Aude 2014

[Padfield]

From the markings, I think your Carcharodus skipper is flocciferus (tufted marbled). When I adjust the colours on my computer so that unlikely red band becomes the correct brown of flocciferus the other colours come right too. The other skipper is Lulworth, as you suggested.

Guy

[Charles Nicol]

From the markings, I think your Carcharodus skipper is flocciferus (tufted marbled). When I adjust the colours on my computer so that unlikely red band becomes the correct brown of flocciferus the other colours come right too. The other skipper is Lulworth, as you suggested.

Guy

thanks for both of those Guy !! i quite like the red colour scheme even if it is not as nature intended

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

today i went for a 4 hour circular walk around Preixan. i looked out for Two Tailed Pashas at a previous site but they did not show. I visited a little flower meadow next to the big telecomms mast overlooking Preixan and Roullens. A lot of broom has encroached on the flower area since my last visit but there were loads of butterflies. Curiously no skippers which had been plentiful last time i visited.
i think this is a Queen of Spain fritillary:

this was the only blue flying at the meadow :

and this was a Comma i saw at Pomas yesterday:

It looks quite different from our proper British Commas....

I had a wonderful lunch in Pomas at Le Képi Blanc. Highly recommended !!

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

i forgot to mention that a flock of Bee-eaters flew over the meadow... such a pleasure to see and hear them

i have updated the flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

most of the new pics were taken at the Cité in Carcassonne. The chap with the glass balls on his head is amazing...

Tomorrow will visit the Causses St Adrien ... quite a strenuous hike which should burn off plenty of calories

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

I successfully completed the Causse St Adrien circuit. Nothing of great interest in the first 3 km, but when i emerged from the gloomy pine forest i found the European White Admiral and then the lovely Queen of Spain fritillary. At the highest point there were several Swallowtails lekking... i managed to get a pic. A pleasant breeze came over the escarpment, enabling me to dry off my shirt.
On the way down i came across several Silver Spotted Skippers including the one perched in a pine tree.
There was a violent storm lasting several hours overnight, and today the weather is very overcast

there was a huge flock of swallows around some of the old buildings in Alet ...

updated flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

[Charles Nicol]

yesterday was warm and sunny. i walked up to St Salvayre, a distance of 6km. about 2/3 of the way up there was a belt of pine trees... i noticed this creature walking briskly towards me:

he was in imminent danger of being squashed by a car so i guided him onto my hat where he remained quite happily. After some pics i released him into the undergrowth.

this is the most remarkable caterpillar i have ever seen

there were plenty of the usual suspects on the way up. there was supposed to be a Druidic Stone in St Salvayre but i did not see it.

[FISHiEE]

Hi Charles, Looks like the caterpillar of the peacock moth to me. One I'd love to see on the continent myself so quite envious! Looks like he mist be heading off to find somewhere to pupate.

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks for the ID FISHiEE. I looked through my basic reference books but couldn't find it.
Chris

[Charles Nicol]

Many thanks FishiEE & chris

it is a perfect match for the Peacock Moth caterpillar:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_paon ... G_5165.JPG

that was definitely one of the highlights of the 2014 butterfly_athon !!

yesterday was perhaps even better; i took the train to Pomas and took one of the circular walks above the village. there are two, both in the form of a circular boucle. after about 200m of rising ground i reached a plateau which was a hive of butterfly lekking activity

both types of Swallowtail + Two Tailed Pashas + Great Banded Grayling were engaged in intense aerial dogfights. Closer to ground were Short Tailed Blues, 0** E*****, Cleopatras + Walls + Gatekeepers etc

i was able to get some nice pics of the Swallowtails and 2TPs once i figured out their perching bushes. as i was resting under a small oak tree i noticed a Purple Hairstreak arrive... i was able to get a decent pic.

Later i showed the pics to the locals at the bar in Pomas but they had never seen these butterflies before !!

Also i found some large pawprints ... a 2 euro piece gives the idea of the size of the brute. I suggested that it could be a wolf... the locals said that some sheep had been attacked by a wolf nearby...

all in all a brilliant day out... today the weather is m***e once more... i will definitely revisit this site next week

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

[Chris Jackson]

re- flickr.com:
Glad you got your Two-tailed Pasha, Charles.
Unfortunately I have never seen a Purple Hairstreak round my way, but I'll keep looking wherever there are oak trees.
Your wolf paw print looks big enough to be a Grizzly bear paw print - Attention !!
Cheers, Chris

[Charles Nicol]

re- flickr.com:
Glad you got your Two-tailed Pasha, Charles.
Unfortunately I have never seen a Purple Hairstreak round my way, but I'll keep looking wherever there are oak trees.
Your wolf paw print looks big enough to be a Grizzly bear paw print - Attention !!
Cheers, Chris

there do not seem to be so many Purple Hairstreaks this year Chris. i shall watch out for hungry bears

the weather forecast is much better this week so i shall be out & about in the countryside. the last few days have been spent in restaurants etc.

more pics at https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

Sunday was scorchio so went for a long walk around Pomas, completing the Boucle. Apart from the lekking areas which i visited previously the rest of the Boucle was not very productive.
By 7pm the temperature in Pomas was a balmy 35 degrees
Yesterday was also very hot; i went back to Pomas for lunch at the restaurant. Then i walked to Couffoulens through the vineyards. I checked the Poplar Woods for Lesser Purple Emperors... one large dark butterfly was sitting by a puddle but flew away before i could photograph it ... maybe it was a very late Poplar Admiral ( i wish )

i have updated the flickr page

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

[Charles Nicol]

yesterday and today i revisited the Emperor Woods. I think that the large dark butterfly i mentioned previously was probably a Purple Emperor; i saw both ilia and iris today on the woodland path. I provided some nice overripe nectarines for them which they enjoyed.
Today i saw my first Peacock butterfly of the trip. Also a Painted Lady.
There was a large flock of Bee-Eaters at the Emperor site. I made a video to capture their delightful song.
The grapes are ripening in the vineyards... soon the vendange will begin

Charles



flickr group updated: https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

[Charles Nicol]

just one butterfly today... the Restaurant Bronze

fine weather predicted for Sunday & Monday so will sally forth then

Charles

[Chris Jackson]

Just catching up Charles with your Flikr photos. Some nice butterfly photos and other mouth-watering ones.
Cassoulet in the height of summer ? Quel gourmet !
Chris

[Charles Nicol]

Just catching up Charles with your Flikr photos. Some nice butterfly photos and other mouth-watering ones.
Cassoulet in the height of summer ? Quel gourmet !
Chris

hehehe carpe diem mon vieux....

the cassoulet was at a cassoulet factory with an attached restaurant. in fact one of the best restaurants i have been to over the years. if you are ever in Limoux il faut visiter Aymeric in Flassian-Limoux.

i hope you like today's offerings

Charles



https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

[Charles Nicol]

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

yesterday i revisited the Emperor Woods. i arrived about 2pm; they were just finishing their visits to ground level. Thereafter it was a question of spotting them up in the canopy. I left some nice fruity offrandes on the path.
the weather looks settled until the end of my hols in a week or so

i shall probably visit Preixan again tomorrow.

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

Yesterday had delicious meal at Café Felix in the main square of Carcassonne. Steak with Gruyère sauce....

Today returned to the Aymeric restaurant in Limoux to try their 10 euro lunch... was not disappointed

Weather is quite sunny today so will go up the goat track later to see what butterflies are there.

A demain

[Charles Nicol]

Weather is dodgy again 2day... 2morrow looks a lot better... probably start at Pomas + or - lunch at the Képi Blanc.... decisions, decisions...

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

Yesterday was scorchio... went on Grande Boucle at Preixan. Plenty of Two Tailed Pashas around the Arbutus bushes. All the other usual suspects except Machaon Swallowtail. The only Skipper was a solitary Dingy.

I filmed two Brintesias circe in their mating flight:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/captainca ... 666925@N20

Today started 100% cloud cover... gradually dispersing during the afternoon. On the way to the bus stop i found this Meuth:

For lunch i went back to the Conservoire in Limoux for their 10 euro menu. Today it was terrine of "Head" to start, then Salmon Ravioli and for dessert a Millefeuille. An excellent meal, as long as one did not dwell on the contents of the terrine

more pics at https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/