![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/22may2010a.jpg)
A trip along the Rhône Valley today (bike and train) produced 40 species, despite my missing nearly all my targets for the day (because they weren't flying yet at their sites - the missed targets being Provençal fritillary, Zephyr blue, turquoise blue and Osiris blue). Here are a few highlights. I might add some tomorrow, as I will be visiting a different site then.
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/podaliriusmachaon101.jpg)
Swallowtail and scarce swallowtail taking minerals together, not far from...
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/malvaenapi101.jpg)
... a grizzled skipper and green-veined white.
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/antiopa107.jpg)
Camberwell beauties are absurdly common this year. They were almost constant companions today and I found it more enjoyable just to admire them than to worry about getting photos.
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/antiopa1010.jpg)
This one did insist on sitting next to me, though!
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/malvae109.jpg)
This is a close-up of a fresh grizzled skipper.
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/tages103.jpg)
This dingy skipper, at the other end of its life, had taken on a beautiful golden hue.
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/orion106.jpg)
Chequered blue, flying at a site where I never knew it flew. One of the wonderful things about butterflying is discovering new things in new places.
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/phlaeas101.jpg)
A reminder of the Suffolk coast - small copper form caerulopunctata.
Yesterday I stayed more local and found this female short-tailed blue laying eggs on sainfoin, a plant I didn't know the species used:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/argiades103.jpg)
This male Provençal short-tailed blue, by far the commoner of the two species, was in my local woods:
![Image](http://www.guypadfield.com/images2010/alcetas107.jpg)
Today's outing took me up to 94 species for the year. I'm aiming for 200 (=20 x 10) this year, to celebrate 2010 in style!
Guy