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Just one,David! There was no picking the best picture to post,for this is the only one I got-and the only one I need!

Today was our last day in the field. It was a cloudy to start,something we weren't used to! We stopped at a likely area on our way up to the Col des Champs. Under cloud,it took a bit longer to find roosting Heath Frit, Chalkhill Blue and Chestnut Heath. As it brightened a little, Safflower Skipper, Orange Tip, Almond-eyed Ringlet and Chapmans Blue , and David found a Dusky Meadow Brown. The larch trees here were looking very brown and sad,which,in high summer,is a worry.

So,then up to the Col. The flowers here were even more spectacular than ever,a real riot of colour. A pair of whinchats were attending a nest,and many marmots were around. Here are a few flowers;

Slowly,the sun started to break through,and immediately the award became alive with butterflies. Several very fresh Purple Edge Coppers showed,Eros and Green-underside Blues and Shepherd Fritillaries appeared from nowhere. Small, Silver-studded and Mazarine Blues were seen,and another Alpine Blue was found. A Large Grizzled Skipper was spotted,as was a Glandon Blue. Clouded and Bergers Clouded Yellow were seen,and a Mountain Dappled White was near the car park,and eventually photographed by several members of the group. On the high slopes,a few Mountain Ringlets were found.

Another stop on the way down produced Purple-shot Copper by the roadside,plus Blue-spot Hairstreak, Great Sooty Satyr, False Heath Fritillary and Large Ringlet while the thistles by the hotel produced my only Silver-washed Fritillary of the week nearby. A great last day . Pics to follow...

Pictures as promised;

And the Alpine Blue,

And from the road verge,

Great stuff, Mark. I'm envious of the Purple Shot Copper - I was too lazy to photograph one even when they were relatively plentiful early in the week.

Next morning,under brilliant blue skies,there was time after breakfast to take one last look at the thistle patch, clocking up amongst others,my only Scarce Copper of the week,and a Pearl-bordered Fritillary ,before heading down to Nice for our flight home,as all good things come to an end

Thanks Dave,though I have to say I almost missed it as Yiannis and I were photographing the great yellow gentian! So I only managed a couple of quick shots,fortunately they came out reasonable.

It's all I can bring myself to type

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Amazing range of species, Buzzard! Very impressed.

Your pearl-bordered fritillary is a lesser marbled fritillary.

Guy

Told you I would make a few mistakes! Thanks Guy.


After the butterfly banquet in France ,by mid July it was back to normality. At least the weather has improved! The edge of my local wood faces north-west,and recently there have been a few sunny evenings,meaning after work visits were worthwhile. Hutchinsoni Commas have been present each time,if in slightly lower numbers than recent years. Ringlets are here too,but I also like to see the skippers. Large Skippers are perched every few yards,with Small and Essex Skippers in the grass.

One Essex species I didn't see in France was the White-letter Hairstreak . So when I got back it was a priority to visit my local site at Hadleigh Castle Country Park. The poor season here was obvious ,and only about half a dozen were found during my morning search. However,I did see a White Admiral,a site first,although it flew away over the hedge before I could get the camera ready!

Hi Mark,

Just catching up with your continental adventures, great reports and photos of the butterflies but those scenery shots with all the wildflowers are spectacular

Cheers,

Neil.

Thanks Neil. For me,it's not just about the butterflies , though they take priority! It's about where they are, the setting, the scenery and wild flowers, that make these mountains so special.

28 July. While I was in France, I saw hundreds,if not thousands,of butterflies each day. Well today, I saw hundreds, if not thousands of butterflies in Britain! The difference was,I didn't see 60 different kinds. At Devils Dyke,near Newmarket , they were all the same kind- Chalkhill Blues. Many species are having a poor year,no doubt in part due to the poor weather and lack of sunshine . But the Chalkhill Blues here were in fine fettle,there were as many as I have ever seen here,and they made a splendid sight, shimmering over the steep,hard to work, south-facing slope.

Another week goes by,and another week of mostly grey skies. This has been an all too familiar and unwelcome aspect of the summer this year- decidedly dull,even by British standards !

The woodland and grassland season is on the wane,though there were still a few Hutchinsoni Commas,in various stages of wear,on the one bright evening last week,and there were still a few Gatekeepers around. Purple Hairstreaks were still flying around the treetops. But the Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Skippers have mostly gone. But as one door closes,another, the last one, opens. The downland season,with the emergence of new season Blues and Silver-spotted Skippers,is about to reach its (hopefully ) glorious peak,and that's where I will be heading next.

Fear not, Mark. I've just watched the weather forecast and we have been promised some very favourable conditions by the weekend!

I fear it may be too little too late,though very welcome of course!

So, we headed of to Denbies hillside, Surrey. The site was more overgrown with thick,rank vegetation than usual. Whether this is because of all the rain or through lack of management ,I don't know. Either way,it will be interesting how many Adonis Blues appear later this month.

The poor season here was obvious ,with dozens to low hundreds of Chalkhill Blues,rather than the expected thousands. They should be at their peak now. A few Brown Argus and Common Blues were found. Even Meadow Browns were low in number, a few late Large,Small and Essex Skippers were seen,and one Silver Spotted Skipper-my first of the season. After a damp night, several edible (Roman) snails were found.

Nice shots from Denbies, Essex - I was there yesterday and can only agree that it was a bit disappointing and that the grass is unusually long. It must be the rain earlier in the year as I think it was grazed in the normal way last winter and looked "normal" in the spring when the first brood Adonis were around.

Dave

That makes sense,Dave. I can't believe they would take their eye of the ball on such a great site as that. Just shows how bad the weather has been,as if we didn't know!

After our morning at Denbies , we eased over to Ciddingfold wood. By mid afternoon ,the weather had brightened,and we saw good numbers of butterflies along the rides. Wood White numbers were fairly low,with about a dozen seen in the two hours the weather remained suitable. But we witnessed courtship,egg laying and a mating pair. A Large Skipper was in surprisingly good nick,they are long gone from where I live. Peacocks and Brimstones were feeding up, and plenty of mostly worn Silver-washed Frits were about. Day list for both sites, Large,Silver-spotted, Small and Essex Skippers, Large White, Brimstone, Green-veined White, Purple Hairstreak , Small Copper, Brown Argus, Common and Chalkhill Blue, White Admiral, Peacock, Comma,Painted Lady,Red Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown,Gatekeeper, Ringlet and Small Heath.