What's flying in Marseilles 2015

[David M]

Lovely Dusky Heath, Chris. I've only ever seen one, yet have seen multi-thousands of Pearlies.

[Chris Jackson]

Yesterday, a winged predator (I couldn't identify what it was) dropped a dead female Spanish Gatekeeper at my feet, then flew off.
Here therefore is an upperside view of a female Spanish Gatekeeper.

R.I.P.,
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Wednesday 27th May - 25°C and blue skies

First sighting this year of a Silver-studded Blue

down in the olive grove (despite the Mistral wind):

I am expecting Southern Gatekeeper and Great-banded Grayling soon - normally, the first Grayling of the season .
Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Thursday, 28th May - 25°C and blue skies

Marbled Fritillary:
Down in the olive grove during my lunchbreak today, I spotted my 1st Marbled Fritillaries of the season (3 individuals). They are not very common around my way. Last year I only had 1 single sighting in the same spot.
The first may have been a male because it did not stop for one second patrolling up and down a hedge of brambles (hence the torn hind wing ?) - in flight in this photo:

The second may have been a female, with a totally different behaviour. Significantly more relaxed than the first, stopping to nectar, and allowing me to get sufficiently close for a photo.

Bramble hedge.

Also seen - female Lang's Short-tailed blue

Cheers, Chris

[Charles Nicol]

thanks for the update Chris. lovely pics there. i am looking forward to the Brintesia... they often land on my shirt

[Chris Jackson]

thanks for the update Chris. lovely pics there. i am looking forward to the Brintesia... they often land on my shirt

Thank you for the prompt, Charles. This coming week, I will put on a clean shirt at work to welcome the Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe) expected in the scrub in Vitrolles during my lunchbreak.
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Saturday 30th May, South of France

Hi folks,
Today in the Parc des Bruyères, 500 yards from our home on the outskirts of Marseilles, the following were on the wing:
Blue Spot Hairstreak:

Southern White Admiral:

Provence Chalk-hill Blue (since this park burnt down 6 years ago, this is the first year I've seen this species ):

False Ilex Hairstreak accompanied by a Silver Studded Blue:

Spanish Gatekeeper on Curry Plant:

Silver Studded Blue female:

Also seen - Dusky Heath, Western Marbled White, Cleopatra, Spotted Frit.
The Great Banded Grayling and Marbled White are expected soon.
Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Monday 01 June - South of France - 26°C and blue skies (sorry)

During my lunchbreak I went up onto the plateau of Vitrolles looking for the Great Banded Grayling, which is due. However, to no avail.
There were however 3 Two-tailed Pachas, 3+ Swallowtails and 3+ Scarce Swallowtails hilltopping together off the escarpment.
Two-tailed Pasha (same individual 2 times). I am aiming for a better open-wing shot than this :

(I took the above photo with my arms stretched upwards and forwards, Panasonic FZ150 pointing nearly vertically downwards, and swivel screen pivoted at almost 180° - very practical )
Same individual in the same place, but with camera aimed horizontally:

Swallowtail (weathercocking into the wind):

Scarce Swallowtail (also weathercocking):

Context - escarpment on west side of plateau of Vitrolles:

The UK should be getting the same heat wave that we are expecting for the end of the week. Phew !!
Bon courage,
Chris

[Sylvie_h]

Hi Chris,

I've just had a look at the weather forecast and for West Glamorgan it will be 16 degrees max but feeling like 13 degrees, I don't call this a heat wave ! It always make me laugh when the met office forecast a heat wave....Today in Swansea it is 10 degrees but feels like 6 degrees and it's raining of course
But during the week end I was happy to find a common blue in my garden and also the small heaths have now emerged at Whiteford Burrows (I saw about 5).
Not all is bad after all.....
Sylvie

[Catteraxe]

Similar weather here in Newport today. Spent a pleasant day on Gower on Saturday in the Llanrhidian area but butterflies were in very short supply - saw only a couple of whites and a single Marsh Frit (lovely specimen). I hope that heat wave arrives pdq as I'm off to the Lake District this Thursday!

Kevin.

[David M]

Nice to be seeing some butterflies, even if they are about 1,000 miles away!

Yes, the 'heatwave' will only cover the south east really. Here in Wales it is expected to be no more than 18c.

Still, that's a hell of an improvement on the last few days.

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Sylvie, Kevin and David,
I've forgotten how temperamental the weather can be in Britain even in June.
It has been 28 years since I last lived 'full time' in Leicester, and Leicester is gloomy even when the sun is out.
The British weather is one of the reasons I took the plunge and left those shores all those years ago - not everybody has the opportunity to do that, I admit.
I hope it brightens up for you soon . Think forward to summer holidays!!
Cheers, Chris

[Sylvie_h]

Hi Chris,
For me it’s the reverse situation, I moved to Swansea 11 years ago for work reasons not for cooler climes…., before then I was in the Alpes Maritimes where I got the chance to see a lot of butterfly species and your photos bring back some nice memories. I do go back to France once a year to visit the family but further up in the Haute Savoie. I am lucky in a way as the Northern Alps are also rich in butterfly species. I will be there at the end of June for more than 2 weeks and I can’t wait for the hot weather, alpine meadows and off course the butterflies:)

Kevin,
Interesting to know that you found a MF in the LLanridhian area or it could maybe just be an escapee from Welsh moor having been blown your way by the wind…..
Weather is brighting up now, sunshine for the next 4 days and higher temperatures
Sylvie

[Catteraxe]

Hi Sylvie,

The MF was on Welsh Moor. We did a 5 mile circular walk that took us through Welsh Moor, on to Llanridhian (with a stop in the Dolphin!) and back to Cillibion where we started. The weather was actually pretty good but I suspect the chill wind was the culprit for the lack of butterflies. Currently loading our motorhome for a trip to the Lake District where we'll be from Thursday for 9 days so bring on the sunshine!

Kevin

[Chris Jackson]

Aaah ..., the Haute Savoie, Sylvie. I had a pleasant holiday in the valley of the Tarentaise a couple of years back (Montchavin). I bet you're raring to go. I have fond memories ... must be galère to live there in winter though. My most memorable sightings in the Haute Savoie were an Apollo and a Peacock - yes, Peacocks for me down in Marseilles are exotic !!

Today, 02 June, South of France, a lo of 16°C and a hi of 28°C

At lunchtime, down in the olive grove, 1st sighting this year of a Marbled White (on the same day as Colin, over in the Alpes Maritimes, apparently). Last year, my 1st sighting was to within 1 day of this year's

Upperside view of False Ilex Hairstreak in tragic circumstances

A clearer underside view of a Marbled Fritillary

All down in the olive grove

Although there are flowers, I can feel that the place is already starting to dry up. As Roger mentioned in another thread, by July, this place will be parched.
The Southern Gatekeeper is expected shortly.

Cheers, Chris

[David M]

Given the drenching we encounter in the UK, it's easy to forget that whilst the southernmost portion of France is warm, it also suffers from a lack of rainfall in late spring and summer.

Your image is one that we would only see here if there were some kind of drought.

I guess that's why butterflies at that latitude generally seek altitude. At least their foodplants don't wither away in the burning heat and dry atmosphere.

[Sylvie_h]

Hi Chris,

You’re right , it is a real 'galère ' to live in those mountains during the winter. I remember when I was young, we had very bad winters where the temperatures could drop suddenly to -30 degrees. It was not unusual to have ice on the inside of the windows in the morning and to find my dad’s car snowed in with more than 1 meter of snow. The advantage of living in Wales is that we have short and rather mild winters and nature starts to wake up sometimes as early as February . In February in the Alps you know you must wait at least until mid May before nature starts to wake up….. that makes winters rather long. I guess you’re the lucky one Chris, you live in an area where winters are not so long and when it dries up in the summer, you can drive off to the high mountains of the Southern Alps within a few hours.
Sylvie

[Roger Gibbons]

Dead right, Sylvie! Head for the southern Alpes at the end of June. It's not only me, but much of Marseille judging by the number of "13" number plates you see in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in July.

I spend a few days in the Queyras National Park (Reverdin and Rogerdodge will know the area from a couple of years ago) every July, in a chambre d'hote at 2000m altitude, and the rich terrain there between 2000-2500m is a superb unspoilt butterfly region, although the season is very short, essentially just the month of July. A couple of years ago, the proprietor said that the previous winter saw them under 7m of snow.

Roger

[Reverdin]

sigh.... happy days

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Sylvie, David, Roger and Reverdin,
I can't remember the last time it rained down here, could it be weeks or months ago ?

Here are more pics of the dried up grass down in the olive grove at work - a real fire hazard. The flowers were covered in butterflies, mainly False Ilex and Meadow Brown, but there were also Green-veined, Dusky Heath, Marbled Frit, Small Copper and Silver-studded Blue, and a new one to my collection, Chapman's Blue (thanks to Roger for the ID).

Chapman's

Small Copper

Green-veined

False Ilex

Many of the flowers hide spiders, waiting on unsuspecting butterflies.
This one was even the colour of its host flower - how ingenious.

Also seen - Great-banded Grayling. I had the intention of going out to look for it, but it found me - it flew head first into my closed office window .
The Southern Gatekeeper is late !!

Cheers, Chris