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Sun and cloud today. I visited the valley in search of large tortoiseshells and was delighted to find these and a further 7 species on the wing, leapfrogging 2013 ahead of 2012 (when I got my 8th species on 15th March) and indeed ahead of all recent years since 2008 (8th species on 2nd March).

At my first site, Queen of Spain and small torotiseshell were abundant, their combined numbers certainly reaching three figures. I couldn't work out why all my pictures of them were so lacking in fine detail until I realised, on the train between sites, that I had forgotten to lower the ISO after taking pictures in the gloom yesterday. Tant pis! Here are a Queen and a small tortoiseshell from that first site:





It was nice to see butterflies nectaring as well as just sitting around in the sun:



About half an hour into the walk I saw my first large tortoiseshell, gliding elegantly among the vines and occasionally stopping on foliage where it appeared to be seeking water droplets rather than nectar:



I soon saw another, being chased by a small tortoiseshell. I wish it had been possible to video this as it illustrated perfectly the differences in flight between these two species - the encounter was a little like a Jack Russell attacking a greyhound. The Jack Russell won.

A third large tortoiseshell at the same site was basking on a large expanse of rock:





It was still early but the clouds were coming in from the West so I caught the train further east along the valley to see what else was flying there. The first thing I saw was a brimstone - one of a dozen males drifting back and forth along the path throughout my walk. I also saw a single female brimstone but sadly not a single individual of either sex touched down all afternoon. Small tortoiseshells were common and there were a few Queens, so it was a very pleasant walk. The first big surprise was a single Eastern Bath white, motoring back along the path against the direction I was walking in. I turned and followed it for 200m but it never settled and eventually flew up and over a bush where I couldn't follow it. Just before I caught the train home I saw another Bath white. This one might have settled but a farm vehicle trundled past, putting it up and it flew over the Rhône.

Less surprising was this comma - one of two or perhaps three I saw today:



Peacock and a single small white brought the species total to 8.

Before the clouds finally settled in I enjoyed watching three large tortoiseshells defending or attempting to take territories along a creek. They were very alert, frequently resting on trees in a head-down position, from where they would launch out at anything that moved (except brimstones - they ignored the brimstones completely):





Here is the habitat - perfect for large tortoiseshells and, a little later, Camberwell beauties, to set up their territories in:



The bushes on the left are young (but well established) sallows.

This awful picture is significant only because I think it is the first time I have had two large tortoiseshells in camera view at once:



It couldn't last. The third put up one of them and the other immediately joined the fray.

The tatty wing edges of this individual probably bear witness to quite a few aerial scraps:



At one point, a large tortoiseshell that was circling aggressively or perhaps inquisitively around me excreted a stream of white ejecta, that shot out as if at pressure. I don't know if this was related to its territorial bullying but it didn't seem to be aimed at me.

Back to cloud. No chance of a comet sighting tonight.

Guy

Filler, so my next post is at the top of a new page!

Couldn't resist spoiling your fun I'm King of the Castle

I'll delete later.

Jack

------------------------------------------

In-post response, so you delete them both together: It doesn't work like that, Jack! All replies become the last post in the thread, so you can't 'push in'! Good try, but sorry!

Guy

I very much doubt if anyone has ever captured two Large Tortoishells in a single image before, Guy, so well done and thanks for making us all extremely envious

David M wrote:I very much doubt if anyone has ever captured two Large Tortoishells in a single image before..

I think they probably have, in the summer. But territorial males in spring really don't like sharing and this couple must have ended up like that unaware of each other's presence - perhaps each after a sortie against a different butterfly.

I find butterfly behavioiur fascinating and can sit for hours watching them from a distance. Unfortunately, time is at a premium in these short, early spring days, with clouds and winds racing through. Today I left the tortoiseshells to see if I could find another Bath white before the sun was hidden. It all felt like a bit of a race.

Guy

padfield wrote: I think they probably have, in the summer.

Well, you might be right, Guy, but until I see evidence of it then you are 'The Daddy'.

You'll be treating us to mating Red Admirals next!!

Sunday, 8 species of butterfly in the valley. Monday, our school ski competition, in the snow. At 10h00, when the first competitors descended the course, the resort was shrouded in cloud and snow was falling:



It did brighten as the day drew on but vast cloudscapes surrounded us.







And my favourite view, through the glass of the train window:



There was intermittent sun in the valley and Sunday's butterflies would have flown again yesterday. They would also have flown today, in the bright intervals, though temperatures are set to plummet so they might have to hang low a week or so.

Guy

Heavy clouds and high winds were forecast to move in from the West today so I decided to go east into Italy, to maximise my time. I went to the nettle tree site I found last year, when on 24th March I saw chequered blues, green hairstreaks, swallowtails and many more, bringing my year total to 19 species. This year, little over a week earlier, there was almost nothing on the wing at all. There were no nectar sources either, apart from a few sallows in flower, and by 11h30 I had seen just four small tortoiseshells, all in the vicinity of sallows or nectaring on them. In fact, the only real sign of spring was the presence of crag martins swooping over the mountain roads, catching what few insects they could find. I then checked out some scrubland I had found back in January of this year, where the story seemed much the same until I saw a single Queen of Spain, followed by a large tortoiseshell, followed by my only year tick for today, a plucky small copper.



I headed back to Switzerland for the afternoon, stopping off at the site where 8 species were flying last Sunday. Cloud had begun to cover the sky but it was still warm and I was surprised not to see any brimstones drifting along the path, nor any whites, nor really very much at all. There were a few small tortoiseshells and a couple of large tortoiseshells. This one showed great interest in one of his smaller cousins ...


(taken from a long way away!)

... but soon got bored with him or her:


(the small tortoiseshell is still there, on the right of the picture)

By 14h30 the gales were beginning and the last butterfly I saw was this large tortoiseshell, sheltering in the grass by a bank, trying to decide whether it was worth staying out on a day like this:



That was doubtless one of the ones zooming around last weekend. It hasn't been much of a week, weatherwise, but he's obviously seen some action.

Winds gusting to 110km/h are forecast and somehow the butterflies seemed to know something was coming. Sunny banks were covered in Potentilla but no grizzlies buzzed around them. As soon as school finishes at the end of next week I'm off to Málaga for five days, and then to Suffolk for Easter, so that was the last chance for a March grizzly!

Guy

Grim times, Guy. Still, it's been even worse here in the UK. Tomorrow is 7c and partly sunny but that's the best it will get before next weekend at the earliest.

I doubt any Orange Tips will be seen before mid-April the way things are carrying on.

It will be interesting to hear how you get on in Esp.,Guy.
Don't get to excited about coming to East Anglia,though-definately still winter here,and not a butterfly,of wild flower,in sight!

I was in Málaga at exactly the same time in 2011, when I saw a lot of butterflies on the one-and-a-half days of sun I got... Festoons, black-eyed blues, Provence hairstreaks, green-striped whites - all those lovely, early species that you miss if you go later. But I dipped out on my more difficult targets, mainly, I think, because of so few days to look for them. The two I particularly had in mind were Chapman's green hairstreak and Panoptes blue. I didn't have any sites for them but that makes the searching all the more exciting. I found a very promising habitat for panoptes but heavy cloud and strong winds wrote that walk off. I also now know that avis takes C. myrtifolia in Spain and I was only looking for strawberry tree, so that knowledge might improve my chances there.

Or, the weather might defeat me and I'll just have long walks in the hills!

Guy

Festoons,green striped whites,Provence hairsreaks and black-eyed blues would do me at the moment!
Well lets hope for good weather there,and the very best of luck-i'm sure i'm not alone in being keen to hear of your discoveries!

It's been a particularly hectic end-of-term but the weather has meant I haven't missed much. Today the sun did shine, after several days of snow off and on, but it is still quite cold. As I walked into school after lunch four small tortoiseshells were making the most of it on a sunny bank, without any real enthusiasm. A few cowslips were out in the meadow and there were primroses along the track:



The choughs are waiting to go up the mountain to their breeding grounds and as I reached Villars I saw small gangs of them with nothing better to do than harass innocent buzzards:



Tomorrow afternoon I fly to Málaga. If the weather forecast is right, I should be seeing those Provence hairstreaks and Spanish festoons on Sunday morning... Roll on Sunday morning!

Guy

Intersting that Ravens (beautifully) and Rooks soar and now I learn that Choughs also do so. But Crows, both Hooded and Carrion NEVER seem to exploit rising air currents in the same way. Why I ahve to wonder.

Enjoy Malaga. I see that the temperature reached 17 degs today but then light showers developed.

http://weather.uwyo.edu/cgi-bin/wyowx.f ... ATION=lemg

You might be able to at least interpret the temperature. The two numbers with the / between, eg 16/11, are the temperature and dewpoint.

Here in Tobermory, the corresponding figures at 04/-02 and it's too windy for some of the ferries to operate - wimps!!! They have problems parking (technically called "berthing" I believe) in a strong wind. That low dewpoint of -2C implies low humidty and coupled with the wind strength, means that it is absoutely bitter; five-layers, woooly hat and mittens, were scarcely adequate when I went to get the newspaper!

Jack

Thanks, Jack. Yes, choughs (these are alpine choughs, of course) are great exploiters of thermals. They are also very gregarious and may be seen in huge numbers gently circling and rising as if in a massive spiral elevator. In the winter, when they hang around towns, they are often to be seen above buildings with poor roof insulation! Thermals can be very local.

Last time I was in Málaga the weather forecasts required considerable interpretation, as small changes in wind direction could drastically alter conditions over the coastal hills. But I'll play the balls I'm bowled and just hope I can hit a few runs...

Guy

I arrived in Málaga last night to a rather persistent drizzle:



That wasn't forecast. Nor was the rain and cold that dominated today! I set off for the local hills at 08h00 (with last night's revellers still drifting around the streets, some drunk, some coming to) and already it was evident that the weather was moving fast and nothing was going to last. First heavy cloud, then rain, then an all too brief sunny spell, then rain again - and so on for the rest of the day. On top of that there were quite strong winds, so most butterflies were keeping a low profile. My hilltopping spots, where blues, browns, whites and swallowtails were battling it out in numbers two years ago, were completely barren.

Despite that, I did manage to find some butterflies. Painted ladies were the most conspicuous and active, remaining visible even when the sun went in - the only species today to do that. The first species apart from this to show itself in the sunny breaks was clouded yellow. That would suddenly appear, seconds after the sun broke through. Other species were slower and most only came onto the wing when the sun went in again, so it was all a bit of a waste of time for them!

I was pleased to find Provence hairstreaks again at two sites. In some ways, this is an easy butterfly, because its habitat is easy to spot. This is the first one I found (processed on the iPad - I'll reprocess when I get home):



Here is another - a bit blurry because the sun went in as I was photographing it:



Spanish festoons were less forthcoming and I only saw about three of those - with one record shot. Black-eyed blues, a species that abounded here two years ago, were not to be seen at all. I presume they just didn't consider the weather good enough.

By 15h30 I had decided that sitting in the rain for an hour, then watching butterflies for ten minutes, then sitting in the rain again was the sort of thing you could only do for so long.


(A typical view, from earlier in the day)

I headed back down the mountain, hoping that one of the ten minute sun patches would happen while I was passing through the insalubrious Ziz knys (my pet name for African grass blue) zone in central Málaga. I was in luck. As I reached the beginning of this zone I spotted a tiny Lycaenid tumbling in the air over some low vegetation. At first I took it for a female Ziz knys as it was very dull, but as I got closer I saw it was a rather tatty male:



That very moment, the sun went in and he went to roost:



That was the last butterfly I saw, but a nice one to go out on.

In total, I saw 16 species today: swallowtail, Spanish festoon, small white, western dappled white, green-striped white, clouded yellow, Provence hairstreak, small copper, long-tailed blue, African grass blue, southern brown argus, painted lady, red admiral, peacock, small heath and wall. It's not a lot, but it's 16 species more than 24th March 2008:


(that's my Dad)

That's how Marches used to be.

Back in Málaga, Palm Sunday festivities had begun and the streets were filled to bursting with gently drifting crowds. Spanish people don't walk - they sort of diffuse from place to place, making it very difficult to pursue a determined line in any particular direction. On top of that, a huge float was processing through the town, with Klu Klux Klan lookalikes in both white and black garb thronging before and after. I remember Palm Sunday in Gibraltar - we made a big thing of it there, too, but not this big. Many of the central streets were closed off and it took another good hour to navigate my way back to the youth hostel.

Guy

PS - can anyone identify this rather fine beetle (if it is a beetle)? I'm running the internet off the SIM card so I don't want to do internet research or I'll run out of my data allowance:

Excellent storytelling, Guy I think the beetle is the Red-striped Oil Beetle (Berberomeloe majalis).

Cheers,

- Pete

Agreed ...

The Red-striped Oil Beetle (Berberomeloe majalis)

Kind regards. Mark

Thanks, Pete and Mark.

They're outside my window now ...





Guy

Wind and cloud again today, but no rain. More butterflies flew and there were even some hilltopping in wind strong enough to take my hat off. Hilltoppers included walls, painted ladies (lots of) and red admirals. Spanish festoons were out in better numbers than yesterday. Here is one:



Unfortunately, unless I'm missing something, I can't resize photos on the iPad but only crop them. The resizing is done by the ftp programme when I post them to my website and it seems to be done rather badly. I hope these pictures look better when I process them on my computer.

I also saw two black-eyed blues, a male and a female. That's an amazingly small number for a butterfly that was relly quite common last time I was here. I hope it's simply a function of the wind and cloud and that they're still thriving. Here is the male:



And here the female:



Otherwise, I saw all the same species as yesterday, apart from peacock and swallowtail, in much more enjoyable conditions. I had time to explore corners of the local patch that I hadn't reached before, in search of panoptes in particular (no real hope of avis in these conditions, given that I haven't seen a single rubi and that really is a common butterfly here). No joy. So tomorrow I will try pastures new, south of Estepona. It may take a couple of days to find the best spots, as I do everything on foot and public transport, but I'm quietly optimistic ...

Guy

Seems like even the southernmost parts of Europe are suffering weatherwise, Guy.

It'd be nice if the current conditions of high pressure to the northeast of the UK prevailed during July and August, because by then, continental Russia would presumably be very warm and we would all have respite from cooling Atlantic fronts sweeping rain in from the west.

Looks like it's going to be a white Easter for much of Britain this year, but as a 50+ colleague at work said to me the other day - "This is exactly how 1976 started".

Fingers crossed.