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This morning in the Parc de la Brague I saw my first Berger's Clouded Yellow (#28) of the year. In fact I saw perhaps ten or twelve of them. This one is a male.
There were also many Orange-tips, both females and males,
a few Wood Whites. I think this one was still asleep,
a few Brimstones, this is a female,
and also Speckled Woods, Green Hairstreaks and many Wall Browns.
--
Colin

A lovely set of photos, Colin.
I wish we had more Berger's over my way, I'll be lucky if I get just 1 sighting around Marseilles / Vitrolles.
Cheers, Chris

Thanks, Chris.

I was pleased to see that your week in the Drôme was very successful.
--
Cheers,
Colin

It was very cloudy this morning along the Piste du Curnier, so there only a few butterflies to be seen, and fewer photos to be taken . But I did get a close-up of my first Southern Small White (#29) of the year .
There were also several Wall Browns, a couple of Brimstones, Berger's Clouded Yellows and Orange-tips, and a Green Hairstreak.
--
Colin

Two more firsts of the year today: several Common Blues (#30),
and, in the garden, a Geranium Bronze (#31).
Also seen were a Scarce Swallowtail,
many Wall Browns; several Baton Blues, Wood Whites, Orange-tips and Small Heaths; a few Berger's Clouded Yellows and Brimstones; two or three Spanish Festoons; and one Weaver's Fritillary.
--
Colin

Today it is sunny, but cooler due to the wind, which accounts for the relatively few butterflies seen.

I did however see my first Glanville Fritillary (#32) of the year:
Also seen were two Scarce Swallowtails, many Wall Browns, a few Berger's Clouded Yellows, one Weaver's Fritillary, a few Orange-tips and a few Small Heaths.
--
Colin

Another lovely sunny day, with a slight breeze.

No "new" sightings today, but I did get better photos of a Glanville Fritillary,
and a Weaver's Fritillary.
I also saw one Spanish Festoon,
one Common Blue, several Berger's Clouded Yellows, two Scarce Swallowtails including one in the garden, several Small Heaths, a few Wood Whites and Orange-tips, and an abundance of Wall Browns.
--
Colin

Your weather is much better than ours Colin enjoy it. Goldie

Goldie, I'm doing my best to enjoy it, out walking and looking for butterflies for two hours this morning, and watering the garden (yes!) this afternoon. I saw a few butterflies, Wall Browns, Speckled Woods, Brimstones, Orange-tips and so on, but no photos, the butterflies kept on moving . And it was sunny all day, with some clouds far away in the Southern Alps, but quite windy.
--
Colin

Awful here in the north, it's been snowing on and off all morning. Goldie

Yesterday I saw, for the first time this year, a Comma (#33) and a female Black-eyed Blue (#34). I don't see many of these butterflies, and didn't get photos of either.

Today I saw, and photographed, my first Adonis Blue (#35) of the year.
Also seen these two days were Spanish Festoons,
a slightly damaged Green-underside Blue,
a Scarce Swallowtail, Orange-tips, Brimstones, Berger's Clouded Yellow, Wood Whites, Wall Browns, Speckled Woods, Common Blues and Small Heaths.
--
Colin

In the Parc de la Brague this morning I saw my first Spotted Fritillary (#36) of the year, a female.
Nearby there was a Swallowtail
in the company of a Scarce Swallowtail, both in very good condition,
and not far away a Glanville Fritillary.
I also saw several Common Blues and Adonis Blues, a Green-underside Blue, fewer Wall Browns than usual, Small Heaths, Orange-tips, Speckled Woods and Wood Whites.
--
Colin

Oops, a bit behind with my diary!

On wednesday the first Dingy Skipper (#37) of the year,
on thursday the first Meadow Brown (#38),
and this morning the first Marsh Fritillary (#39).
Also seen during these three days were Provence Orange-tips, Berger's Clouded Yellows, Spanish Festoons, Orange-tips, Scarce Swallowtails, Baton Blues, Glanville Fritillaries, Adonis Blues, Wall Browns, Cleopatras, Brimstones, Wood Whites, Green-veined Whites, Southern Small Whites, Common Blues, Small Coppers, Speckled Woods and Green-underside Blues.
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Colin

Hello Colin,
I think I too may have seen a Meadow Brown out the corner of my eye yesterday, but wasn't sure. I will be on the lookout for them as this will make them 2 weeks earlier than last year according to my records. This does feel rather early.
Cheers, Chris

I saw a Meadow Brown on 2 May, just one of a number of species emerging earlier than usual. Definitely an early season in the far south (60 species so far here), although reports from Lyon say it's a normal year.

We went to a friend's house a couple of days ago and the commonest species in their garden was Iolas Blue (Iolana iolas). Not many gardens can match that....

Roger Gibbons wrote:We went to a friend's house a couple of days ago and the commonest species in their garden was Iolas Blue (Iolana iolas). Not many gardens can match that....

That's just rubbing it in, Roger!

What did they have growing there which tempted this species in?

A couple of days ago I saw this colourful female Common Blue in the garden.
Due to the wind I didn't expect to see many butterflies this afternoon down by my local quarry, but in the end I saw several Brown Argus (#40, the first of the year),
several Common Blues, one nicely coloured Spanish Festoon (at 15 minutes on foot from home!),
several Clouded Yellows, a couple of Adonis Blues, several Brimstones, a Glanville Fritillary, and one tatty Camberwell Beauty (#41, the first, and quite likely the only one of the year).
I stayed with it for 15 or so minutes during which time it swooped down at high speed and touched the top of my head on two occasions. On the ground it stayed mainly with its wings closed, which was a pity, but did open them now and then.
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Colin

Not much today due to a strong wind, even though it was sunny and warm.

But I did see a couple of Adonis Blues,
several Berger's Clouded Yellows, one or two Clouded Yellows,
a warn Scarce Swallowtail through a wing of which the colour of the thistle can be seen,
a few Small Heaths, a Spotted Fritillary and a couple of Wall Browns. And also a Small Purple-barred moth.
--
Colin

Very few butterflies this morning, and the only one photographable was one of a few Knapweed Fritillaries, the first of the year (#42) .
--
Colin

Two more firsts of the year in the Parc de la Brague this morning: a few Southern White Admirals (#43)
and a lot of Provence Chalkhill Blues (#44).
There were also a Scarce Swallowtail, a few Adonis Blues and Brimstones, several Glanville Fritillaries and Berger's Clouded Yellows, a Meadow Brown, Wood Whites, and Wall Browns.

And yesterday I saw this magnificent Beetle :
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Colin