Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie Glad to have been of service Well judging by the rule of three's you're due some slack - first Grizzlie in your garden?

April 2020

I'd have chosen a brighter species for my calendar if I'd forseen this happening...mind you I'd also have stocked up on loo roll as well

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

At least with your calendar, Wurzel, I can tick off the passing days
in a similar fashion to those on a ten stretch!.
I'm pleased to report that my sanity is still pretty well OK at the moment.

A warm weekend and some exercise should be the tonic we need .

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor Glad you're still the correct side of mad I hope for once the BBC get their forecast correct as it would definitely be a tonic...mind you if not then Gin and lemon ain't too bad

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Old Wolf]

Hello Wurzel,I am catching up on your diary and what a ride it has been

Stunning shots of some lovely butterflies and congrats on so many lifers for you on your trip I am particulrarly fond of the unders of what I think is the SBA. The forewing reminds me a paw print and now that I have seen it I cannot unsee it

I am hoping there is more to come as I am thoroughly enjoying it although it is making me long for some sunshine

[Wurzel]

Cheers Old Wolf I like the 'catspaw' I can't un-see it now either There is certainly more to come and you won't have to worry about it making you miss the sun so long as this weekend is as forecast

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Day 3 Part 3 01-08-2019

After lunch I set out on the 8km walk to scout it out and see if it was subtle for the girls to do. The path I was following dove down the hill, a narrow terrace walled on either side for a while before the one side was replaced by trees. It was alive with butterflies who sensibly were making the most of the shade. They’d fly out, glide and soar of a Grayling species or flutter in a panic if a Brown, before landing on a tree or the wall and sitting tight. Occasionally a really bright orange ‘butterfly’ would fly – a Jersey Tiger Moth bit I also caught up with several Great Banded Graylings one of which I managed to capture by shining up a tree and photographing one handed.

Further along the path came to an end I crossed the road following a more open trackway. A different butterfly flew here and one I’d been hoping to catch up with. It was one of the smartest butterflies that I’d seen with clean black and whites chevrons and jagged lines crossing its folded wings, a Striped Grayling. I marvelled at the way that in the full sun the colours shifted just as they had with the Tree Graylings – this time from resplendent black and white to browns and creams.

The trackway joined a proper road and I made to enter into a little hamlet but before I crossed the bridge a Clouded Yellow flew lazily about in a lay-by and once in the hamlet a Cardinal frequented a tree in one of the garden of the bridge houses. It flew ahead of me and landed to take salts from some run off down the track.

By now I was feeling a bit knackered and only half way through the walk so I didn’t think this would be suitable for the girls, also I was in desperate need of a coffee so it became a case of head down and walk. There were a few stops on the way. A little clearing on the edge of the Roman road that I was on was alive with Small Copper and SBA and in Pero Soares a Geranium Bronze flew around some Geraniums. The final stretch was a bit of a blur yet held a four of the Grayling species that I’d already encountered. It was a blur because my water had run out, I’d gotten a wriggle on and I was carrying a large rock and big stick as a massive dog was loping along behind me. It had started following me as I’d left Pero Soares barking nastily and it was hot on my heels all the way up the side of the hill…
Safely back I washed up and enjoyed a much needed coffee sitting in the sun. While we were having tea the IMW turned up and then I grabbed a few more Grayling shots while on the way to and from the pool for the evening swim.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

More interesting shots from your holiday, Wurzel. I particularly appreciate the descriptions in the narrative - they take you right there.

Tell me - is that a second (smaller) butterfly in your first Grayling shot? Blurry and in the foreground a bit... A different type of Grayling? Maybe I'm seeing things, like the splodges of bird poo on leaves that look like Holly Blues...

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave There is indeed another butterfly there but as it was a typical/common Grayling I focused on the Great Banded instead I'm glad you're enjoying the writing - there's a piece I was really happy with coming up so look out for 'Middle Street Feb into March Take 2b' - I'd had a couple of beers and just watched some Family Guy when I wrote it

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, don't the Graylings on the Tree's blend in well with the tree, if they didn't move you wouldn't know they were there
Looking forward to your next pic's Goldie

[Padfield]

Hi Wurzel. It's great to see your pictures from Portugal - they bring back lots of happy memories. I particularly enjoy the cardinals, which you will know are a special favourite of mine ... I have no idea if I'll be able to get home to Switzerland this year to see any.

Your strange-looking small heaths are form lyllus. Some authors (e.g., Leraut) treat this as a good species, following work by Boillat in 2002, but most consider it at best a subspecies, if not a form. I haven't been able to track down a copy of the original paper.

I'm a big fan of Family Guy - I still laugh out loud at episodes I've seen a thousand times. I think it was Paul K ('Kip') who first put me onto it. Obviously a lepster's thing.

Keep'em coming!

Guy

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie They were right pains for it as they'd fly really obviously across the road and then they'd land and disappear. I'd look for them and then they'd appear ut of nowhere and fly off. Still kept me occupied
Cheers Guy Thanks for the ID of the Small Heath - here's hoping they upgrade it to full species I was hoping to get away to the Cevannes in August - I can't see that happening now Family Guy does seem to be a UKB thing - it was discussed at great length during the Social I think it's just the right side of irreverent

Day four Part 1 02-08-2019

A quick stroll after breakfast and before 2nd breakfast (coffee and fruit then continental down at the Villa) threw up a few early morning Specklies but they were still as demented as ever and there was also a/the Spotted Fritillary and a nicely posed Lang’s. After this we drove over to Guarda to pick up a few more supplies form Lidl. Whilst I was at the till I enjoyed the incongruous sight of 2 Painted Ladies, a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, Silver-washed Frit and 4 Cardinals all feeding on the Buddleia outside. If only my trips to Lidl at home produced such classics I think I’d be there everyday!

Wing roll for Ernie

Later as I was setting off to catch up with the others round the pool a Cloudy flew through the small field and a Southern Gatekeeper looked nicely posed for once. After this I set off intending to meet the others directly but I got a little waylaid by the little lush track. It was even more alive with butterflies than before. There were SBAs, Small Coppers, the odd Lang’s, Iberian Sooty, both Gatekeepers and also amid the Specklie and Meadow Brown and lovely newly arrived Southern Common Blue. A Spotted Frit joined the fray and a couple of Cardinals messed about. I was hoping to catch up with the Red-underwing Skipper and as luck would have it there was the tell-tale fuzzy little blur which resolved into a stunning fresh individual.

I then went from one scale to another as a Southern Scarce Swallowtail stopped by – looking more lemony than I remembered. I stayed for a short while before drifting off like an errant Kite gliding effortlessly down from one terrace to another. So I zoomed in again and relocated the Grizzlie.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

There's a couple of WOW images in your last report, Wurzel.
That Scarce Swallowtail is a wonderful specimen, with those elegant flowing tails.
The Spotted Fritillary ' stained glass ' shots deserve a mrgreen.

All you are likely to get at our local Lidl is a dent in your car.

Keep well and exercised,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Trevor's right Wurzel, WOW! It must have been Fairy Land seeing all those Butterflies especially the Swallow Tail, I thought our Swallow was lovely, no wonder they call that one Scarce, it's out standing. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor I was chuffed with that one as my ones from France last year only had a tail each and not the requisite two What you said about your Lidl car park is also true over this way
Cheers Goldie It was a fantastic holiday as I didn't know what to expect from one day to the next

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

Great reportage, Wurzel. I’ve never been to Portugal, but have seen butterflies in Spain a few times, and you have a few familiar species there.

One of my favourites is the striped Grayling, they are a very distinctive butterfly.

[bugboy]

I'm very much enjoying your holiday snaps, perfect tonic in the current unavoidable situation

[Wurzel]

Cheers Essex I was particularly enamoured with the Stripey I'd love to visit Spain as Portugal has a much lower species count
Cheers Bugboy I was glad to have them in reserve as it were but it does mean that once again, guess what, I'm behind with my PD Oh well at least in these strange times some things have remained the same

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Day four Part 2 02-08-2019

I eventually reached the pool and headed down the track to the exit with Grayings flying all over the place. I set out for ‘Well/drainage pool’ as surrounded by the intense aridity it seemed like it would be a magnet for the butterflies. For the next 30 minutes I alternated between the shade and sunlit flowers; when I started to feel too hot I nip into the shade and watch the activity from afar and then once cooled slightly I be back out in the sun. I managed to catch up with a Prov Fritillary as well as a Mallow Skipper. In fact with the latter I managed to triple my shot count for this species to three – they are extremely flighty! The Dingy was back again as was another RUS which were much friendlier than their larger carpet looking cousins.

All of this in this tiny little space!

Tired and slightly baked I made my way back up the hill through the Grayling Gauntlet and sat down for a well deserved tea…well after a few more shots of a Cloudy were added to the memory card. Later still I watched a Great Banded Grayling fly across the pond as I floated and cooled myself down before bed.

Grayling Avenue

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Great shots Wurzel ,I find Graylings are some times hard to find here and hard to photograph, for me any way Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie That was the thing with where we were staying, I was practically beating the Grayling off with a stick - towards the end of the stay I had to just look at my feet and march down the road as quickly as possible to avoid losing hours to Grayling stalking/watching

Have a goodun

Wurzel