's Blue, but worth looking out for.

Misha

[roundwood123]

Thanks Misha, Roll on March so i can have some sunshine and a Butterfly fix Steve

[roundwood123]

I am back from a lovely week in Alicante, great weather and some good Butterflies.
Swallowtail, Speckled Wood, lots of Whites, Geranium Bronze, Clouded Yellow, Small Copper, Spanish Festoon and a few as yet un-identified.
I have just tried to post some pics but its saying the Board attachment quota has been reached?.

[Pete Eeles]

Should now be fixed - let me know if not.

Cheers,

- Pete

[roundwood123]

Here are the pics of the Butterflies i am not sure off, Steve
I think the Blue is Common but i cant make up my mind on the other two, Mallow Skipper and err no idea.
Sorry about the picture quality i intend to post a few questions in the photo forum about this.

[Padfield]

The first picture shows a red-underwing skipper, Steve, Spialia sertorius. The others you have correctly identified.

I envy you!

Guy

[roundwood123]

Thanks Guy, The Red-Underwing Skipper along with a Nettle tree Butterfly are both new to me, going back to the camera problem, my compact digital is fast coming to the end of its life and its time to replace it, i was thinking that i should upgrade to a DSLR, but having looked at the prices of these i am gonna stick with a Compact Digital.
As shown by my 2 pics the limits of a Compact are all to clear unless any of you know how i can get a Butterfly in Focus whilst leaning over a prickly shrub with the camera at arms length .

[Padfield]

I'm a compact user, and have no intention of changing. There are all sorts of tricks, doubtless depending upon the model in question, for getting sharp pictures in all situations and although my best pictures are inevitably nowhere near as good as the best produced with a DSLR I have an extremely high percentage success rate for 'adequate' pictures. As I am primarily a butterfly recorder, not a photographer, that is fine with me.

Your last mallow skipper, on thorn, is out of focus because the camera has focused on the background. There are several ways of avoiding this. Firstly, always have the focus on central focus not 'clever' focus - then you can choose the area focused on. Secondly, use zoom - even digital zoom if necessary - to enlarge the butterfly sufficiently to cover the central focusing rectangle (this works with a Canon compact). If the butterfly is too small in the frame the focusing apparatus 'sees past' the butterfly to the background. Thirdly, as an alternative to the above, you can prefocus the camera on something large at the appropriate distance - maybe a nearby leaf - and keep the shutter release half depressed while you point the camera at the butterfly. All these things become entirely habitual so you do them without thinking. I very rarely totally miss getting a good record shot.

Here's a mallow skipper sharp against a distant background. I blew it up just enough to fill the central rectangle and then shot.



Guy

PS - I would never dream of suggesting compacts are as good as DSLRs. HOWEVER, for convenience, lightness and percentage of good shots, they do have a lot of advantages for a field worker burdened with other equipment, who wants to record what he sees.

[Padfield]

I found an example of the other kind of focusing. This short-tailed blue (female) was in a hard-to-reach spot but I got her by focusing on the pea pod and holding the focus. So no need to blow her up huge.



Guy

[roundwood123]

Hi Guy, Thankyou for the tips i shall try them out when i see some Butterflies or day flying Moths, I think my problems are mainly due to my impatients, if i see a Butterfly or Moth that is new to me all that i know regarding getting a decent pic seems to disapear from my Brain in the excitement , I am awaiting delivery of a new Canon Ixus 85 IS Black which cost £149.00 from Warehouseexpress, First job, read the manual then practice, practice and practice more.
P.s, i do get the odd good pic.