Butterflying in the Alpes-Maritimes - Tinée Valley

Day 4 - moving day, as we swapped Rimplas for Saint Martin d'Entraunes, of course butterflying on the way. First stop was the famous manure heap at Beuil.

Lots of skippers and blues but odd to see a pristine Swallowtail puddling in a pile of poo

Foulquier's Skipper??

Large Grizzled Skipper??

Safflower Skipper

A Cleopatra that, try as I might, I failed to capture with an open wing shot.

Damon Blues

On down the track were some decent thistles attracting a few Fritillaries.

Dark Green Fritillary

Dark Green Fritillary

Marbled Fritillary

Marbled Fritillary



Rather close Silver-washed Fritillary

Silver-washed Fritillary

Then on to a roadside meadow for mud puddling blues and a plethora of fritillaries.

 

Apparently seven species

 

Easy - mostly Damon Blue

Another Chestnut Heath

 

Too close!

First Queen of Spain Fritillary

Next Niobe Fritillary

Finally we arrived at our new base and having checked in I dumped my bags, grabbed my camera and joined David to investigate a stand of thistles and umbellifers at the side of the hotel. We struck silver, first a Silver-spotted Skipper  then I was delighted to be able to capture a fairly obliging Silver-washed Fritillary, forma valesina, a perfect end to another great butterflying day.