www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

We're going to try and run an Alpine Flowers and Butterflies course again this summer, from 6th-10th July. Despite some very enthusiastic noises last year, not a single person actually signed up for a place and we had to cancel the course.

The course is run by a former colleague of mine, Richard Greenway, who is head of biology at Aiglon College, in Switzerland. I will be contributing an illustrated lecture on alpine butterflies and two field days (probably) dedicated to butterflies. If I get my two days, one will be relatively local and and one more distant, precise destinations depending on the weather. During the course, Aiglon buses will ship us around, so there should be no hidden expenses except beer. I won't be choosing the wild flower destinations but it's a fair bet there'll be butterflies at them, too!! It should be a most rewarding week in a spectacular part of the world.

Anyone interested should contact Aiglon College, using the details here:

http://www.aigloncollege.ch/vacation-co ... terfly.pdf

I will be staying in the region for a short while afterwards, before heading off to the Val d'Aran as usual. I would be happy to guide trusted UK Butts members who stayed on a little longer to a few more favourite butterfly spots in the Rhône Valley.

Guy

Hi Guy,

Sound brilliant. How much is 1200 CHF in English money? (approx)

Denise

Last year CHF 1200 was worth under £500. Now, sadly (for you), it's worth about £760. I know that's pretty expensive. But you do get accommodation and food in an Alpine village, which costs quite a lot if you pay for that separately.

One problem last year was that they said they would only run it if there were a certain number of takers. That's problematic for people planning their holidays, espeically if they want to fly out and book early, so I did suggest we might do it anyway, regardless how few people came. In the end, it's not my decision, but I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for the interest!! I hope this will get off the ground this year!

Guy

Hi Guy,

It's a shame for this year as I have already booked all my holidays.
If the course runs again next year, I may combine 1 week in Hte Savoie and one week in Aiglon!!
Sylvie

I'm sorry Guy, but that's a bit out of my price bracket now. I've already committed to another holiday (Hungary) in June, and I have quite a bit of traveling around the UK trying to see some of our species here. (Fort William - May, Chequered Skipper etc,)
If you run it next year, and could let us know in early January, then I could be interested, especially if other UKB members were interested.

Denise

Hi Denise,

Noticed your reply to Guy about the flowers and butterflies course and that you planned to go to Fort William for Chequered Skippers - we went last year (end of May) and the best place for them was actually Glasdrum Wood - although they were very near the end of their flight period. We met some other butterfliers (if that is a word!) there who had been to the sites around and near Fort William without seeing any. Just our experience but you are pretty much guaranteed to see them at Glasdrum along with loads of Small PB Frits. We also found one very tattered PB Frit (we believe!)

Cheers
George

PS Guy - would love to have come to the course but it is a bit expensive and holidays booked this year. Maybe next year if the exchange rate is a little / lot better!

Thanks George.

I'll keep that in mind. I don't want to travel all that way and dip on this most desirable species.

Denise

Hi Denise
You can, of course, see your chequered skippers on your Hungary trip!
Alex

alex mclennan wrote:Hi Denise
You can, of course, see your chequered skippers on your Hungary trip!
Alex

That would be great, but I would still like to see them on my "home turf"
The same goes for the various fritts and I still have to see SS blue here.

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread Guy.

Denise

Denise wrote:Sorry for hi-jacking your thread Guy.

Denise

No problems! For future reference, you can, of course, see chequered skippers easily in Switzerland... And while you're in Hungary you will, as I'm sure you know, see large chequered skippers too. The only year I went to Hungary, 1994, I saw loads of the bouncing beauties in the second week in July, but they will surely be flying in June too. That was the year Shoemaker-Levy crashed into Jupiter. I well remember sitting outside on a balcony on 16th, drinking beer, watching Jupiter and imagining the tremendous collision taking place invisibly to the naked eye on the other side of the solar system. Beautiful night.
Guy

Continuing with the thread hijacking ...

Having visited Hungary and not seen either Chequered Skipper or Large Chequered Skipper, I can only conclude you need to be in the right area. I believe, for example, that Large Chequered Skipper are only found in the south west of the country, whereas I stayed at Farm Lator in the north east

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Denise (Sorry Guy, another hijacker!),
If you're coming to Sussex for Purple Emperor this year we can do Silver-studded Blue with ease. Iping Common near Midhurst has them in abundance. Can be part of a tour - just send me a 'wish list' nearer the time.
Neil

Thank you Neil, will do.

Now back to Alpine Flowers and Butterflies. (sorry again Guy.)

Denise

Pete's right - I was in the south-west of Hungary. It's a big country and a bit stupid of me to generalise from such limited experience!!

By the way, I'm involved in running an Alpine Flowers and Butterflies course in Switzerland this summer. I posted something about it somewhere but I can't remember where.

Guy

padfield wrote:By the way, I'm involved in running an Alpine Flowers and Butterflies course in Switzerland this summer. I posted something about it somewhere but I can't remember where.

Here's the link: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB2/v ... f=3&t=2933

Cheers,

- Pete

Hmmmmm... seems I will be a month premature!!!!

Don't worry, Paul - you'll see helle, trappi, iolas, osiris, orion... June is an excellent month out here, even though the true alpine stuff isn't on the wing yet.

Guy

I'd be interested for another year but already booked 5 weeks straight leading up to 4th July... I will actually be in Switzerland for that last week in Saas Fee The previous 4 I shall be in Norway, Provence and Chamonix. Should see something in that time I hope1

We pass the Villars region on the train each time we go to that area but not actually visited it yet. Worth knowing for the future!