Padfield

[Padfield]

Thanks for those comments on the Föhn - very interesting.

I'm working inside today but just had to go and check on Aurelian. A couple of weeks ago the woodmen chopped down most of the sallow and elm in the rides of my local woods and when I visited this morning I found they had completed the job. There are now virtually no shrubs or deciduous trees along the main ride - all the elms I have in the past found white-letter hairstreak caterpillars on are gone and whole swathes of sallow have disappeared from the slopes above the rides too.

HOWEVER, Aurelian's tiny cluster of trees is intact. It was extremely difficult photographing him in the wind but I got a few bad shots - enough to see he is about to shed his skin, I think.

These are the give-away leaves telling you there is an active iris cat in the vicinity!



Nearby, moving around in a newly unfurling bunch of leaves, was Aurelian:





You can see from the condition of the head in the first picture that he is soon going to change. This is earlier than the last spring cat I watched (Nero, in May 2010) but he did feed up a lot longer in the autumn, because of the protracted season, and so might have hibernated almost ready for the next instar. Or, Nero might have hibernated in second instar, I suppose.

Guy

[robpartridge]

I'm afraid I don't know anything about special winds, just that we have far too much of it here in the east of England this afternoon!

I have to say, what stunning photographs. As someone only recently getting involved in the photography of butterflies, may I ask whether you have written anywhere on UK Butterflies about the equipment and methods that you use?

Rob

[Jack Harrison]

I'm afraid I don't know anything about special winds

Sprouts, baked beans. I thought everyone knew about the special winds associated with these.

Jack

[Padfield]

Hi Rob, and thanks for the compliment! I'm afraid I have very basic equipment (a Canon compact) and no especial method beyond point and click. I spend so much time running up and down mountains (literally) that I really don't want to invest in anything heavier. So long as I can record what I see I am happy. And actually, the HD video on the compact is so good it means I don't need to carry a video camera either.

Guy

PS - Ah, Jack and his aeroplane - always ready to swoop from the sublime to the ridiculous (or vulgar) and then back up to the mountaintops.

[robpartridge]

Hello Guy,

Perhaps you just have a very steady hand, even after running up and down mountains...or maybe that Swiss air is so clear the images are improved. Either way, great to see.

PS the rain appears to be coming to an end after 24 hours,

Rob

[Pete Eeles]

I have to say, what stunning photographs.

Indeed. Guy's ability to get such great photos is very annoying. He's annoying for other reasons too, but it's his superb photos that annoy me the most Seriously, both Guy and Kipper epitomise the importance of developing field craft, in which they both excel. For a mere mortal such as myself, I need a longer working distance (as in the photo of Gary below). I thought it might be worth posting some different approaches in response (and apols for cluttering your diary, Guy). Guy, Gary and Paul - all taken in Switzerland last year while touring Guy's back garden All three are superb photographers and, while all have good field craft, each has an approach in line with the photos they're looking to achieve.

Cheers,

- Pete

Guy

Gary (Gruditch)

Paul (Wetton)

[Padfield]

Thanks Pete - very interesting! I'll have to dig out a picture of you for comparison ...

Guy

[robpartridge]

Quite a back garden by the look of it.

Photography-wise, an intimidating trio but at least I can identify with the hairstyles...

Rob

[Padfield]

Here's Pete's hairstyle.

I mean, style.



Guy

PS - that's a detail from a larger panorama which also included Gary laughing at him.

[robpartridge]

Does an interest in butterflies cause the hair-loss or is it the other way around?

That last pic isn't in your garden as well, is it?

Rob

[Jack Harrison]

Does an interest in butterflies cause the hair-loss or is it the other way around?

Not sure about hair loss (I still have a reasonable amount myself) but it might cause an increase in girth. Just referring to me of course. I don't have any other two people in mind

Jack

[EricY]

Guy, I read your sat 28th post with interest as we had 3 fabulous days in Bernese Oberland area. Sun 22nd poured with rain as we drove in coach from Bresaich (locks trouble) never got out of coach for short view of bridge @ Lucerne. Got to Grindewald in perfect sunshine & clear skies, train to Klenie Scheidag, fantastic views of mountain with fresh snow on them. Lunch (with Alpine choughs all around) then down to Louterbrunnen, no butterflies unfortunately. Mon 23rd perfect hot sunny day in Lucerne with trip on lake. Tues 24th dull shwrs in Basel. Wed25th same in Jura mtns. Thurs 25th again turned up trumps, lake Thun & Harder Kulm, hot sunny perfect & Swallowtails +3 other species as well. Rest of week on Rhine & mosel was spent sun bathing. Trips do not get much better than this. Will post a thread with a couple of bf pics after I have sorted them out. Eric

[Padfield]

I look forward to your posting, Eric.

The weather is still very cool for May here and looks set to be very poor for the weekend. How different from last year, when almost every single weekend until July was good for a butterfly trip... Last year I posted a photo of a female violet copper on 27th April. The last time I looked up there (more recently than 27th April) the site was still under snow.

With IB exams beginning and IGCSEs imminent I haven't been able to check on Aurelian. If he did go into a skin change on Sunday or Monday he will be out of it by now - they last about three days. I hope to find him looking all shiny and new when I check on Saturday.

Guy

[robpartridge]

The weather here in the fens of East Anglia is equally poor. The temperature has averaged daily maximums of mid 50sF since the beginning of May and is just 51F as I write at midday! The winds are NE, and since the beginning of the month I have recorded less than an hour of sunshine. No chance of a butterfly today nor in the next few days according to the forecast.

I know what you mean about the effects of the examination season; I'm in the middle of A2 and AS myself but fortunately for the last time!

Rob

[Padfield]

To keep up the weather theme, it was an interesting day today. All morning there was dense cloud, occasional precipitation and visibility of about one metre. I'd just arranged to spend the afternoon chope-lifting with a friend (in French Switzerland a half litre mug of beer is une chope, conveniently pronounced 'shop') when suddenly, against predictions, the sun came out. He had to drink alone.

What was really interesting, though, was that despite really warm, unbroken sun throughout the hour and a half I was there, almost nothing flew at my chosen site. It is a flowery meadow, home in a normal May to an abundance of common blues, Adonis blues, little blues, short-tailed blues, Provençal short-tailed blues, Chapman's blues and green underside blues. After an hour I saw a single baton blue female, who seemed to have wandered in by mistake and promptly flew away, over a hedge. Then a single male common blue appeared and finally a single male Adonis blue. Here is the common blue:



A single swallowtail drifted around, nectaring, for the entire hour and a half:



There were also walls, orange tips, brimstones and whites, including this wood white:



I then decided to move on to the Rhône Valley but by the time I reached Martigny the sun had gone in again. Common blues held out as long as possible, bravely going through the motions in the increasing cold:



The bladder senna is coming into bloom - normally a sign that Iolas blues are soon to appear:



A single Queen of Spain was the last butterfly to be seen before it got too grim.

No doubt butterflies are getting some flying and mating time but this very protracted cool spell must be having some effect on their productivity. For a May meadow, lush with grass and flowers, to sport just three individual blue butterflies on a hot, sunny afternoon is most unusual.

Guy

[David M]

throughout the hour and a half I was there, almost nothing flew at my chosen site.

I know exactly how you feel.

By the way, your continental Swallowtail looks abnormally brittanicus-like.

[NickB]

I know what you mean....
ssp. britannicus.....

Strumpshaw May 2011

[Padfield]

I agree - the natural variation in swallowtails on the continent includes some forms that look superficially very like the British ones. Here is another Swiss example, from last year, showing quite obvious tapering in the dark band and some other features of its wetland relatives:



But as you well know, they are very different beasts ecologically. The British swallowtail is quite remarkable for its specialism, considering the eclectic tastes in food and habitat of the continental butterflies.

Guy

[David M]

In my own expertise-bereft brain I've often thought of British Swallowtails as an evolutionary work in current progress. Their lifestyles, requirements and behaviour are so far removed from continental Swallowtails that they may as well be considered a distinct species.

I must say though, your latter image has the elongated forewing-look that continental swallowtails usually have, whereas your earlier one, had you claimed it had been taken at Strumpshaw Fen, would have surely elicited no contrary challenges. It is heavily marked with black along the outer edge of the forewings and it looks more 'squat' like the indigineous British race does.

[Padfield]

Aurelian is now about nine months old, his egg having been laid in early August. As I expected, he is now wearing a shiny new skin, slightly too big for him, but he will grow into it - and quickly if he carries on eating as voraciously as at present! He is now just over 1cm long and should go imperial (1 inch) in about a month.



After a morning of gloom the sun came out at about 1.00pm and I soon saw my first pearl bordered fritillary of the year. Two more followed. I had been beginning to feel a little left out with all you lot in the UK seeing so many of these.





While the sun was out more butterflies appeared from the woodwork, including common blues, Chapman's blues, orange tips, small whites, wood whites and dingy skippers.

This could be Réal's wood white:



This was my first altitude dingy skipper of the year:



No chequered skippers on the wing yet but I was very glad to find this male southern small white on my home patch. The species has massively expanded its range in Switzerland in the last few years, reaching right up into the mountains.



Sooty coppers are defending territories in the local meadows:





And look out - they're coming ...

I spotted this single painted lady in the distance:



They usually reach us about a week before you!

Guy