SPAIN EARLY 2014.

[LancsRover]

Wednesday 19.3.14 sunny 19c.

A trip back to the area where I found the Spanish Festoon on Monday, paid off with a better specimen
(all wings intact).

Cheers Russ

[LancsRover]

Wednesday 19.3.14

Other b/f's seen; Green H/S, Panoptes Blue,Wall Brown, Mallow Skipper and Prov. Orange Tip but it didn't stop, again

Cheers Russ

[LancsRover]

Wednesday 19.3.14

....and an ugly lizard, he's upside down.

Cheers Russ

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Russ

That's a Gecko you have there. See it's rounded toes. Two species in Spain the larger Moorish Gecko that often has more stripes than your specimen and the Turkish Gecko that favours southern areas of Spain. Looks more like the latter from other photos on the net. No books available as I'm at work.

[CFB]

Hello Paul,

Can you confirm that this also is a Turkish Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus):

This photo was taken late in the evening with the gecko on the mosquito netting of a window. They are quite delightful creatures and quite friendly, not always dashing away like lizards. They even sometimes come inside the house or garage, where they are very welcome.
--
Colin

[Charles Nicol]

Wednesday 19.3.14 sunny 19c.

A trip back to the area where I found the Spanish Festoon on Monday, paid off with a better specimen
(all wings intact).

Cheers Russ

a lovely picture. such an intriguing wing pattern.

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Colin

Yours appears more like a Moorish Gecko with stripes along the body. The Turkish Gecko is normally more blotchy on the body with only obvious striping on the tail.

I'll need to get a look in my books at home. Where was the photo taken.

[CFB]

Hello Paul,

The photos were taken in Valbonne in the Alpes-Maritimes.

Here are two more just to confuse the matter:

--
Colin

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Colin

I'm sticking with Moorish Gecko for these too unless anyone else can correct me. Excellent photos and very typical place to find these creatures.

[CFB]

Thanks a lot, Paul.
--
Colin

[LancsRover]

Thanks Paul, Colin and Charles for your comments

Cheers Russ

[LancsRover]

Friday 21.3.14 Sunny 18c
A short walk around the scrub next to the campsite, b/f's seen;
3 or 4 Swallowtails (new to the area)
Plenty of G H/S, Speckled Woods, Holy Blue, Panoptes Blue, and Lang's short -tailed Blue.

Cheers Russ(pics to follow)

[LancsRover]

Pics from Friday 21.3.14(still having probs with internet downloads)

Cheers Russ

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Russ,
I'm surprised you havn't seen a Scarce Swallowtail yet, its the season and you are in the distribution area as far as I can tell. Good hunting.
Cheers, Chris.

[LancsRover]

Hi Chris, There is a debate going on in my book about Scarce S/t and Southern S/t, I would be glad to see either .
I'll be out and about tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Russ

[LancsRover]

Monday 24/3/14
I managed to get a couple of half decent pics(not the best pics I've ever taken) of the elusive Provence Orange Tip, it's only taken me a week. It's a beautiful butterfly, worth the chase!

Cheers Russ

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Russ,
I like those Moroccan (Provencal) Orange Tips. I think you're lucky even to get those photos. I'm looking forward to seeing some down my way but there is no guarantee. I may have to wait another 2 to 3 weeks according to my last year's records, even then the 'flight window' is quite short, and they're not all that common anyway, so it should be a challenge.
Your photos show them perched on Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis) with larger seed pods than those over my way at the moment, which shows the seasonal lead you have over us in Marseilles.
Cheers, Chris

[LancsRover]

Hi Chris, The weather here has taken a turn for the worse, it has been quite cool and very windy the last 2/3 days, I hope it is ok for you in France? Good luck with the Pro. Orange Tip.

Cheers Russ

[LancsRover]

Hi All,
I will be leaving Alcossebre in a few days time, hopefully heading for Ainsa(Spanish Pyrenees) then through to Luz-Saint-Sauveur/Gavarnie area in the French Pyrenees.

Will anything be flying so early in the mountains?

Cheers Russ

[Padfield]

At Ainsa I'm sure there will be things flying. It's about the same altitude as the Rhône Valley floor near me, and rather further south! As a piece of trivia, Ainsa gave its name to what was Agrodiaetus ainsae - now Polyommatus fulgens (Forster's furry blue). Before I ran into this species elsewhere, I always intended to pay Ainsa a visit. I'd be interested to know what it's like. It is, of course, far too early for furry blues. Higher up in the mountains there will be less but on south-facing slopes there is bound to be some stuff. If nothing else, I predict Camberwell beauty at one of these sites! Anywhere there is sallow near water they should be on the wing.

Guy