Friends of Groyne No.4: Sooty Copper

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

Thursday, 25 May 2017

La Brenne - Deuxieme jour

Day 2 began much the same as the first day, bright sunshine with clear blue skies and the promise of high temperatures.

Étang Ricot

We had a cracking start in the car park of Etang Ricot, both Melodious Warbler and Bonelli's Warbler singing their heads off in the nearby trees.

The hide here is split level and we started on the lower level but soon moved up for better views of a Great Reed Warbler. Out in the pond the obligatory sunken log had a resident "Cistude" or European Pond Tortoise or Turtle.

Then great excitement as we were provided with distant views of two Black Storks circling high over the reserve, unfortunately not even close enough for a record.

Photographic opportunities were few and far between and I was tempted into a distant shot of a Four Spot Chaser and soon after left the hide to investigate the margins of the pond. White-legged Damselflies were emerging in good numbers so most of the records were of tenerals, the adults seemed to have left for the meadows surrounding the pond.

White-legged Damselfly

Étang Mouton

As we arrived we were greeted by a Hoopoe but it didn't stay for long, decamping to the other side of the pond, although later, as we were having our picnic it returned and gave everyone a good view. The circumnavigation of the pond gave a single butterfly but some nice damselflies. Birds were difficult to spot but we did hear both Great and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers

Sooty Copper

Green-eyed or Norfolk Hawker

Small Red Damselfly

White-legged Damselfly

During lunch a Scarce Swallowtail flew through and I chased it with the camera, now this is another bogey for me, scarce they are not but I have struggled to see them. Just my luck that when I finally get to photograph one it has its tail missing, probably due to a bird. Never mind, I was pleased to see it.

Rosnay Fairground

Mid afternoon we visited Rosnay Fairground, a wonderful meadow in the middle of the town. By now the temperatures were well up and the butterflies manic, but I managed to capture Knapweed Fritillary and Spotted Fritillary, both of which seemed to be everywhere. I found one Lax-flowered Orchid and one Marsh Orchid, I had the feeling that there should have been more but I was concentrating on chasing high speed butterflies.

Étang Cistude

A visit to the Maison de la nature et de la Réserve where we met the famous Tony WIlliams, a mine of information. At long last I finally managed to capture some reasonable shots of a Purple Heron, a bird that has been a bit of a bogey for me. I have seen loads in Spain but never got close.