Padfield

[Padfield]

Guy, your Swiss butterflies are a hardy lot. In the Mediterranean you can give them all the sun possible, but if its no more than 13°C, like today, they just won't come out.
Chris

Well, it's all snow again now, and much too cold even for the hardy Swiss butterflies, Chris!

I'm still popping over the the Papiliorama every so often, and still see new species every time (probably five today). We've commented before that they don't seem to have Lycaenids in these butterfly houses, but I was really quite excited, in a zooy kind of way, to see a stunningly beautiful hairstreak today, Eumaeus toxea:





This is a Mexican species that is very occasionally seen in Texas. The very similar Eumaeus atala, which is now apparently thriving in Florida, where it was formerly rare, is distinguished by the red of the abdomen extending to the upperside too. I was lucky to get a distant upperside shot, making it possible to confirm the species. I saw three or four altogether but only that one ever opened its wings.

I will never go on a Saturday again - there were far too many people. It was really nice to see them enjoying the butterflies so much, though, so I don't regret going this once.

Guy

[Padfield]

It was distinctly warmer today and everything seemed to know it. Small tortoiseshells flew casually at altitude and as I cycled down to the valley in the afternoon I passed a peacock and a brimstone.

In the vineyards, Queen of Spain fritillaries and small tortoiseshells were flying in their dozens, perhaps hundreds, enjoying the rampant speedwell everywhere:







Some were basking in the sun ...



... and quite a lot were laying, or prospecting, on wild pansies:



The Bulbocodium meadows are in full bloom:



And as usual, the small tortoiseshells were enjoying their nectar:



Other butterflies flying were a single clouded yellow and two red admirals. No large tortoiseshells, but given the forecast these are only days away now.

Guy

[Chris Jackson]

I'll send you some warmth up from the Med., Guy, it looks like we've got some really nice weather forecast for the next few days. Looking forward to seeing your Spring species emerging.
Chris

[Padfield]

It's kind of you, Chris, but as I say, it's aseasonally warm here anyway!

I got out for a short afternoon large tortoiseshell hunt, checking two sites along the valley where I know they are present in good numbers. At the first, I eventually saw one, though only from some considerable distance, before it zoomed off across the countryside:



In these sites away from the vineyards there are still very few nectar sources. Just one sallow was in full flower - and covered in bees:



Because of the lack of nectar there were few Queen of Spain fritillaries here:



There were lots of brimstones, though, and I saw a single comma and a single peacock, both photographed at such distance it is not worth posting them here!

This small tortoiseshel was a little more obliging:



The forecast is good all through next week, so I'll probably work inside at the weekend and try again on Monday, when I have a feeling chrysalids will have been cracking open all over the country and one or two new things will be on the wing!

Guy

[William]

That Photo with all the bees on the sallow is incredible Guy!!

[Padfield]

Thanks William. The sight and sound of bees on spring sallow blossom is hypnotic - I can just stand there for ages, watching and listening. As I'm sure you know, sallow is also a very strong attractant for many butterflies and I suspect the scent of it on the air brings large tortoiseshells out of hibernation. They are especially fond of it. The last time I called in at this site there was no sallow at all in flower, and no tortoiseshells. Today there was just one tree, and a few bursting buds on others - and I saw just one large tortoiseshell, though I didn't see it nectaring. By Monday I'm sure more of both will be out.

Guy

[Padfield]

As expected, the large tortoiseshells in the valley have woken up!







This is just a brilliant butterfly and I so hope it recovers its former status in the UK. I never tire of watching it in the spring, even though here in Switzerland it is really quite common. I saw about 10 today and will see the species on every outing now until May, then apart from a few June stragglers that will be it for the year. The summer brood goes into hibernation so quickly I rarely see more than one then.

Other species flying today were Queen of Spain fritillary (obviously!), small tortoiseshell, brimstone (including a female), comma, peacock and my first green-veined white of the year, in flight. I didn't see any holly blues but that must be ready to crack out any day now, given the sustained good forecast.









The sallow was covered in bees and butterflies today. Here is a comma, with a small tortoiseshell in the background:



Here's a video of the energy and life focused on that one tree, best viewed in HD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHjgQC_PNko[/video]

I was trying to get a photo of a lovely firecrest flitting around in a nearby tree but he just wouldn't stay still and this is one of the very few with him still in the frame ...



Guy

[Padfield]

Popped out to look for Siberian winter damselflies at a site I was given a couple of years ago. The site was almost completely dry, apart from a couple of small ponds, and there were no damselflies or dragonflies at all. Maybe meltwater will fill it up a little later - I hope so. There were plenty of small tortoiseshells, a couple of large tortoiseshells, brimstones, a few Queens and a single small white instead:


(large tortoiseshell)


(the same individual)


(small and large together - still the same large tortoiseshell)


(small white)

There were also lots of marsh frogs congregated in the bigger pond - very dark, with a neat green stripe down the back:





Before heading home, I checked out my usual Queen of Spain site, where literally hundreds were flying. I doubt there was a moment when I couldn't see one and several times I stopped and counted 20 or 30 visible in the vineyards around me. This one caught my eye - it would have been striking when fresh:



The white is not simply because it's old. Here is an older one:



The worn scaling is quite different.

Another with interesting markings:



There were, of course, hundreds of spanking fresh ones too.

No grizzlies yet, but their areas are looking ready for them and they will emerge in the next few days.

Guy

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Guy,
That first Large Tortoiseshell image must have made you smile. What a stunner! I'm hoping for a nice UK specimen very soon. The last few I've seen have all been rather ragged. Fingers crossed for some Isle of Wight action this spring.
Best Wishes, Neil

[Padfield]

Hi Neil. Local individuals look splendid at this time of year because they hibernate so soon after emergence. It's as if they're fresh out of the box. I'll be watching your posts, and others', for the IoW large tortoiseshells.

Or indeed elsewhere. If they're shipping them in at Felixtowe, the ancient Suffolk populations might even be revived ...

Guy

[Padfield]

The season creeps onwards!

New for today were Eastern Bath white (Pontia edusa) and southern small white (Pieris mannii):




(female mannii)

Both were about in small numbers - the numbers will swell over the next weeks.

Small whites and green-veined whites were both flying. Here is a pair of green-veined:



A rather poor shot of a large tortoiseshell:



Lots of sallow is out now:



And the Bulbocodium has given way to pasqueflowers:



The eternally lost backpacker:



My dog posed beside him in 2007:



I'd like it if someone painted a forest, with birds and wild animals, on the side of their house!

Guy

[Padfield]

I forgot to post these pics of an unidentified caterpillar wandering through the vineyards. Suggestions welcome:

[Pete Eeles]

How long was the larva, Guy? I thought it might be one of the Tiger moths (Arctiidae) but can't find a good match.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

About an inch, Pete. Funnily enough, I've just been running through Google images of tiger moth caterpillars to try and place it but found nothing very good. I think it must be that family.

Thanks for trying!

Guy

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Guy,
I'm glad to see that things are kicking off in your neck of the woods. I'm waiting for my first Bath White which should be followed shortly after by the Orange Tip - only a question of days now. G-V Whites aren't very common down my way.
That trompe-l'oeil painting is good, but I should think the live landscape of the Swiss mountains, valleys and vinyards is better.
Cheers, Chris

[Matsukaze]

I'd like it if someone painted a forest, with birds and wild animals, on the side of their house!

There is a house by the side of the A39 a few miles south of Bath that used to have large models of various British butterflies fixed to the wall. If you counted them, you would find that there were more Large Blues than any other species.

[Padfield]

Both the nettle tree butterfly sites I found two years ago were ploughed up, metalled over and fenced off last year. There are still some nettle trees there as these grow around the peripheries and on the cliffs, but there is no access and it is all generally grim. So last night I spent time on Google Earth looking for nearby places with the same aspect and terrain and set off today to check them out.

Google Earth is brilliant. Pretty well exactly where I expected, I ran into nettle trees and scrubby terrain with broom. Even though it is still early for nettle tree butterflies, which didn't put in much of a showing at my old sites before April, I saw at least ten of them today, almost all on or flying around nettle trees. Unfortunately, all their favourite trees were south of the track and I was only able to photograph them into the sun, sometimes from a distance, but here are a few shots of this unique butterfly.





This female, on a nettle tree, spent a lot of time with her antennae pushed down to either side of the twig. Both shots are from a great distance, unfortunately, but the behaviour was interesting:





This female, also from a great distance, has found a bud - but she didn't oviposit:





Enough poor celtis shots!

The terrain:



A nettle tree:



Large tortoiseshells were very common:



New for the year (in addition to nettle tree butterfly) were holly blue, Camberwell beauty, green hairstreak and small copper. Again, almost everything settled south of the track and I had to take it into the sun, but this green hairstreak was the exception:



This small copper is taken into the sun but the picture came out OK all the same:



The track was obstructed by fallen trees and in places overgrown with briars and brambles. Poor old Freda, my bike, suffered. Here she is climbing over a fallen tree:



Eventually, I left her and went on alone, abandoning my original idea of a round trip. When I got back to her it was apparent she had a puncture, so I walked her back to better terrain and mended the puncture (it turned out there were two) near a stream, under a nettle tree. As I did so, three nettle tree butterflies flitted around above me. It couldn't have been more pleasant.


(normally a nightmare - today a pleasure!)



Patched up, she got me home again.

Guy

[Chris Jackson]

Not bad for "poor" celtis shots, Guy. This butterfly makes me think of stained-glass windows when you get the light in the right direction.
Your celtis, rubi, phlaeas, argiolus and polychlorous are perfectly in phase with the species down around Marseilles.
Chris

[Padfield]

Thanks Chris. I perhaps should have mentioned I was in North Italy. I've yet to see a green hairstreak or small copper in Switzerland and nettle tree butterflies only fly in Ticino, which actually takes a lot longer to reach than Domodossola (the nearest bit of Italy)!

Guy

[MikeOxon]

I perhaps should have mentioned I was in North Italy.

Despite your reservations, they are super photos of the Nettle Tree butterfly

I'm glad you mentioned your location - imagine one of our 'well informed' newspapers picking up the line "Large tortoiseshells were very common" from a UK butterflies website

Mike