rodosranger wrote:
Hope you're already looking forward to more in 2017!?
To be honest, Matt, I'm feeling rather bereft at having left them behind for 2016. When you can notch up 71 species at a single small site and arrive back in the UK to just Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Green Veined Whites, it's a damaging culture shock!!!
Blues (and other Lycaenids) Part 2:
Alpine Blue is a rather iconic altitude species. With time, I've begun to realise that they're almost always about at 2,000m+; you just have to look for the signs - a bright, pointy-winged Blue usually rather separated from its fellows. I reckon I saw about half a dozen during the trip. Here are two different individuals:
With thousands of Blues to see, it was only a matter of time before Chapman's Blue showed itself. I've paid scant attention to this species in the past, but I'm now forever on the lookout for it, and I find it to be increasingly more divergent from Common Blue than I first thought.
It has obviously bolder underside markings and the upperside is a darker shade than
icarus. This specimen was 'outed' at a major puddling spot and everybody soon joined my club of Chapman's enthusiasts:
For me, another desirable member of this family is Green Underside Blue. This species can turn up at fairly low altitudes but every now and again it shines out like a beacon amongst the high altitude puddlers. I saw 3 on the trip, this one trying to disguise itself amongst its fellow lycaenids (but failing to):
Osiris Blue was much talked about over the course of the trip. Sadly, its numbers were scant, with 6 or 7 at best. I spent lots of time in the puddling areas looking for it, but the only one I found was at a time when none of the guests were nearby. Thankfully, one or two others saw this delightful species independently:
Last year, Silvery Argus was common in the damp meadows 30 minutes' drive from our base. This year, presumably due to the late season, only 3 were seen:
One of the great shocks of the trip was suddenly seeing a Lang's Short Tailed Blue nectaring on sainfoin. I shouted one of the guests over so I didn't get chance to take many images of this specimen, and the best one I DID get was very ordinary:
Turquoise Blue popped up every so often. I have come to name this species the 'Lonely Blue' as it always seems to appear in isolation, quite often preferring to alight on the track rather than the plants nearby. Here are two examples of this beautiful butterfly:
A non-French species was also seen. Geranium Bronze can often be encountered in this part of the world, and the second hotel's pot plants hosted at least 4 of them over the time we were there:
Amongst all these lycaenids, one species stood out however. Mountain Alcon Blue isn't a common butterfly, and in previous trips we've struggled to reach double figures. This time though, we must have hit it at just the right time - there were good numbers of them, so much so that mating pairs were seen:
With a bit of patience (and some shading), open wing shots were on offer too (note the numerous eggs laid on the gentian by previous females):
Perhaps the lateness of the season was responsible for this good fortune. Certainly, there were certain species still around that shouldn't normally have been there. During both weeks, for example, Chequered Blue was seen:
Rough estimates for the fortnight were:
1. Mazarine Blue 1,000+
2. Small Blue 1,000+
3. Silver Studded Blue 250-500
4. Escher's Blue 250-500
5. Adonis Blue 150-300
6. Common Blue 100-200
7. Eros Blue 50-100
8. Amanda's Blue 50-100
9. Geranium Argus 50-100
10. Mountain Argus 50-100
11. Glandon Blue 50-75
12. Idas Blue 40-60
13. Brown Argus 30-50
14. Mountain Alcon Blue 30-50
15. Large Blue 20-40
16. Baton Blue 10-20
17. Chalkhill Blue 10-20
18. Turquoise Blue 10-20
19. Holly Blue 8-12
20. Chapman's Blue 5-10
21. Alpine Blue 5-10
22. Osiris Blue 4-8
23. Chequered Blue 4-8
24. Geranium Bronze 4
25. Silvery Argus 3
26. Green Underside Blue 3
27. Lang's Short Tailed Blue 1
28. Damon Blue 1
29. Furry Blue 1