Up and out early as the forecast was for sunny spells in the morning and cloud in the afternoon.
The morning list, from a site in the Val d'Hérens, comprised: scarce swallowtail, Apollo, small white, green-veined white, black-veined white, wood white, orange tip, Berger's clouded yellow, little blue, Provençal short-tailed blue, Osiris blue, green-underside blue, common blue, Adonis blue, green hairstreak, purple-shot copper, sooty copper, Duke of Burgundy, peacock, small tortoiseshell, comma, violet fritillary, Glanville fritillary, spotted fritillary, heath fritillary, false heath fritillary, Queen of Spain fritillary, small heath, wall, speckled wood, southern grizzled skipper, safflower skipper, dingy skipper.
Some piccies of a few of these:
(Apollos are suddenly common)
(another)
(black-veined whites have also burst onto the scene)
(purple-shot copper)
(another)
(a pristine Osiris blue)
(three hatched eggs of blue-spot hairstreak. I couldn't find any caterpillars, but the leaves were still furled and the caterpillars doubtless tiny)
(I had a beer - Minnie had some delicious alpine water)
In the afternoon, we went to get the lady some slippers. These four looked just the right size:
Some more piccies of this extraordinary plant:
Nearby we found these bird's nest orchids:
All in all, a fruitful day.
Guy
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