Aude 2014

[Charles Nicol]

i forgot to mention that i saw a lovely green lizard on my Preixan walk. At first i thought it was a snake, but then i saw that it had legs... which it used to run away before i could take a pic

i think it was probably http://www.planetepassion.eu/LIZARDS-IN ... rance.html

Last night ( Friday ) i went to the Feria in Carcassonne... a great excuse to drink and be merry... i needed little encouragement. There was a late bus back to Alet. Tonight there is the normal 1909 bus which does not allow much time for merrymaking, but one must do one's best n'est_ce pas...

On the way to the internet café i came across a free booze-up sponsored by Ricard, the apéritif makers, as you can see from the pics...

[Charles Nicol]

today went for final trip to Pomas. as i passed a fig tree near the railway line i noticed a Pasha flying around. It settled on a nice juicy fig and tucked in, allowing me to take plenty of pics & a video qv.

there were plenty of butterflies around, although the smaller fritillaries and the skippers are few and far between now.

at the Pomas end of the track i disturbed a large butterfly in the vegetation... it was a Purple Emperor; it weaved a circle round me thrice then disappeared...

tomorrow i am leaving the campsite after 6 weeks... i shall spend the night at an hotel near the airport ready to depart on Mercredi.

i am not planning any more expeditions, but will keep my eyes open... those papillons can surprise you when you least expect it

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

left the campsite this morning. had a quick look behind the swimming pool to see if there was any 6-legged action. a lively Pasha was eating some faecal matter for breakfast & i took some pics & videos.
will probably go for a walk into town along the river this evening after checking in to the airport hotel. It was on this walk that i spotted a huge butterfly last year... maybe history will repeat itself

[Charles Nicol]

Well it is all over for another year

I hope you have enjoyed the pics at https://www.flickr.com/groups/2666925@N20/

i thought you might be interested in this butterfly article in the local paper:

the highlights of the trip for me were

i) the incredible Peacock Moth caterpillar... like something Salvador Dali might have dreamt up after hitting the pastis too hard...

ii) the lekking hill above Pomas... great encounters with battling Swallowtails and Two Tailed Pashas

iii) the Pasha in the fig tree

also new species for me... Lulworth Skipper and Provençal Short Tailed Blue... many thanks to the helpful folk who helped with the IDs !

My weight decreased by 18 lbs over the trip... now i have to keep it down

If you are looking for a pleasant inexpensive campsite in the Aude then i recommend Le Camping Val d'Aleth ( open all year )

Charles

[David M]

Aah, poor you, Charles.

Glad you had another successful visit though.

Thanks for all the information you've provided.

[Chris Jackson]

I've enjoyed following your gourmet butterflying holiday Charles. I'm sure I've put on weight just looking at the restaurant photos.
Cheers, Chris

[Charles Nicol]

I've enjoyed following your gourmet butterflying holiday Charles. I'm sure I've put on weight just looking at the restaurant photos.
Cheers, Chris

hehehe one day i must get around to trying a proper bouillabaisse...

good luck with the Purple Hairstreaks

CN

[Charles Nicol]

Aah, poor you, Charles.

Glad you had another successful visit though.

Thanks for all the information you've provided.

glad you enjoyed my embedded reports from the front line of the Midi !!

i certainly appreciated the help and encouragement from you guys

all the best

Charles