www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi
Some advice needed.

I have managed to book time off from work the 3 days between Easter and the new Royal Wedding Bank Holiday which adjoins May Day.
This means that just by using 3 days of my annual holiday entitlement, I can have 11 days holiday .

Now, my darling wife is off to China at that same time for a few weeks with some girl fiends - so I am at a loose end.
My plan is to visit somewhere warm(ish) in southern Europe specifically to look for butterflies and birds, and hopefully take some decent photographs.
Cheap flight from Sleezyjet or someone, hire a car and just grab B&B on the hoof as it were.

So, I am looking to you wise people for some suggestions where to go and what I may encounter..
Any suggestions would be welcome - considering the fact that it is still April - and a little early I know!

Thanks in advance.

(p.s. I spotted the mistype in the description of my wife's travelling companions - but left it as is because I have met these women )

Hi Rog,

I don't know if it will be warm enough in late April, but Hungary is fantastic! I would go back there at the drop of a hat.
Cheap flights to Budapest (about £40 each way with British Airways) and everything there is very cheap. (Beer is about 90p a pint!)
I stayed at Aggtelek (in the only) hotel which was adequate but not luscious, but the surrounding area was rich with butterflies, and many of the locals speak English. I would have spent a week here quite happily, but as it was an organised tour the second half of the week was spent in the Bukk Hills. This was also a fab place.
If your interested in this I can send you the Naturetrek Itinerary (which I followed including the hotels. The food at Bukk Hill hotel was second to none)

Cheers
Denise

PS, I hope that Rose has a great time in China with the feinds

At the end of April you will probably need to be somewhere at lower altitudes in order to see a greater range of species. Var (my patch) is very good then and I have usually seen 50 species by the end of April and 60 in good years. Both Festoons are probably the highlights.

If you decide to fly to Nice and stay a few days in the Alpes Maritimes and Var (you would need to hire a car at the airport) I could tell you or show you some very good places. The B&B chain of hotels are quite good at around 45 euros per night.

Roger

If you're only going for a few days, a very important consideration is the reliability of the weather. The Rhône Valley near me is wonderful at the end of April, especially if you want to see Camberwell beauties at their spring best (and obviously very cheap via EZJ) but there is a serious chance of not seeing the sun at all during your stay. As the melted snow evaporates the local atmosphere becomes very humid. Going further south to Roger G's domain would seem a much safer bet. I don't know about Hungary. The only time I went there it was sunny every day, but that was in July.

I'd love to join you if I am free, but with Easter falling almost as late as it can I'll be back at school. I think we'll be given a day or two off, but I don't know how it will work yet. There are lots of single brooders that fly down south I would really love to see and have never had the opportunity.

Guy

EDIT: Just read your post properly Roger. I missed the 11 day bit and thought you were off for only 3 days.

I am very interested in doing something like this... I have huge gaps in what I have seen because I have always missed the early spring species. Can think of the Blues such as Black-eyed, Green underside, Baton, are they around then ? - Festoons, now there's a thought, and Camberwells/ Large Tort.. would they be down south too??

Hi Paul,

I saw all three of the blues you mention in 4-6 May 2009, on the Var/Alpes de Haute-Provence border; also Spanish Festoon a bit later in May this year. I would guess that they would also be out in late April, especially at lower altitudes.

I hope that would be the case...... does make it tempting thanks Matsukaze

OK
Decision made.
Following a converstion with Roger Gibbons it is going to be the west of Provence, and the Alps Maritime.
Some very tempting early butterflies available.
I shall also not be alone with a LOTSW II now very much on the cards.

Next year can't come soon enough for me now..............