Two valleys in the Pyrenees Ariegeoises PNR

[Buchan Boy]

Thanks Guy,

I think I'll take on board your pearls of wisdom as I go and do a mass post edit when all is in place,I know ID just from photographs is sometimes not enough and undersides help as well,trouble is I'm at that stage in my butterflying hobby that I just see lovely insects and want to photograph them and think about the rest later.I got to grips with some underside shots of the Grizzled's later on!

Hey Chris,

I guess I got lucky,I only had to write-off two days due to rain,but when visiting upland areas I always expect the worst!

Thanks again chaps

Dave

[Buchan Boy]

Wednesday 4th June 2014

The first day written off due to rain,did'nt do too much.....pondered the Heath/Provencal/Meadow thing a bit more............went to bed early.........Mellicta,mellicta,mellicta aaarrrggghhhhhh!
I'm sure somebody said it was going to get hot.........

Thursday 5th June 2014

Part one

Not sure what happened,mentally today,I felt an urge to drive!Cabin Fever maybe,cooped up for a whole day,anyway decided to take a trip up to some proper high stuff.
Firstly though,let me talk about cherries,I love cherries,in my eyes the king of all fruits.The local supermarkets were chucking out a kilo of these,for about £1.50,about a third of the price back here in the UK,I tucked into bucketloads of these during the trip.Not only did the supermarkets have loads though,so did the trees,and these were free,providing they were on public land or in the cottage garden here.When we arrived the tree in the cottage garden was brimming with ripe little beauties until me,armed with a washing up bowl,started to systematically detach fruit from tree.However I wasn't the only animal that knew about this tree,the local Red Squirrel also knew about the lush bounty on this tree!

Surba Red Squirrel

OOY!get orf my cherries!

The tussle of man vs squirrel didn't last much longer as between us we emptied the tree of its fruit in the next couple of days.I did feel slightly guilty and pondered one of the seven deadly sins,but hey they were free!

Quickly checked the adjacent meadow where the first butterfly was on the wing at 8.46 getting earlier

Surba Provencal Frit

A local Dingy showing itself nice and early

Surba Dingy

Decided to drive out of the area a bit today and have a look at a Ski Station.....
South on the Andorra road to Les Cabannes,then follow the signs to Station de Beille.
The road up to this plateau wound on and on through lush tree covered slopes,it wasn't until the treeline was passed that I could see some truly magnificent views,i stopped for a look around

Across to Pic de St-Barthelemy

First thing to note was how spring was slow up at these altitudes and the absolute masses of Small Tortoisehells,clouds of them.Them and Grizzleds seemed to be all that was around.
A few Grizzled's

Plateau de Beille Grizzled

Plateau de Beille Grizzled2

Plateau de Beille Grizzled3

I then drove to the Ski Station itself,immense views

Plateau de Beille towards Andorra

Had a wander around and it was pretty lonely,not a lot going on at this altitude

Elevation at Plateau de Beille

A Green Hairstreak colony at nearly 6000ft bought a smile to my face

Plateau de Beille Green Hairstreak

And another Grizzled

Plateau de Beille Grizzled at nearly 6000ft

That was it really,a few tourists,not a lot of flowers around,some cattle,some wall lizards and masses of Geotrupes dor beetles having a mass gathering on some cow dung,never seen anything like this

Plateau de Beille Geotrupes orgy.

I then rolled all the way down the mountain,even though it was 17degrees at the top I don't think there had been many days like this.Every inviting verge that I rolled into was just masses of Small Tortoiseshells and Grizzled Skippers,not a lot else could break through,amazing really.

Back soon

[Charles Nicol]

thanks for another excellent installment Dave !

i loved your pic of the squirrel eating cherries. those dung beetles know how to party !

i am off to France next week... it would be lovely to see a Camberwell Beauty... fingers crossed

Charles

[Buchan Boy]

Thanks Charles,

Looking forward to those Camberwell shots ,good luck with your trip.

Dave

[Buchan Boy]

Thursday 5th June 2014

Part two

I drove into Tarascon for supplies at the Super U and realised it was starting to get rather warm at the bottom of these valleys.Had a siesta at the cottage,my wife was hovering by the pool......and 25 degrees C,where is that little degrees symbol on a keyboard?,was noted in the garden.Thought I'd try my luck back up the Saurat valley again and see if any of those Ringlets would let me photograph them,or at least try and fathom some behaviour patterns.
Drove near to Col de Port and found a small damp area with definite Heath Fritillaries.

Col de Port Heath Fritillary

Some more Mazarine Blues

Col de Port Mazarine Blue

Col de Port Mazarine Blue2

Then as the light was just drifting to that lovely angle,I tried to get the colours on the male Sooty's wings to twinkle,not sure....

Col de Port Sooty Copper

Col de Port Sooty Copper2

I chased some Ringlets around but it was quite warm and I'm sure they fly into the dark!No luck,but no booties today

Saurat Valley from Col de Port,lovely day.

Got back to get a Large White in the meadow by the cottage..which ended, a starting to get warm, day.

Surba Large White

Back soon.

Dave

[Buchan Boy]

Friday 6th June 2014

It was getting warm,a rather uncomfy night,it also stayed cloudy till about 10.30 this morning, but as soon as that sun broke through,whoosh
Morning!

Surba Wall Lizard

Went to the meadows under Calames Roc first
First Swallowtail nectaring on the Scabious,smashed through a bramble thicket...........ouch,got torn to shreds(at this point I pondered this peaceful hobby).

Calames Swallowtail

Old onetail Swallowtail!

Calames Swallowtail2

Big Orange Frit racing by,please slow up,please slow up,hoorah

Calames High Brown

Calames High Brown2

Temperature was now starting to get a bit silly as were the butterflies,but I persevered for a little while longer before it became impossible.

Calames False Heath

A couple of firsts,Marbled Whites and Small Skippers beginning to show.

Calames Marbled White

Calames Small Skipper

That was that,heading towards 30 degrees now,Orange Tips,Brimstones and Small Coppers almost everywhere.

Under Calames Meadow

Calames Beautiful Demoiselle

I then left it till after 3pm before venturing out again and that was my first look at the meadows,by the road,under the Roc de Sedour,plus venturing up to scree for the first time.
The meadow I became very fond of in the following days,over 25 species of butterflies noted here,top left,heavily laden cherry tree..........yep.

Roc de Sedour road meadow.Left

Roc de Sedour road meadow.Right

First stand out Fritillaries were Spotteds

Roc de Sedour Spotted Underside

Roc de Sedour Spotted Fritillary

Clouded Yellows were beginning to appear,and slow up with the sun now lowering a bit

Roc de Sedour Clouded Yellow

Then Swallowtails began to swoop down,it was just a matter of time before one of my favourite shots ever was in the camera,worth noting how approachable they can be when knackered for the day.

Roc de Sedour Swallowtail

Yep,

Back soon.

[Buchan Boy]

Friday 6th June 2014

cont........

The Swallowtail left me felling fulfilled but a surprise,to leave me doubly fulfilled was up ahead,coming down off the scree slopes and kicking through some grass,what I first took to be a rather large cricket took to wing,but no,turned out to be the only mantid of the trip,and a beauty it was to...
This is either Empusa pennata or E.fasciata,very close relatives of each other and just waiting for clarification. About 4" long and a very good flier and extremely alert,it watched my every move,utterly superb!

Roc de Sedour Empusa mantid.

Roc de Sedour Empusa mantid.2

Roc de Sedour Empusa mantid.3

Roc de Sedour Empusa mantid.4

Roc de Sedour Empusa mantid.5

All made up now!
Wrapped up today in the meadow watching the butterflies calming down for the day,and the human as well........with a beer and some cherries.(free)(not the beer,the cherries)

Roc de Sedour Brown Argus

Roc de Sedour Black Veined White

Roc de Sedour Female Provencal Short Tailed Blue

Roc de Sedour Female Provencal Short Tailed Blue2

The last to be photographed was a female Glanville..........I think!

Roc de Sedour Female Glanville?

Hot days are...................hot!
Thanks
Back soon

[Chris Jackson]

Nice photos and commentary Dave. What a good holiday you had!
Chris

[David M]

Great images, Dave. Your Provencal Short Tailed Blue has made me most envious.

[Buchan Boy]

Saturday 7th June 2014

So that heatwave arrived,too hot in the valleys,I did venture out but a tad sapping.Some stuff worth noting though.

Hitting 34 degrees C today and I really should have found some altitude but just for experience I endured today in the valley.

Roc de Sedour slopes

Roc de Sedour Large White

Roc de Sedour Hummingbird Hawkmoth

My first Weavers Fritillaries

Roc de Sedour Weavers Fritillary

Roc de Sedour Weavers Fritillary2

Male and Female Spotted Frittilaries

Roc de Sedour Spotted Fritillaries

And lastly,on a way too hot day..(lightweight!)

Underside Provencal Fritillary

Wandered into Tarascon to find a bar for the evening.......that was lovely.
Oh I did see a Cleopatra.......then it was gone......

[Mikhail]

If I could comment rather belatedly on your Empusa, it would have to be E.pennata, as according to Fauna Europaea E.fasciata does not occur anywhere west of Italy, and is mainly Balkan.

M.