Friends of Groyne No.4: May 2018

Monday, 28 May 2018

Butterflies of the French Pyrenees, Força Réal, Py and Col de Jau

It was all about trying to dodge the weather, yet again grey clouds and rain spoilt the day, We should have seen loads of Spanish Gatekeepers. We had to search hard for them, nothing was going to fly in the cool conditions that prevailed. Our ace "butterfly wrangler found the first specimen and it was coaxed to sit on the end of a finger for all to see. Then more diligent searching rewarded most of the group with individual finds. Most had to use flash and the possibility of an open wing shot was almost zero. Thankfully a few whites were about which gave us something to chase.

Bath White

Spanish Gatekeeper

Western Marble White

Apollos were rare during the week and a couple of overseas members of the group were keen to catch up with one. This one obliged but only in a fairly dense scrub which didn't allow a close approach.

Apollo

Friendly but unidentified beetles/bugs/chafers????

Burnet Companion, Euclidia glyphica

Black-veined White

Greater Butterfly Orchid

The diagnostic non parallel pollinia

Meadow Fritillary

Knapweed Fritillary

Latticed Heath Moth

Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper

Spotted Fritillary

Sulphur Owl Fly, Libelloides coccajus

Sooty Copper

Our last day and for a couple of hours it looked as though the weather might be OK, so we headed off for the Col de Jau. When we arrived at some small but productive meadows it was obvious that the butterflies had not come out to play and were well tucked up in the vegetation.

Wall

Mazarine Blue

Pearl -bordered Fritillary

Finally the rain returned and we ventured higher to get above the heavy cloud. All to no avail ,as when we reached the Col it was shrouded in cloud.

High but not high enough

The heavens opened in a deluge of biblical proportions so we turned back to the hotel amidst a very loud and active thunderstorm. The hardy botanists continued but the wimpy butterfliers went back for a beer.

Burnt Orchid

Bird's Nest Orchid

Green-winged Orchid

Early Purple Orchid

Purple Toothwort

Sword-leaved Helleborine

Green-winged Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid?

Elderflower Orchid

Asphodelus albus

Butterflies of the French Pyrenees, Sournia, The Quarry and "Somewhere in the Pyrenees"

Day three and four rolled together mainly because day four was short and sweet. At least the sun came out and we enjoyed some really warm weather. The increased temperatures brought aout the butterflies and we weren't disappointed. Lots of blues about, not least Chapman's Blue which was invariably seen on Sainfoin.

Chapman's Blue

Chequered Blue

Mmmm - Blue???

Mazarine Blue

The Marsh Fritillaries were really bright - I have a suspicion that most of these are Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Marsh Fritillary

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth

Broad-bordered Bee Hawk Moth

Southern Scarce Swallowtail

The late spring in the Pyrenees may have led to fewer butterflies but at least it meant that the Spanish Festoons were still about.

Spanish Festoon

The botanists on the tour seemed to ignore the Broomrapes and concentrated on the orchids.

Common Broomrape

Knapweed Broomrape

Man Orchid

Pyramidal Orchid

Finally a location somewhere in the French Pyrenees. not divulged as it is a very sensitive site with a small population of Violet Copper. I say small and that is justified by the fact that we found just a single specimen. Now 12 photographers trying to capture one butterfly could do an awful lot of habitat damage but I have to say that everyone was patient and well behaved. We took it in turns, two at a time, half a dozen shots then away to let someone else in.