French Alps 2011

[Paul Wetton]

I've looked through the forums and was spurred on by Michaels request for suggestions for places to visit in Europe this coming year.

I've started a new topic as I have a more specific request. I would love to visit the south western French Alps in July next year and having read some reports and looked at the wonderful photos posted by some members I am more determined to spend two or three weeks filming the butterflies in southern France.

I plan to visit a small area with minimal travelling with as many habitats and species as possible. I would appreciate ideas on areas to visit from anyone. Trip reports or websites would be great.

Many thanks in advance.

Paul

[Michaeljf]

Paul,
I'm sure there are some folks round here that can answer this question - it might help me too...waiting in anticipation
Michael

[Lee Hurrell]

[Paul Wetton]

Couldn't agree more

To be sitting in a warm alpine valley surrounded by butterflies.

The thought will keep me going over the winter.

[Michaeljf]

Hi Paul,
In the absence of other responses, I just had another look at Simon Coombes website - he gives a pretty detailed overview of his trip in 1999 using Evolene, Valais as a base (click on the two links at the bottom of his page, they cover the two areas Eison and Evolene).

http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/region ... /index.htm

I hope you'll get more replies to this question - but if not, do PM me if you decide to go. I may yet do two overseas trips next year with this route as a possibility (money permitting) .
Michael

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Michael

Thanks for the link I was particularly interested in the Evolene part as I went there as a teenager with my parents and saw Apollo and some Brassy Ringlets there. We weren't really as keen on butterflies in those days though.

I've been emailing a few people regarding sites in the southern french alps and have one reply so far from Roger Gibbons who is prepared to send me some more detailed information but not in the public domain due to the operation of collectors in these areas. I could email these to you if you want to PM your email address to me.

Cheers for now

Paul

[Michaeljf]

I've been emailing a few people regarding sites in the southern french alps and have one reply so far from Roger Gibbons who is prepared to send me some more detailed information but not in the public domain due to the operation of collectors in these areas. Paul

Hi Paul,
yep - PM sent I can totally understand the need to keep sites safe and protected from the unscrupulous. I think my wife and I need to start getting next years leave/holiday diary into shape this week - so the sooner we can work out where we are going the better. Otherwise we may have to shoot our bosses to allow us to get away.
Michael

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Michael

I think I'll probably plump for the Hautes Alpes as I have had replies from Roger and am going to look at camping in this area.

I think concentrating on one area will help.

Anyone out there have any information on sites in the Hautes Alpes. This would be greatly appreciated. I'm not after any specific species just some sites close together with a good variety of species. If anyone knows sites for Poplar Admiral and Lesser Purple Emperor these would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Paul

[NickB]

Paul,
I'm sure there are some folks round here that can answer this question - it might help me too...waiting in anticipation
Michael

butterfly gang.jpg

Nice one!
I see I'm excluded from the picture.......with my ID skills that is not surprising

Switzerland was an eye-opener this year for me; it made me realise what we have already lost in the UK...
..and why conservation groups across Europe need coordinated action to make sure it doesn't happen there.
The attitude to collecting abroad is completely different to the UK, it seems. Some academics appear to have less thought for conservation than the need to fill their collections with every example possible; being an academic, it seems, confers absolution from the effects of such collecting, in their eyes.
Hence I fully support the desire not to give out details of sites in the public domain, especially where rare species are concerned.

[Paul Wetton]

Total agreement.

I would never give the location of a rare species as certain unscrupulous people keep an eye on websites such as this one. Although I'm sure these people probably know the sites much better than many of us. Whats wrong with a good photograph. It won't fade like a dead specimen.

I'm looking for information on general areas such as where a car can be taken to a decent height in an area good for butterflies as I will be carrying a fair amount of heavy gear.

If anyone has any detailed trip reports these would be extremely useful. Otherwise I'll place a pin on the map or at least where there is a camp site and go searching. Sometimes this is more exciting than following information given by others but it's always nice to know if you're in a good area.

Cheers

Paul

[NickB]

....I have been to Evolene - campsite was at Les Hauderes, the next village up - but on family, not butterfly, holidays. However, the woods between the two villages were certainly very good butterfly territory and Les Hauderes is at the junction of two valleys, both going up to glaciers and both with Post Buses going up to the top.....I remember stopping in the alpine meadows near Arola and being covered by butterflies (no ids) drinking our sweat!
N
Edit - I do remember seeing an Apollo.......

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Nick

I too have been to Evolene but around 30 years ago. I guess it has become a little more built up since my visit with my parents. I have some old film photos taken with a crummy old Zenit B of Apollo and a few other mountain species. I do remember having to chase the Apollos over several mountain sides to get a shot. Don't think I'm fit enough for that sought of thing these days.

I would definitely consider the Evolene area and we would drive there with the camping gear.

Anyone have any trip reports or information on good sites near Evolene.

By the way Nick how long ago were you there and what was the camp site like?

Cheers

Paul

[Michaeljf]

I see I'm excluded from the picture.......with my ID skills that is not surprising

Hi Nick,
if you feel left out, I'm sure I can make up your own wanted poster...do you want me to put a really big price on your head?!!! Both Roger and Guy seemed like prime suspects because of where they live and their well known 'peer-reviewed' excellent local knowledge. I know Roger has emailed Paul since. Guy is probably stuck up a mountain somewhere drinking luke-warm beer - the swine

I'm still stuck as deciding where to go next year - currently we will probably have one trip in late June/start of July week going to Bulgaria, as I've read the transcript from Peter's trip there a couple of years back which has plenty of pointers. Whether we could cope withought knowing the language is another thing entirely ! My wife would love to go to Switzerland or France for a week as well, and I don't need much persuading. It's just a question of finding the right bit and the best time given work commitments. It's hard enough sometimes finding species in Britain when there's good information on our sites
Michael

[Zonda]

Never mind the French Alps,,,, i was thinking Holland next year,,,, don't want to venture too far away,,, i get constipated. Anyway,,, my brother lives there, and has a sofa. It's in the northern provinces, Drenthe to be precise. Are there any butterflies there, or are they like us with most areas given over to arable crop production? Or tulips? ....

[Padfield]

Hi all! I was sort of following this thread (I missed that great picture, though ) but thought I would leave it to those who visit the French Alps to answer as I never leave Switzerland. I don't need to - we have everything here! The thing is, term started again last week and the price I pay for a 9-week summer holiday is intense work when it all starts again. C'est la vie.

As has been said, there are others, like Paul and Roger, who do visit France and I'm sure their advice will be excellent. All I do have, should there arise any questions about what species can be found, is Kudrna's 2000 atlas of the distribution of all European species. The maps are not perfect but they are much better than any of those in the standard field guides.

Guy

[Michaeljf]

Hi Guy,
so...if I was after (in particular) the Apollo, Poplar Admiral and Freyers and Lesser Purple Emporer..could you suggest anywhere in particular in the Swiss Alps? And the best time of the year? A PM would be fine if the areas are in need of protection. If you haven't got the time at the moment, I do understand. I will just do a lot of crying!
At the moment, the Swiss Alps or the French Alps, it's all likely to be a possible location for a week if it has the right mix!
Michael

[Padfield]

My 'patch' is from the Villars-sur-Ollon region along the Rhône, round the corner at Martigny and along the Valley and neighbouring mountains as far as Brig (Valais). All the species you mention fly here except Freyer's.

Apollo is common everywhere in Valais (from Martigny Eastwards). It is scarcer, but present, in the northern branch of the Rhône. You'd be very hard-pushed to visit Valais after the beginning of June and not see a lot.


Swiss Apollo

Poplar admiral is probably commoner than we all think, but is incredibly difficult to find, mainly because it is very low density and spends its time high in its canopy kingdom. I have them in my local region and see them almost yearly, but could not vouch for a sighting on any given day or any given place. I saw two this year. One (in Valais) was with the Swiss recorder and it was a lifer for him! He lives and works in the Rhône Valley and knew the places to see them but simply failed (until he took a trip with me ).


Swiss poplar admiral

Lesser purple emperor flies in Valais but is not common - you would need a little help from me. It is commoner near Geneva. Here's one this summer in Valais:


Swiss lesser purple emperor

For Freyer's you need to head East - none round these parts!

Guy

[Paul Wetton]

Thanks for the comments Guy

I've emailed you as I now intend to look into visiting the area around Evolene as I visited this area as a child with my parents. If you would like to answer my email on this forum that would be fine as others are showing interest. Obviously any sensitive info would be omitted.

I really want to check out the mountain butterflies but would also love to see the species Michael has mentioned.

Thanks in advance.

Paul

[Michaeljf]

Guy,
that's fantastic - the photos are beautiful. I would be happy 'dropping' the expectation of one species for the chance to see those three, though I guess the chances of seeing the Poplar Admiral are small even if I go to the right spot. Could I go at one time and see the PA, LPE and A? I am currently thinking of either the 3rd week in July, or the last week in June/ending 1st week of July. I could go earlier but I'm guessing that would probably benefit say the Apollo and not the Poplar Admiral and the Lesser Purple Emperor, but I could be wrong. At the moment I could still swap my expected timing for Bulgaria and exchange it for the Swiss Alps, but my reckoning was that the species in the Alps would be later than the same species (timetable-wise) in Bulgaria due to the general temperature of Winter and spring.
Michael

[Padfield]

PMs / e-mails will be winging their way in the next day or two. We're an hour later here and I'm preparing my lessons for tomorrow! I did stop to watch University Challenge, though.

Guy