www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Nice images, Jason. I used to regularly see foxes when I lived in urban Manchester but now I've moved to the Gower countryside I barely see them at all!

Shame Pauline isn't around right now - she'd no doubt love your garden visitors.

As you may have guessed, I have become more interested in my local wildlife this year.

This has led to publishing a new magazine: East Yorkshire Wildlife.

I have had the first printed proof now - there are a few adjustments to make, but it should be published in early December.

Contributors are local naturalists - there is a range of articles, covering mammals, birds, butterflies and bees.

I hope it will appeal to readers from outside the area - Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

My magazine East Yorkshire Wildlife is now available.

It can be purchased direct from me for £8.00, including postage.

Alternatively, you can purchase from Amazon, or NHBS or Pemberley Books - if you need to use credit card/debit card or Paypal

Local butterfly enthusiasts Sean Clough and Andrew Ashworth have contributed articles about the butterflies of East Yorkshire and Gardening for butterflies respectively.

Other key contributors include Robert Fuller about Thixendale, Margaret Boyd about Tophill Low and Nigel Puckrin about Red Kites.

I hope there will be some interest from outside the area - from Lincolnshire and the rest of Yorkshire.

I have only 2 copies left of Swiss Butterflies Site Guide.

This has been my most successful book so far - over 200 copies sold.

I intend to produce a second edition, probably in a couple of years time.

My other book - Swiss Butterflies - is also down to about a dozen copies.

Buy both for £18.00 (including postage) or each book is £10.00 (including postage).

If any mainstream publisher is reading this - I would be interested in producing a combined new edition of the books.

My website has been updated now with the details of my new magazine: East Yorkshire Wildlife.

It is available direct from me for £8.00, including postage.

Some photos: the front cover photo of a Fox cub in my back garden and a Stoat at Thixendale by Robert Fuller.

That's one hell of an image of the stoat, Jason. Fair play to your contributor for that!

I have decided to have a reprint of my book - Swiss Butterflies Site Guide.

This is because it looks very unlikely that I will be going to Switzerland this year (after missing last year as well).

So, a new edition of the book may not be possible until 2023!

The book is available direct from me for £10.00, including postage.

Enjoy places such as the Poschiavo Valley in Graubunden - see photos and scan from book of butterfly species.

For the fox diary:

The foxes don't seem to have been very active this winter, I have only seen one occasionally and there has been very little vocalising.

There was a fox in my garden yesterday - sunning itself in the warmest part of the garden, just after lunch.

The fox was having a snooze again in the garden yesterday - it was a bit dull though.

I also caught it napping on the 28th February - it seems to like lunchtime.

Glad the foxes are keeping you entertained in the absence of any butterflies, Jason.

With any luck the clouds will lift and the temperatures will rise soon and we can all get back to doing what we like most.

European Butterflies Magazine Issue 4 Spring 2021 has now been printed.

More details are found in the Forums:Overseas:European Butterflies Magazine.

And what a superb edition it is too, Jason - definitely the best one yet.

Excellent.

Totally agree David, definitely. Well done Jason

Thanks for the encouraging comments about the magazine David and Paul.

I walked down Wood Lane in Cottingham on Saturday afternoon.

It was very dry, there were only a few butterflies - Peacock, Comma and Speckled Wood.

On Sunday, I got back from my cycle ride to find the Fox sunning itself on my back lawn.

It got up of its own accord (I didn't disturb it) and walked slowly out and under the back fence, so it must have been there some time!

That Peacock's posed beautifully, Jason. As for the fox, I think he's practically a pet now.

I went to Kiplingcotes Nature Reserve this morning.

Not much flying - should be Common Blue and Brown Argus - but not present.

I did see one Dingy Skipper, 2 Small Heaths, several Orange Tips, Small Whites and a Peacock.

According to a song by the Eagles - things keeping on turning out and burning out the same!!

So this year I will not be going to Switzerland, just like last year - both Swiss and BA cancelled flights and offered poor alternatives, such as flying in and out of Heathrow - so I took the refunds and will try to book again for 2022 - probably at inflated prices. Switzerland is not on the green list yet anyway.

Instead of giving you my ideal trips - see last years blog at this time, I will explain why I choose to visit Switzerland at different times.

My first trip to Switzerland in the year is usually first week of June - this is to see the spring butterflies and the early summer butterflies. The best place is the Rhone Valley in Western Switzerland - where the vineyards grow it is usually the sunniest place and offers the early butterflies. So, if you stay in the valley and only venture up to about 1000m, there should be plenty of butterflies. The flagship species are the Large Copper (Allondon), Poplar Admiral (Chatelard) Iolas Blue and Cardinal (both near Martigny). I do like the Cardinals on the Red Clover. There are other species to see that you may not see later in the year such as Green-underside Blue, Green Hairstreak, Violet Fritillary, Glanville Fritillary, Safflower Skipper and Duke of Burgundy. If you venture to the Ticino, I look forward to seeing Knapweed Fritillary and Purple-shot Copper at Camedo.

Beautiful selection, Jason. So sad you won't make it there this summer. I've not given up on a trip abroad yet but the chances are not terribly high.

Thanks for sharing this first post about your general experiences of Swiss butterfly trips, Jason.

I'll read with keen interest. I've (so far) only visited Switzerland once, in early July 2018, to the Wengen area. I saw 95 species, and the group I was with saw nearly 110, in just 8 days. The scenery, the food, the flower meadows. I can't wait to return!

Thanks for the comments Paul, hope the information is useful.

Returning to the Fox diaries - A young fox was in my back garden yesterday at about 7 pm.

It was soaking up the last sunshine at the back, near the shrubs.

Later that night (about midnight), it was in the garden, probably left there by its mother who went off down the street.