More tippling butterflies
Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 7:40 pm
This time last year I posted photos of tree graylings getting drunk on rotting grapes. They were there again today, the stench of alcohol being so strong I felt heady just watching. Here is a lone drinker (his friends scarpered when I got the camera out):
A little further on in the walk I found they like cider even better than wine. I challenge anyone to photograph an apple with more butterflies on it than this one:
In Spain, tree graylings fly in July. In the Rhône Valley (Valais) they wait until September and stay on the wing until November, throughout the rotten fruit season. I wonder if they have evolved locally in response to the huge numbers of grapes and apples grown here.
Other species still flying in the Valley include small, green-veined and Bath whites, clouded yellow and Berger's clouded yellow, grayling, speckled wood, wall, common blue, Adonis blue, chalkhill blue, short-tailed blue, Chapman's blue, northern brown argus, grizzled skipper, large grizzled skipper, Queen of Spain and red admiral.
The chalkhills are so worn you can see the yellow of the dandelion through this one.
Queens fly throughout the year and there were plenty of fresh insects on the wing today.
Berger's
Wall is still common, but none looked fresh
Guy
A little further on in the walk I found they like cider even better than wine. I challenge anyone to photograph an apple with more butterflies on it than this one:
In Spain, tree graylings fly in July. In the Rhône Valley (Valais) they wait until September and stay on the wing until November, throughout the rotten fruit season. I wonder if they have evolved locally in response to the huge numbers of grapes and apples grown here.
Other species still flying in the Valley include small, green-veined and Bath whites, clouded yellow and Berger's clouded yellow, grayling, speckled wood, wall, common blue, Adonis blue, chalkhill blue, short-tailed blue, Chapman's blue, northern brown argus, grizzled skipper, large grizzled skipper, Queen of Spain and red admiral.
The chalkhills are so worn you can see the yellow of the dandelion through this one.
Queens fly throughout the year and there were plenty of fresh insects on the wing today.
Berger's
Wall is still common, but none looked fresh
Guy