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Reverdin
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 8:23 pm
by Reverdin
New to the site, so to start a blog with some images from here and there, and experiences to share.
Today, 29th May...
![110529 P. aegeria NZ202003 8129.JPG (345.96 KiB) Viewed 6245 times Male Speckled Wood attending to his territory..](./files/thumb_11311_26e976b62f09f9e446fecea91e74299a)
- Male Speckled Wood attending to his territory..
![110529 P. brassicae NZ202003 8155.JPG (369.4 KiB) Viewed 6245 times and a Large White clinging on to a Yellow Rattle head in the breeze today.](./files/thumb_11311_6bdf1d459e508d72064c466fd77b6b2f)
- and a Large White clinging on to a Yellow Rattle head in the breeze today.
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 12:01 pm
by Reverdin
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 12:42 pm
by Padfield
Two very lovely moths!
Guy
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 8:20 pm
by Reverdin
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 8:25 pm
by David M
Is there a particular time of day/specific weather conditions where Large Blues exhibit a greater propensity toward opening their wings?
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 8:35 pm
by Reverdin
Well, judging by Saturday... there weren't that many around, and I know there were comments about the lack of wing opening... I was there from 7am, until 2 ish, and spent a lot of time carefully wandering around the slopes after them... they were quite jittery and did not settle for long, and flew very easily when approached....
... however... with patience, nearly all of them ( 4 or 5!!) eventually showed me upperside, not particularly sun related, but spent ~ 95% time with closed wings, opening for 30 seconds at most. I saw more males than females and they were all quite fresh.... a great day out.
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:04 pm
by Reverdin
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:03 pm
by jenks
Reverdin wrote:Sunday 5th in Devon. Not great weather but some Fritillary success... first time I have seen Heath Frit in this country, and seem to be darker than their European counterparts to me... lovely to see and thanks indeed to Roger and Rose for their wonderful hospitality.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Where in Devon did you see the Heath Frits ? I was returning to South Wales that day after 3 days in Hampshire & Dorset, made a detour to Lydford Gorge, and watched never ending rain from 11 am till 2pm. Not one butterfly of any description ( they`d have been mad to have been out in that weather !) But I couldnt find any HF`s sheltering in the grass either. Hence my hesitation to travel to East Anglia this coming weekend (see Swallowtail thread ) in view of the weather that is forecast. I may make a trip to Haddon Hill if the weather looks good (less distance ) if someone can point me to the area where HF`s are found.
Thanks for any help.
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:41 pm
by Rogerdodge
Where in Devon did you see the Heath Frits ?
Actually, we were in Somerset - Haddon is just over the border.
It was misty, cold and drizzly, but we found a couple of roosting HFs.
I shall PM you a map later today.
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:46 pm
by Reverdin
Sat 24th June - Lake District, Hartsop Dodd.
In the company of Roger Harding, made the climb to the high fells to see mnemon, and despite not quite ideal conditions achieved the following. Apologies to those who hate photographers and who hate butterflies on sticks... I suggest you look away now
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 4:20 pm
by Reverdin
Day 1 – Spent the morning along the riverside in our Haute Savoie base at 700m with weather gradually improving. Investigated any rough waste ground and gradually accounted for Marbled White, Small Heath, Small and Large Skipper, Small and Large Whites, Wood White, Short Tailed Blue, Provencal Short Tailed Blue, Holly Bue, White Admiral, Marbled Fritillary, Heath Fritillary, ubiquitous Meadow Brown and Ringlet and penultimately Arran Brown. Finally, an Emperor put in a brief aerobatic display, taunting us by not revealing it’s true identity!!
![110630 E. ligea Samoens 8945.JPG (389.88 KiB) Viewed 6049 times Arran Brown](./files/thumb_11311_f244e0cb7b40678b5a00a4c5ff7112af)
- Arran Brown
![110630 E. alcetas Samoens 8909.JPG (276.71 KiB) Viewed 6049 times Provencal Short-tailed Blue](./files/thumb_11311_70cdeec86ee0fde5471630f0887e75a1)
- Provencal Short-tailed Blue
In the afternoon we set off to the top of one of the local peaks, a flattish basin at 1700m with a small lake. Here we had a very warm afternoon, and saw Mazarine Blue, Moorland Clouded Yellow, Alpine Heath, Dark Green Fritillary, Mountain Ringlet, Bright Eyed Ringlet and my first totally new species of my trip.... Blind Ringlet.
![110630 C. semiargus Col de Joux Planes 8954.JPG (293.43 KiB) Viewed 6048 times Mazarine Blue](./files/thumb_11311_b065b2117bf192792502d7f01ef9b7e3)
- Mazarine Blue
![110630 Haute Savoie 9036.JPG (376.18 KiB) Viewed 6048 times Moorland Clouded Yellow](./files/thumb_11311_673ac96841621caa80be6cbbbda21398)
- Moorland Clouded Yellow
![110630 M. galathea Haute Savoie 9093.JPG (343.2 KiB) Viewed 6048 times Marbled White](./files/thumb_11311_7d4a89e329816ee3a6b16ca7f7c2af67)
- Marbled White
![110630 C. gardetta Haute Savoie 9016.JPG (306.76 KiB) Viewed 6048 times Alpine Heath](./files/thumb_11311_1a00bf374a4d06feb6427c7c11f279ae)
- Alpine Heath
![110630 E. pharte Haute Savoie 8985.JPG (391.42 KiB) Viewed 6048 times ? Blind Ringlet](./files/thumb_11311_954685476dc8ae72c01f99b207131084)
- ? Blind Ringlet
![IMG_9057.JPG (268.12 KiB) Viewed 6048 times Lesser Mountain Ringlet ( ID edited from Mountain Ringlet)](./files/thumb_11311_3f2bfce13681d5d7d40cf78ecf2b7fc5)
- Lesser Mountain Ringlet ( ID edited from Mountain Ringlet)
We ventured slowly down the Alpine road back into our valley base, stopping off in the early evening sun in several places, finding some further amenable local species as we went...Titania’s Fritillary, Black Veined White, Geranium Argus ( all well worn) and False Heath Fritillary.
![110630 B. titania Haute Savoie 9167.JPG (500.22 KiB) Viewed 6046 times Titania's Fritillary](./files/thumb_11311_136c43c8d8c810eb7074c57bfd1a85be)
- Titania's Fritillary
![110630 A. crataegi Route de Col de Joux Planes 9221.JPG (324.08 KiB) Viewed 6046 times Black-veined White](./files/thumb_11311_b20ac88461f5ef96d9234e19648f315c)
- Black-veined White
All in all, a good day, and a promising start, with weather set to be fair and new pastures to investigate. It was already evident that 2011 was an early season for many butterfly species, and this was indeed clear from the start, with the promise of some early emergent later flying species ahead. We were’nt to be disappointed.
More days and photos to come
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:36 pm
by Rogerdodge
Excellent stuff Paul.
Really envious of you.
You are getting great results with that new camera/lens combo.
Can't wait to see the next edition!
I am away from internet access for the next fortnight, so I will have your whole trip to read up on when I get back.
Can't wait.
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:53 pm
by Reverdin
Have a great time!
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:28 pm
by Padfield
Hi Reverdin! I'm looking forward to your further instalments too!
Your mountain ringlet is a lesser mountain ringlet (Erebia melampus). Typically, mountain ringlets (epiphron) fly on higher, more wild terrain than lesser mountain and the other species you feature. The blind ringlet is just that.
I've been in similar country with a group from UK Butts today - must get on and process the few photos I permitted myself after they had had their pick!!
Guy
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:35 pm
by Reverdin
Thanks Guy, thought I must have seen melampus, but not sure which!!!... now I know.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Look forward to hearing how your current group do.
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:31 pm
by Reverdin
02/07/11
Day 3 - We ventured early, up to a ski base at 1600m and walked slowly uphill, steeply at times to a lofty 2100m. At 1600m the first Erebia visible turned out to be Manto Ringlet, my first experience of this one. Images as usual were difficult to accomplish well. Glorious Sooty and Purple Edged Coppers, and Small Blues were evident a little further up the path.
![IMG_9324.JPG (328.75 KiB) Viewed 6012 times Manto Ringlet ( Yellow Spotted )](./files/thumb_11311_b358404e8ad319d18baf34c7f3d80f2c)
- Manto Ringlet ( Yellow Spotted )
![IMG_9344.JPG (346.95 KiB) Viewed 6012 times Manto Ringlet underside](./files/thumb_11311_2b48b1180cc45b261a1c1260d96cc0ee)
- Manto Ringlet underside
![IMG_9508.JPG (309.41 KiB) Viewed 6012 times Purple Edged Copper](./files/thumb_11311_175e9c7f332fda164dcad209a0e72f6f)
- Purple Edged Copper
![IMG_9555.JPG (321.45 KiB) Viewed 6012 times Purple Edged Copper female](./files/thumb_11311_a90c40f48a4f18f94823d2ff27e0bb33)
- Purple Edged Copper female
![IMG_9286 110702 L. tityrus Plateau des Saix.JPG (259.19 KiB) Viewed 5997 times Sooty Copper](./files/thumb_11311_af3caf365c86c7837c8c0b06021af59e)
- Sooty Copper
At about 1800m the debilis form of Marsh Fritillary was seen and a male Queen of Spain Fritillary appeared. Blind Ringlet was once more present. Large Grizzled Skipper put in a tantalizing but unphotographable appearance, and many Erebia continued to taunt, as the thin mountain air took a toll of my legendary lack of fitness! We settled for lunch at a promontory at 1900m and enjoyed a hill-topping Machaon Swallowtail, Small Tortoiseshell, Bath White, a pristine Mazarine, and Grizzled Skippers. The Erebia continued to taunt, flying 10m on disturbance within 2m, and always settling in long grass, rarely still. As we approached our 2100m vantage point, only a rather worn Dewy Ringlet added to our tally.
![IMG_9352.JPG (321.29 KiB) Viewed 6002 times debilis Marsh Fritillary](./files/thumb_11311_2128b4bc59964630e5f55fe685c1b40d)
- debilis Marsh Fritillary
![IMG_9485.JPG (369.62 KiB) Viewed 6012 times Blind Ringlet](./files/thumb_11311_661e6d17048741c244e870b0f123fb9d)
- Blind Ringlet
![IMG_9476.JPG (330.4 KiB) Viewed 6012 times Blind Ringlet underside](./files/thumb_11311_e17495670b73ff96b18dce25b0645d46)
- Blind Ringlet underside
![IMG_9301.JPG (365.28 KiB) Viewed 6002 times Mazarine Blue](./files/thumb_11311_52fd5b745afeb854c89d5c73b8fbc3bc)
- Mazarine Blue
The descent was similar in reverse, with species appearing, and then disappearing as we staggered down the very unstable scree like path. Rewardingly, some better photo opportunities began to afford themselves as the day wore on. Just below 1800m a Niobe Fritillary showed off. I was then enthralled to improve my Manto Ringlet images. I am sure Lesser Mountain Ringlet was also in the throngs of dark Ringlets along the way.
![IMG_9314.JPG (356.24 KiB) Viewed 6002 times Purple Edged Copper](./files/thumb_11311_ddb5c662fc00a1cc12199ad01ce22832)
- Purple Edged Copper
![IMG_9518.JPG (308 KiB) Viewed 6012 times Manto](./files/thumb_11311_a1497e1c401a326b6736274906b3e87f)
- Manto
![IMG_9524.JPG (333.75 KiB) Viewed 6012 times Manto underside](./files/thumb_11311_2fae7e6eb21282bd4fc01cb01aa2bc8e)
- Manto underside
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:08 pm
by Reverdin
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:31 pm
by Reverdin
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:35 pm
by Padfield
I think it would be a little optimistic to try and identify those
Pyrgus with certainty, Reverdin! But I agree that the second does look a lot like
alveus. The first looks like
armoricanus to me. I'm not sure how the voltinism works there, but if it was at altitude it could have been the very last of the first generation, which would explain its condition.
Alveus is currently very fresh here in CH. The last could be female
alveus, but I couldn't rule out female
serratulae just from one angle like that... In some ways it looks more like
serratulae than
alveus.
Great pictures, especially the very last one, of your car!
Guy
Re: Reverdin
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:48 pm
by Reverdin