www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

That second Baton Blue shot is a gem, Chris. It must be so exciting every time you venture out with species like these to expect.

have just caught up with 2 weeks' worth of your thread Chris !!

beautiful Festoon pics

also the Western Marbled White was lovely.

i am looking forward to Le Midi at the end of July.

keep 'em coming !!

Charles

Thanks Russ, I have now got my range of Baton Blue photos: male, female, upper, under ...

Thanks David, perhaps something to do with the climate down here, I've found that you can predict with some accuracy the sequence and dates of appearance of the species - that aspect interests me.

Thanks Charles. Will you be returning to the Carcassonne area again? I'm looking forward already to your reports.

Saturday April 19th
I returned to where I had seen some Orange Tip eggs 6 days ago on Hairy Rock-cress: And today I found a small caterpillar (Orange Tip I suppose) and the eggs had gone. This photo shows the macro limits of my Panasonic FZ150 (or the limits of its user!): A little later, I managed to get a couple of shots of a Moroccan Orange Tip ovipositing on Biscutella laevigata: Cheers, Chris

Sunday May 4th

SPECIES No. 31: Lulworth Skipper (acteon)
SPECIES No. 32: Common Blue (icarus)
SPECIES No. 33: Southern White Admiral (reducta)

First sightings for these 3 this year. In particular, reducta is bang-on schedule (week 19) compared with last year (give or take a couple of days).
acteon (2 different individuals): icarus (notice the peculiar marking):
reducta (2 different individuals): same Orange Tip Caterpillar as above from April 19th, I calculate that it must be 3 weeks old in this photo: Cheers, Chris

Wednesday May 7th

SPECIES No. 34: Meadow Brown (jurtina)
SPECIES No. 35: Black-veined White (crataegi)

Another successful lunch break at work. Blue skies and 24°C, a lovely Spring day. I popped down to the abandoned olive grove and got my first sightings for these 2. Compared with last year, jurtina is 2 weeks early, and crataegi is 3 weeks early (but that only depends on the accuracy of my sightings). Cheers, Chris

cjackson wrote:
Another successful lunch break at work. Blue skies and 24°C, a lovely Spring day.

Don't rub it in, Chris.

Seriously though, it seems surreal to be having Meadow Browns on the wing already.

Nice BVW photo too. They're particularly attractive when fresh.

Great work Chris, the S.W.Admiral is a beauty, where is this old olive grove? I might pop down there next year,lol

Cheers Russ

Thanks David and Russ,
This year is definitely early for many species down here. I was very surprised when I first saw the Meadow Brown today.
I would love to show you personally around my lunch-time stomping grounds if ever you are in the region!
Chris

cjackson wrote:Thanks David and Russ,
This year is definitely early for many species down here. I was very surprised when I first saw the Meadow Brown today.
I would love to show you personally around my lunch-time stomping grounds if ever you are in the region!
Chris

Believe me, I'd be perfectly content to pop in one day!! La belle France is my second home!

Friday May 9th - blue skies, light wind, 28°C

SPECIES No. 36: Small Blue (minimus)

A day off work today so out and about in my local scrubland park at home in Marseilles, le Parc des Bruyères.
First sighting this year, although I may have seen one (unconfirmed) last week which would put this species right on schedule.
minimus (sorry about the photo quality - must do better): context for minimus (grass in foreground): reducta (just for the pleasure): context for reducta (Valerian in flower, Parc des Bruyères): Cheers, Chris

That really does look like a divine little spot, Chris.

How I wish we could experience a bit of your weather!

That's true David, I can spend lots of time just hanging around there.

Saturday May 10th - 25°C

SPECIES No. 37: Wood White (sinapis)
SPECIES No. 38: Green-underside Blue (alexis)

This is a new species for me (sinapis): This is the first time I've seen alexis in my département: The GuB was ovipositing on Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum) in the Parc de St Pons, Gémenos, near Marseilles: Cheers, Chris

Hello Chris,

If I may intrude in your topic...

Some time ago you asked if my list of dates of first sightings was available on-line. Well it isn't, but here it is as of today. If I counted correctly there are 43 species so far:

Jan 01 2014: Lang's Short-tailed Blue
Jan 26 2014: Brimstone, Red Admiral
Feb 21 2014: Large Tortoiseshell
Feb 22 2014: Cleopatra
Mar 08 2014: Holly Blue
Mar 09 2014: Wall Brown
Mar 11 2014: Speckled Wood
Mar 16 2014: Wood White
Mar 20 2014: Orange-tip
Mar 21 2014: Small Heath
Mar 23 2014: Green-veined White, Scarce Swallowtail
Mar 24 2014: Peacock
Mar 29 2014: Southern Small White
Mar 31 2014: Comma, Green Hairstreak, Clouded Yellow
Apr 01 2014: Western Dappled White
Apr 03 2014: Camberwell Beauty
Apr 05 2014: Swallowtail, Small White
Apr 07 2014: Large White
Apr 10 2014: Baton Blue
Apr 14 2014: Provence Orange-tip, Berger's Clouded Yellow
Apr 15 2014: Weaver's Fritillary
Apr 18 2014: Green-underside Blue
Apr 23 2014: Mallow Skipper, Spanish Festoon, Glanville Fritillary
Apr 26 2014: Black-eyed Blue, Common Blue
Apr 28 2014: Adonis Blue
Apr 30 2014: Brown Argus
May 01 2014: Southern White Admiral
May 04 2014: Geranium Bronze
May 05 2014: Oberthür's Grizzled Skipper
May 09 2014: Small Copper, Meadow Brown
May 10 2014: Provence Chalkhill Blue
May 11 2014: Pearly Heath, Marsh Fritillary

And here are a few photos from this morning. Incidentally, I took more than 100 photos but have kept only 12. Just as well that I don't use film .

One of several Pearly Heaths (there were also several Small Heaths around):
One of two or three Marsh Fritillaries (there were also Weaver's Fritillaries and Glanville Fritillaries):
A solitary female Green-underside Blue (there were also a Baton Blue and a Common Blue):
There were also three or four Spanish Festoons at their usual place, and a couple of Scarce Swallowtails.
--
Colin

You're doing very well there Colin, that's quite an impressive list. Some of those species have escaped me for the moment - perhaps they will be along here soon
You are allowed to open your own topic as far as I know, and I should think there are many people who would love to follow the species in your area given that it is one of the top butterfly areas of France.

Cheers, Chris

cjackson wrote:You're doing very well there Colin, that's quite an impressive list. Some of those species have escaped me for the moment - perhaps they will be along here soon
You are allowed to open your own topic as far as I know, and I should think there are many people who would love to follow the species in your area given that it is one of the top butterfly areas of France.

Cheers, Chris

I quite agree, Chris. Valbonne is in the foothills of the Alpes-Maritimes and personally I'd love to see a diary recording the species found there.

Over to you, Colin.

Sunday May 11th - 19°C relatively cool and overcast today

SPECIES No. 39: Spanish Gatekeeper (bathseba)
Yet another species 2 weeks ahead of schedule!! I saw at least 3 individuals so its not a freak occurrence, and I think I've located a new colony near home, rather than near work where I usually see them.
bathseba male: bathseba female: bathseba context, Parc des Bruyères (this colony is not in bare low scrub, but rather under tree cover): Cheers, Chris

Thursday 15th May

SPECIES No. 40: Small Heath (pamphilus)

It was rather windy this lunchtime at work (due to the Mistral wind which blows for multiples of 3 days). This is probably why the wings on this Small Heath are so tightly shut - my first sighting this year! These are not very common around my way so I feel quite happy already with just 1 sighting.
pamphilus: context - olive grove behind my offices (and yes, that is the true colour of the sky ): Cheers, Chris

Friday May 16th

SPECIES No. 41: False Ilex Hairstreak (esculi)
SPECIES No. 42: Two-tailed Pasha (1st brood) (jasius)
SPECIES No. 43: Dusky Heath (dorus)

Since yesterday the Mistral wind has calmed down and today I got out at lunch time up on the top of the Vitrolles plateau.
I did not expect to find 3 new species all in one lunchbreak - that mild winter has certainly had an effect.
I now consult my last years records 3 weeks in advance just so I know what to be on the look-out for when I go out .

esculi is easily 2 weeks early compared to last year: these two battling BFs in the middle of the picture are 1st brood jasius which I believe is on time for mid May (couldn't get a decent photo today), there is a 2nd jasius brood in mid August: this jasius is 2nd brood from last years archive photos. Photo taken in exactly the same spot as today, and posted just for a closer view: dorus is a good 2+ weeks early also: context: Cheers, Chris

Saturday May 17th

SPECIES No. 44: Blue Spot Hairstreak (spini)
SPECIES No. 45: Silver Studded Blue (argus)
SPECIES No. 46: Marbled Skipper (lavatherae)

Between yesterday and today, mid May is surely the most productive moment in the butterfly spotter's year.
I always associate the Curry Plant (Helichrysum stoechas) with spini and esculi: the plant is 2 weeks early and so are spini and esculi - isn't Dame Nature (Mother Nature) merveilleuse ?
spini is a good 2 weeks early: argus (on Curry Plant) is perhaps 3 weeks early, although my records may not be accurate for argus: lavatherae (I hope) (I'm bad with skippers!): context, with Curry Plant in foreground: Cheers, Chris

Lovely pictures, Chris. I can almost smell the sea and the rosemary ... (or is it the curry plant?).

Guy