Cheers David - years ago (before we were married) my wife worked at a Camp America and made friends a Czech girl over there. They stayed in touch and Eva owns the cottage that we stayed in so we managed to get a great holiday with fantastic company in a less than usual destination
Cheers Jack and Goldie read on...
Cheers Neil, it was a stunning place, a little like Poland and a little like Switzerland
Cheers Philzoid
It was definitely "mighty W" to quote my dad over in Czech!
Cheers Trevor
As I think I've mentioned I don't know how envy inducing the species will be...
09-08-2015 The first day Proper!
We awoke after a fantastic nights sleep and at 7am it was warm enough for shorts and T-shirt so breakfast was taken on the decking. While the girls ran wild in the meadow I set off out across it towards the lower boundary which was damper and had taller vegetation. On the way I noticed a Small Tortoiseshell, several Smessex and Small Heaths amongst the occasional Common Blue (I did check them for Chapman’s) and not as many Meadow Browns as I had expected. There were also some larger Frits flying. When they stopped they appeared to be missing the third spot on the fore wing and the occasional flash of an underside revealed an extra row of spots. I presume that they’re all High brown Frits and not Niobe, but if anyone can turn them form HBFs into Niobes that would be greatly appreciated.
On the bush at the bottom there were a few whites feeding and a Small White Admiral flew by – a species I’m familiar with – a Map. Things were shaping up nicely and I then followed the boundary round to the left which started to rise up hill. In the longer grasses a dark blue, almost black butterfly flew past me and landed on a red topped grass species. I cautiously approached it and it glinted almost bronze in the morning sun. A Dusky Large Blue, a stunning looking butterfly but a bit of a bugger to photograph as it kept walking round as it was taking nectar rarely stopping.
As I started to make my way back another Map fluttered by and another smaller dark butterfly did too. Unlike the previous Dusky it seemed to glint silvery and when it flew it reminded me of a Brown Argus. Luckily it landed and I managed to both get down to its level and get to ninety degrees to it. I could then see why it appeared silvery as the underside was white with black spots and just the hint of orange along the margins. As I watched it started to open its wings ever so slightly and then there was a dark chocolate upper with the black spots showing through - a Sooty Copper. Realising that I’d been at least 15 minutes I made my way back to the cottage as we were heading out for the day with our hosts.
Tom drove us to a local nature reserve called Zemska Brana (Earth’s Gate) with the river Diovka Orlice running through it. While we waited for Tom to come back with Eva and Lucas I had a pootle around. A Silver-washed Fritillary flew by a miniscule female Blue pretended to be a Brown Argus and another Map kept me amused.
Once everyone was together we set off on the woodland walk. The first part was reasonably open and there was a small area full of Cabins. A large dark butterfly flew by on my right dipping in and around the cabins. At first I thought it was a Peacock but as it was almost pure black and I belated noticed the pale edge to the wings as it drifted past at its closest point I realised it was a Camberwell Beauty; no photo though
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We then reached a tiny bay of the river and so we all went in for a dip to cool down from the 35+ degrees heat. A Common Blue and Silver-washed both landed on the gravel probing amongst it presumably for salts. I nipped off for 5 minutes while the girls built towers out of ever smaller pebbles (a common pastime for local children) back to the edge of the path where there was a cleared scallop. Here there were more Silver Washed, a tiny unidentified Fritillary tore by and a multitude of Brimstones fed here and there. I flushed a massive orangey butterfly and when I relocated it found it to actually be a pair of High Brown Fritillaries. One was slightly older and grainy looking whilst the other was almost a blank canvas with most of the spots missing.
Having had some relief from the heat we carried on with the walk. On the way there was the odd white, a Red Admiral, a cave where the local Czech version of Robin Hood had lived and two renowned bridges. At the second, a stone bridge, we headed up hill to a restaurant in a clearing for lunch but it was heaving so we retreated back down to the bridge so the girls could have another paddle and Tom walked back for the car. He then picked us up and we headed to a different roadside tavern. While we waited for Eva Black Redstarts flitted around in the place of sparrows and then when we were all reunited we had lunch and I discovered Kofola
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The day didn’t end there and Tom dropped us off at the highest local point (Kasparova chata na Adamu I think it was) so the girls could enjoy the views and look across to Poland. This was great for me and I hoped for some hilltopping butterflies. It started quietly enough with a Small Tortoiseshell and then I glimpsed a frit – much more golden than orange and as I stalked closer I could make out metallic flashes on the body edge of the wings. It was my first Queen of Spain.
While I was still enjoying the warm glow from seeing this species for the first time my wife called me over as she’d seen a ‘massive yellow’ butterfly. It turned out o be a slightly beaten in Swallowtail but I didn’t mind the nicks and tears in the wings it was still so impressive, the stripes, the tails, the shear size of it. Things did quieten down again but there were a few Small Heath and DGFs to keep me entertained as well as a few Silver-spotted Skippers. As we drove home Tom pointed out Poland, just on the other side of the verge!
Once back home I took another stroll around the field once again finding Dusky blues (apparently they’re common here), Common Blues, Brown Argus as well as Smessex, Whites, Red Admiral, 2 Walls and three species of Fritillary – High Brown, Dark Green and Silver-washed.
As I strolled up to the cottage K called out to come quickly as she’d found a frit. I raced up the garden path and she pointed to a tiny frit sitting on Clover. It was a cracking little butterfly, holding an unusual posture. I photographed it from both sides and it was great to see how in the shade a purple band would appear at the margin of the hind wing yet in the light it would become much paler and pinker in colour. A Weaver’s Fritillary as I identified it later. As I backed away it stayed in place, as I pointed it out to L it remained so I took my first sip of Bernard and that was when it flew landing a short distance away with wings open. So I had to put my beer down, grab a few shots and return to supping ale, it’s a hard life this foreign butterflying!
As we headed down and round the corner to our part of the cottage I thought back over a fantastic day, 6 new species with 3 found directly after breakfast. But that wasn’t the last sighting of the day. For as I passed the flowers just outside our door there was a Hummingbird Hawk Moth.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
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. Shame the weather couldn't have been cooler for you all.