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Day 5 Part 1 03-08-2019

The day started pretty well with a Clouded Yellow in the small field next to the tent along with a Holly Blue and the usual Browns, Graylings and Tree Graylings. After both breakfasts we packed up and drove straight to Guarda, parked up and then strolled up the hill towards the Medieval part of the city. On the way we passed a set of concrete stairs which were emblazoned with a giant snake twisting all the way upwards – it was fantastic and miles better than any graffiti we have at home. However over the course of the morning butterfly sightings were fleeting. Up near the Cathedral I spied a Geranium Bronze, Specklie and a Southern Gatekeeper and on the way back to the car a Scarce Swallowtail and a Green-veined White flew by me. The final butterfly sightings came from the Buddleia outside Lidl’s in the form of a Painted Lady and nine Cardinals! However this fantastic sighting was beaten on the drive home when I saw an azure blue bird sitting on a telegraph wire – my first ever Roller. After lunch I was free to roam so I set off for the Well. At least I intended too but instead I ended up at the little lush path again and it slowed my progress considerably. A Queen of Spain turned up but only put in the briefest of appearances, there were two Cardinals and two of the smaller Frits. As I was turning to leave I spotted another of the darker Small Heaths of the southern subspecies/race. At the end of the track a Long-tailed Blue finally made its appearance on the Holiday List. I’d been wondering where they’d been as the last time I was in Portugal (in Lisbon) the majority of my sightings were of three species and this was one of them; Geranium Bronze and Lang’s being the other two. I set off again for the Well stopping for the odd Grayling which were everywhere down the dusky track to the road. I making a cautious approach to a Striped Grayling when a hitherto unseen Wall spooked it. Luckily I managed to catch-up with it again a little further on and then spent the rest this part of the walk watching the three other species of Grayling flying round like diurnal bats... Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Day 5 Part 2 03-08-2019

I didn’t see much else before I got to the Well, the heat and afternoon sun causing most of the butterflies to sit in the shade. As I approached the Well a small-medium Frit flew along the road leading me down into the Well. There was a second ever so slightly larger Frit as well, a Knapweed Frit which was easily recognisable after seeing so many last year in France. A Lang’s caught my attention and then I went back to the Frits. Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Simply beautiful shots Wurzel, the Butterflies look so delicate, what a fantastic holiday you had Goldie

Cheers Goldie It was great - something really different every single day

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Lovely fresh Knapweed Fritillary, the one's we saw in the Cevennes were mostly worn.
Back in January we were considering a return visit, good job we didn't book up!.

Enjoying the tales from you Hols,

Stay safe and legal,
Trevor.

Cheers Trevor Unfortunately we did book to go to stay in the Cevannes in August...don't think that will be happening now - hoping that both teh Campsite and Easyjet will let us change the booking...to 2021

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Day 5 Part 3 03-08-2019

After this I braved the Hornets and massive Bees and climbed up and over into the Well itself so that I could catch-up with a Long-tailed Blue and try for a decent side on closed wing shot. While I was in the Well I also saw a Wood White, a Small White, Southern Common Blue, Southern Brown Argus and Iberian Copper as well as a couple of Small Coppers – although all were occupying their own little patches. I climbed back out braving the Hornets and other stingers to slide through the high sward for a few shots of the pretty obliging Frit and then followed another as it took salts from the mud. I then climbed back up the hill to the road watching a mating pair of Wood Whites on the way which were just out of reach of my lens. At the top I followed a Cloudy across the road but in the intense heat I was on a hiding to nothing and so gave up. Later on the way down to the pool I spied a Great Banded Grayling with a small part of one of its wings missing so the topside was just visible. I also caught up with a lovely little Grizzlie like Skipper another Red-underwing. After the evening swim and shower it sat out on the decking enjoying the warmth rising up from the wood as another Nightjar churred in the distant…

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Wurzel

Cracking diary from your holiday last year. My favourite is the Lang's Short Tailed Blue on Day 5 Part 1. Those marine blue eye spots are far more prominent than the one I saw in France a couple of years ago. They almost sparkle.

Kind Regards
Kev

Cheers Kev I was chuffed with the Lang's myself the light was just right to make those eyes really sparkle

Day 6 – Sunday? Part 1 04-08-2019

I took a brief stroll before brekkie checking out the end of the path after the verdant trackway. It was pretty quiet down on the trackway although a Cardinal took off before I get a photo of it hanging upside down on the underside of a chestnut leaf. At the end a Frit was hanging around and I managed a few shots before it was off like a shot. At the end of my ‘driveway’ an Iberian Sooty looked gorgeous in the morning sun. I’m still not entirely sure that I’ve seen a male yet? After second breakfast we drove to Pria Fuluvial – a well appointed river beach with water slide, café, changing area etc. It was a lovely setting and I spied out a few likely looking areas as we set up ‘basecamp’. After the girls had lunch and had zoomed down the slide a few times I checked out the end of the Fuluvial where they’d dammed the river. A few Lang’s fluttered around on the bank, a White cut across the river and a Holly Blue remained up high along the tops of the bushes. I didn’t mind though as a very large raptor glided across in the distance – it was a Short-toed Eagle! Awesome! I then worked up to the first dam and crossed over it to check out the path on the other side. On the way there was a type of ringed Dragonfly, a few more Whites, Holly Blue and a few Specklies. Along the path I turned left up a track between two walled in fields. It was really lush here and there was a profusion of Clover. A Specklie and a couple of Hedgies followed me up the path whilst a Cardinal waited for me at the top where the path veered off to the right. After I’d dealt with the Cardinal I had a scan about and saw the ubiquitous Small Copper and Southern Brown Argus as well as something larger and browner. It was a Mallow Skipper and finally I was able to spend a little more time with this species. Chuffed I headed back and my wife called me over as a Swallowtail had done a fly-by. It came back but didn’t stop and neither did a Cloudy that also flew over the sands near the dam at the far end of the river. Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Another great post . I remember you being jealous about me seeing a Short-toad Eagle in Spain last year so I'm glad you've seen one too now. That Dragonfly is a handsome beast too, it's a male Large Pincertail I believe, Onychogomphus unicatus.

Edit: Short-toed Eagle

HI Wurzel. I agree with Buggy about the dragonfly. I initially took it to be forcipatus - the one I come across most in my own travels - but on closer examination all the key points seem to match uncatus.

Guy

Cheers Bugboy Cheers for the ID now I know what it is I can read up about it I was chuffed with the Eagle as it's another one to add to the list and is one of the 'commoner' ones (my 'best' is Greater Spotted in Poland )
Cheers Guy Thanks for the ID - looking at the end of the abdomen it's common name is pretty accurate

Day 6 – Sunday? Pria Fulluvial Part 2 04-08-2019

After checking in with the girls and providing them with fizzy drinks I made my way back to the little track. The Cardinal was there again as were the Hedgies et al but no sign of the Mallow. I looked over the wall into one of the neighbouring fields and it was filled with Clover, the greenest spot I’d seen all holiday. I climbed up onto the wall and peered in. I could make out at least 5 Cardinals, some blurry little butterflies (probably Coppers/BAs) and a Cloudy quartered the far end. I spotted something a little odd looking and leaned over losing my balance and ended up in a heap in the field, legs ripped to shreds by the brambles but camera held aloft and intact. As I was now in the field I decided to make the most of it and get some compensation for the lacerations on my legs and the burning embarrassment of having gone A over T so I had the slightest of mooches, hugging the edge of the field and leaning in so as not to trample or disturb the field. I managed to spot 5 Cardinals, Dingy Skipper, Southern Common Blue, SBA, Small Copper and Iberian Sooty. The piece de la resistance was a different looking Grizzlie which in all eventuality was a Southern Grizzlie. Somehow I managed to clamber back out but received even more cuts from the brambles as a thank you for being so careful in the field and then I made my way back the way I’d come. On the way I followed a Wood White for a it but it didn’t stop even when in the cool shade of the tree lined riverside path. I also saw a Comma, it was extraordinarily bright and lightly marked but when I looked at the wing shaped later it was curved and not straight so it wasn’t a Southern Comma, just an H.Comma but still a nice looking one at that. Once back with the girls we discovered that the slide wasn’t going to be open for another 2 hours and so we headed back ‘home’. Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Day 6 – Sunday? Part 3 04-08-2019

After tea I made my way down to the pool with the girls for my now routine swim, stopping on the way for a lovely Striped Grayling – possibly my favourite new species of the trip so far. After the swim and feeling much cooler and less dusty we made the trek back up the hill. A Tree Grayling caught my eye and a mating pair of Shieldbugs caught the eyes of the girls. Then later still I turned my hand to moth trapping...Really this entailed seeing what was fluttering round the light while I was trying to read! Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

A continuing selection of great shots of some interesting butterflies, Wurzel. My favourites have to be the small Fritillaries (Spotted and Knapweed, the latter especially), and that gorgeous little Sooty Copper. I'm sure I read somewhere that if they were able to cross the channel, they would probably do okay in southern England. However, that stretch of water is just too difficult.

Cheers,

Dave

Cheers Dave There are still a few beauties left to come though only one more butterfly 'lifer' as far as I can remember These Sooty Coppers are the Iberian species as they've got the tails and the males are almost orange as the females - although I don't know if I actually saw a male? They would be a welcome addition to the British countryside so long as they don;t interfere with our Coppers - I wonder if a female could stow away on a Ferry (if/when they start running again)?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I thought for a moment that you had mis named your Sooty Copper,
as it ( to my untrained eye ) looks just like a female Scarce Copper,
of which we saw some beautiful, fresh specimens in the French Pyrenees.

I then noticed that the Sooty has tails, and the Scarce doesn't.

I didn't doubt you for a moment, honest !.

Stay safe and well exercised,
Trevor.

PS. Great image of the Cardinal underside.

Lovely Butterflies Wurzel, I must say I've never seen the Butterflies you've posted, I'm ashamed to say although I traveled a lot I wasn't interested then in Butterflies, I could kick myself now
I'm learning about them from your posts Goldie

Cheers Trevor I wish it was a female Scarce Copper Trevor as I salivated at the shots that you got of that species but unluckily they don't fly in Portugal. Still the Cardinal made up for that
Cheers Goldie I've experienced the same feelings Goldie Many moons ago I was in a clearing in Poland in the Biebrza Marshes surrounded by orange chequered butterflies which I now know were Fritillaries - but which species

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

I've still got a few days from my Portugal trip to write up but in the meantime i'm jumping forward in time but still back in time...if that makes sense

Work – First Butterfly Photo 2020!

Having broken my duck back in January it was feeling like an eternity between my first sighting; an agonising view of a Red Admiral as it fluttered up high from one patch of Ivy to another; and my second. However all good things come to those who wait…

Having worked exceedingly well for almost all of the penultimate lesson of the day there came the inevitable lull in activity of my year 10 class during the final 5 minutes or so. I didn’t mind initially as we’d managed to get almost 2 lessons worth of work covered in three quarters of a lesson. I minded even less when one of the pupils who has a penchant for insects pointed out a butterfly fluttering against the window. I’d been carrying my camera since being caught out by my first butterfly so I grabbed it and positioned myself for my first 2020 butterfly shots. Its mournful tapping against the glass was a stark contrast to the satisfaction of finally viewing a butterfly through the viewfinder. After this I wondered where it had come from and what to do with it? As for the forst question the ceiling tiles on this side of the building are closely fitting, even overlapping so it couldn’t have come from above. Both doors and windows were open so it’s possible it was disturbed from the ‘paint store’ and was flying along the side of the building and had come in only to be trapped with a room full of year 10’s!
As to the second question – there was a weak sun, little to no breeze and the temperature was just nudging double figures so the initial observer carefully carried it on his finger tip to one of the bushes lining the building and let it go to seek more conducive quarters. And I got back to teaching…more Bond Energy calculations…

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

I wonder where that Small White came from? When was this, by the way?

Maybe it had pupated in a very sheltered spot that had just started to catch the sun each morning, perhaps close to a newly-opened window. It's a shame it had battered itself against the glass, as it looks as if it had started off as a very heavily-marked individual (underneath at least).

Cheers,

Dave