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Hi All and a belated Happy New Year to everyone on UKB.
I'm back in Spain for a few weeks again, visiting N/W of Benidorm, S/W of Alicante and Alcossebre(north of Benicasim), these are the same area's as 2014 but I will be trying to find different places/locations to see what I can find this year.

First butterfly of the trip and 2015, is the humble Small White, seen on a patch of ground on the outskirts of Gandia on my way down, hopefully the 1st of many?

Cheers Russ

Hi Russ,
I will be following your exploits and am most interested to see how advanced (or not) the butterfly season is down there at this time of year. All other insect/animal/scenery photos will help us others, slaving away at work, to dream of retirement and endless holidays ...
Chris

Good to hear that the season has started there. I look forward to reading about all of the other butterflies you see.
Unfortunately, we won't be going to Spain this year for our holidays. I can't wait to return to the Sierra Nevada one day.

Cheers Chris/Nick, I have arrived at Almafra campsite(Alfas de Pi,5km north-west of Benidorm), I am 2 weeks earlier in the year than last year and I can tell the difference with not too much flying as yet.

I have been to the local old orchard(scrub land) some 15 mins cycle ride from my campsite a couple of times and the weather has been around 16/17c with plenty of sun but only seen Small Whites, Bath Whites, Clouded Yellows and Speckled Wood(1 only), no skippers or Ger/Bronze as yet but the flowers are coming out slowly which should help.

I'm hoping to get out later today(Saturday)sunny but a cool breeze at the moment, so I will let things warm up a little first, I see it's a little cool in Lancashire at the moment too?

All for now Russ

Hi Russ,
It sounds like its only a little bit warmer down where you are, compared to Marseilles - a chill wind here as well.
Your bug looks very similar to one I see in the South of France, Lygaeus equestris (the "Black-and-Red Bug"), which is not a very original name .
Cheers, Chris

Saturday 17th Jan.2015.
A quick tour of the local scrub land as visited a few days ago, nothing new seen, only Small & Bath Whites, Clouded Yellows and the single Speckled Wood again.
The weather is going down hill for the next couple of days, with rain forecast, lets hope it will freshen things up.

Cheers Russ.

Tuesday 20/1/15. Warm 14c. little wind.
After a day and a half of rain/drizzle, with the temperature down to 9c and a cold northerly wind blowing on Monday, I was glad it had all cleared by today(Tuesday).
I visited the old orchard, around noon before it got too warm for the butterflies to continuously by flying at speed.
I was greeted by a Red Admiral(my 1st of 2015) as soon as entered the site, it was in tip top condition but looked a little smaller than usual(?), then the usual Clouded Yellows, which I managed a few pics of various colours, and a mating couple(is this early in the year?) on the wing, which eventually landed and allowed me one or two pics, whilst they were mating they were constantly "attacked" by another male(sorry about the quality of that pic. but there was a lot of movement going on).

Cheers Russ

continuation fromTuesday 20/1/2015, a few more pics of clouded yellows;

Hi Russ, I’m amazed there is so much Clouded Yellow activity, and one of them looks quite whitish: form Helice ?.
Make sure you check out your "Bath Whites" closely, because there is a good chance that there may also be Western Dappled Whites around early in the year.
Wet and cold here in Marseilles.
Chris

Hi Chris, Yeah there are plenty of C/Yellows about this year, I don't think I saw any until 2nd Feb. last year.
I'm not sure if it is a Helice or not, maybe one of our more knowledgeable friends will confirm and also help with the Bath Whites too.
Have a look at these photo's Chris and see what you think, I think they are Bath Whites?, I'm sorry they aren't great shots but I haven't managed an under wing or macro one of them yet, the attached are the best ones I have got , they just never seem to settle.
Sunny today but cool wind,about 12c.
Cheers Russ.

Ps Which butterflies have you seen this year?

Hi Russ. I'm enjoying your pictures, especially as 2015 has been wintry and butterfly-free so far in Switzerland.

I agree with Chris - that is a helice female. And those last two are both Bath whites.

Guy

Oh yes, they are Bath Whites, Russ.
The most common BF around Marseilles at the moment on a sunny day is, not too surprisingly, the Red Admiral.
I've also spotted 1 Clouded Yellow and 1 Painted Lady (both worn), and a Lang's Short-tailed Blue, whose domain I believe extends down your way - so keep your eyes open.
Temperatures will barely reach 6 or 7°C over here in the coming days.
Cheers, Chris

Hi Guy,
Nice to hear from you again and I hope it warms up soon in CH.
Russ.

Friday 23.1.15. Gaudalest Reservoir, 12c cool breeze but warm in sheltered spots.

We walked/cycled around Gaudalest reservoir again this year, last year it was on 27.1.14. and 7c warmer.
Butterflies seen this year were Small and Bath Whites, 3 or 4 Clouded Yellows and 15+ Long Tailed Blues(that's what I think they all were?). The LTB's were very lively and difficult to get a clear shot of, that's my excuse for the quality of pics.
One male and a female were just about to mate when another male came and scared her off and she flew away .

Last year I saw Wall, Cleopatra, Large Tort., Speckled Wood and a H/bird H/moth, maybe the temperature wasn't warm enough, but I did see LTB and C/Yellow instead, so shouldn't grumble

Cheers Russ
Ps Chris funny you should have mentioned LSTB and then I came across LTB..

Saturday 24.1.15. Sunny 14c.

A quick visit back to the old orchard, nice and warm with very little wind, around noon time, more flowers coming out every visit now. The usual Whites flying(small & bath) 4 or 5 Clouded Yellows, and to my great delight a couple of Mallow Skippers(slightly different shades from each other), they didn't hang about, so not great pics. but now that they are out, I should hopefully get another chance to obtain some better ones?

Cheers Russ.

"Warm sun" Russ ? You lucky devil, I'll be very lucky to scrape 10 °C in the afternoon today in the South of France.
Chris

It is lovely to know that there are butterflies flying in other parts of the world while I pick the sleet out of my ears!

Saturday,25.1.15. Old orchard(local) sunny warm, 15c, little wind.

A nice surprise on arrival was a "new" Painted Lady, only one shot from distance and then it was off and then at last a half decent shot of a Bath White underwing, looking more green than usual, maybe a female?
Later I came across a Speckled Wood on the ground which allowed me a few macro pics. and a Long-tailed Blue whizzing around the top of a tall shrub(don't know the name?) I haven't seen any before on this site, a couple of shots from distance and one on the ground.
Last but not least a beautiful Geranium Bronze(or 2) which allowed me a few good macro pics. this butterfly is really tiny so you need macro shots.
Also flying were Small Whites and Clouded Yellows as usual.
All in all a good day out.
Cheers Russ.

Hi Russ,
15 °C sounds pleasant enough to me (once again I won't even be reaching 10 °C today).
Nice Geranium Bronze.
Your LTB is perched in a Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic Tree), (note the symetrical terminal leaves), not to be confused with the Pistacia terebinthus which has only one terminal leaf (I think).
Chris

Your first LTB looks like Lang's. If it's the same individual as the next one (the underside) it can't be, but otherwise, did you consider Lang's?

Guy