March sightings - Southern Brittany

[Elaine]

Wow - Spring has sprung! Today we had warm sunshine and blue skies all day. No coat, no hat, no gloves ...... great!

During our dog "walkies" along the lane we saw:

8+ Brimstone (Citron) males
3+ Peacock (Le Paon du jour)
1 Large Tortoishelle (La Grande Tortue)

Also of note were several active Common Lizards and a stunning Green Lizard, who was much less active. He was busy sunning himself outside his burrow in the bank at the side of the lane. I say "he", but there was no blue - so I probably should be saying "she".

As for nectar - the Lesser Celandine (Fricaire) is finally in flower today. Just 2 days ago in the same spot there was no sign these yellow flowers. In 2008 it was in flower from late January!

[traplican]

Also of note were several active Common Lizards and a stunning Green Lizard ...

Do you mean Lacerta agilis by the "Common Lizard"? I thing in English it is Sand Lizard (while here it is named in translation "Common Lizard", too). Common Lizard is English name for Lacerta vivipara, if I am not mistaken.
Last year I have recorded some videos of Lacerta agilis in my garden and posted to youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcNz2ILE0Bk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NteoJDjSq5E

Cheers,

Traplican

[Elaine]

Will check that out when I have a mo and get back to you.

In the meantime today saw the arrival of 4 migrant bird species. Not butterflies, but hope that is OK.

3 Hirundine - possbily Swallows, but just a glimpse from the car. Definately either Swallow, House Martin or Sand Martin (Pénéstin)
Several singing and parachuting Sedge Warblers (Pénéstin)
Singing Chiffchaff (Pénéstin)
3 Black Kite (over our garden near Nivillac)

This is getting exciting. The warm spell obviously pushed these birds up from Spain/Africa over the last few days.

Only butterflies I saw today were - 1 Brimstone and 1 Peacock - it was overcast.

[Elaine]

OK - the smaller lizards we saw last week were Common Lizards - Lacerta vivipara. As far as I know I have not seen a Sand Lizard, but now that I am aware it exists I will look more closely and take photos. So thanks Traplican. The Green Lizards are several times larger and quite impressive.

It has been overcast here for the last few days, but today I saw a few more male Brimstone (Citron) and a white butterfly, which I followed until it landed. It turned out to be a Small White (Piéride de la rave) - a male, I think.

Otherwise, the frogspawn in our pond has increased to 6 clumps and the first tadpoles (têtards) are now swimming out in the big wild world of the pond. Whilst in a neighbour's pond yesterday, I observed newts (not Great Crested) feasting on frogspawn. I think I will take a bucket of our frogspawn and save it to help give the froglets a fighting chance, chez moi.

[Elaine]

That should read :

Whilst yesterday, in a neighbour's pond, I observed ......

I want to make it clear that I was not actually in the pond myself! Some English Teacher I am

[felix123]

Whilst yesterday, in a neighbour's pond, I observed newts.

I found a newt in our pond and it was full of eggs but I didn't know that they can feed on frog spawn because we have some too.

Great forum, I love to read it,


Felix