www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

That was a quick response Guy, I didn't have time to breathe.
Mid May really is dynamic this year, as opposed to beginning of June usually.

The bets are on - will I see a Grayling before May is out? Incroyable!

Chris.

Thursday May 22nd

SPECIES No. 47: Marbled Fritillary (daphne)

Another lunch-break sighting at work, and another new species for me (Thanks to Guy and Roger for the ID).
I had to fight through brambles to get these photos but fortunately a cloud came over and calmed it down.
daphne: Context, with brambles in the foreground: Cheers, Chris

Friday 23rd May
A day off work and a little trip out to the Island of Frioul off the port of Marseilles. A barren island but I was happy to accompany my wife (how noble of me) for a picnic on the off-chance there was something different butterfly-wise (no self-interest here!). Notably, I saw a Spanish Festoon (a bit worn) and two Clouded Yellows. The Cloudies were a surprise because I havn't seen a single one on the mainland for at least 3 months.

Island of Frioul - these photos are for Guy - the slopes are covered in Curry Plant (I read somewhere that Guy likes curries): Spanish Festoon: Clouded Yellow: and just like Colin, I spotted my first Five-spot Burnet of the season: Cheers, Chris

Chris,
Is that a faded Six Spot Burnet Moth?

You may be right Nick, its difficult to tell where some of the spots start and stop.
Thanks, Chris

Monday 26th May - the start of a week off work (the French are great for holidays - I've got so many I have to take time off just to use them up )

Today I saw my first fresh Large Tortoiseshell (usually I only get to see ex-hibernators in March). According to T&L, they should appear around the end of June. Are they early then this year?
polychloros in the Parc des Bruyères near home: A male Spanish Gatekeeper today in the Parc des Bruyères: A 1st brood Two-tailed Pasha from last week, near my work in Vitrolles, on a Strawberry Tree: Cheers, Chris

Tuesday 27th May

SPECIES No. 48: Great Banded Grayling (circe)

I was expecting the next species to be the Grayling (semele) at least 1 week early compared to last year, but finally it was the Great Banded Grayling, 3 weeks earlier than last year's sightings. Perhaps this means the Grayling is out there, but I just havn't seen it yet. I hope there will be less wind tomorrow and will keep you posted.
circe, on the outskirts of urban Marseilles: Cheers, Chris

Tuesday 27th May

SPECIES No. 49: Southern Small White (mannii)

Making the most of a week off work, I spotted this "small" white in my local scrubland park, and which turns out to be a Southern Small White - another new species for me this year. Thanks to Lee, Guy and Mike for the ID.
mannii: Cheers, Chris

Also spotted a Clouded Yellow for the first time today on the mainland since 17th February.

Wednesday 28th May

SPECIES No. 50: Comma Butterfly (c-album)

My first sighting of the year - these are not very common around my way, but I have now noted their habitat. This individual was busy defending its tree against Specklies.
c-album (proof shot taken from a distance - not perched on its defended tree): context for c-album (the tree in the centre of the photo): close-up of the leaves and fruit, if someone can identify the tree?: Nearby, a courting pair of Silver-studded blues: Then 2 photos of the 'bride' alone (same principle as for taking a series of wedding photos really (and she's even holding the bouquet of flowers )): Cheers, Chris

Monday 02 June, Vitrolles, South of France

Lunchbreak: At lunchtime I went into the scrub looking for my first Grayling of the year but didn't find one. However I spotted this chap who let himself be photoed quite easily - he was probably tired from hilltopping in a strong breeze.
My Panasonic FZ150 with pivoting screen allowed me to make minimum movements and to photograph at arm's length while standing in front of the butterfly (the photos are uncropped and without zoom)
jasius (1st brood) (these are photos of the same individual, all in the same place): Context (pine tree on edge of plateau of Vitrolles) Context (I don't know why the council are mowing the scrubland - its ridiculous!) Cheers, Chris

Wow...what a beautiful butterfly they are, Chris. I look forward to my first encounter...one day

Best wishes,

Lee

Chris, as someone who'd love to see this iconic species, could you tell me at which times they are on the wing in southern France? I alradyy know the type of habitat in which to look for them, but my trips to France always seem to fall between the two broods.

Hi Lee and David,
If I remember rightly (I'm writing from work), Tolman & Lewington states that there are 2 broods: mid May to Mid June, then mid August to mid September, with a larger population in the second brood. I can confirm from my sightings last year and this year that those periods seem to be very accurate!
From two days ago, Sunday 1st June, here are two jasius ova (one empty) on a Strawberry Bush in my local scrubland. I will try and locate the caterpillar when it hatches and see if it makes it through to mid August: Cheers, Chris

I have just read through your diary from January 1 with great interest as I lived near Avignon in the mid 1970s when I was in my 20s. Great photographs and commentary. My wife and I returned to Provence a couple of years ago and saw over 50 species of butterfly in two weeks.
Ian

Hi Ian,
Its true that down here I am quite spoilt by the weather and abundance of butterflies, although it is sobering for me when I see the enthousiasm of UK BFers and your hardships and efforts necessary to make your sightings in the UK. You are all very courageous. Bravo to you all back home.
Chris

Tuesday 3rd of June - South of France, 27°C and blue skies

SPECIES No. 51: Southern Gatekeeper (cecilia)
SPECIES No. 52: Provence Chalkhill Blue (hispanus)

At lunchtime at work, in Vitrolles, I popped down into the abandoned olive grove and discovered that the Southern Gatekeeper had made an appearance, 3 weeks earlier than last year.
I also found a Provence Chalkhill Blue which is a new species for me (thanks Guy and Colin for the ID).
cecilia: hispanus: Context: Context: A female Spanish Gatekeeper (bathseba) caught by a spider: By the way, we don't see 'normal' Gatekeepers this far South.
Cheers, Chris

Friday 6th of June - South of France, 28°C overcast and muggy

SPECIES No. 53: Marbled White (galathea) Alerted by Colin's report from the Alpes Maritimes that the Marbled White was starting to emerge, I went down to the olive grove again at lunchtime today and sure enough, there it was. I may have seen it a couple of days back in fact, but dismissed it, from a distance, as a Western Marbled White.
Context. View down into the olive grove from the Plateau of Vitrolles: Plus a better shot of a Great Banded Grayling which has been out for 2 weeks now: Cheers, Chris

Hi all ,
No new species for the moment. I'm still waiting on the Grayling (semele).
View of a female cleopatra in flight: I still have a few things to learn about my camera settings. Plus, for the pleasure, a pair of Spotted Fritillaries. These 2 photos are what I have kept out of about 150 taken today .
Regards from the South of France. 30°C today.
Cheers, Chris

Great image of the Cleopatra, Chris, but please don't feel the need to broadcast your temperatures.

Sunday 8th June, 30°C + and its going to get worse in the coming days .
Living in paradise has its limits quand même!!

I'm still waiting on the Grayling, but meanwhile today:

A fresh Nettle-tree Butterfly near a puddle in a local park, the first since the ex-hibernator sightings of months ago: Painted Ladies are back in my garden on the buddleia: My buddleia are flowering 1 month early this year. I have 11 of them in a garden measuring 10m x 6 m: My tomato patch in a 1.2 m x 1.2m box (which is why I don't have room in my garden for a pool like Colin I suppose A Geranium Bronze which, much to my joy, attacks my noisy neighbour's geraniums. A kind of justice I suppose, rendered on my behalf by mother nature :

A Small Copper in Aubagne today:
Cheers, Chris