Greenwings: Eastern French Pyrenees, 20th - 30th May 2019

[David M]

60. Brown Argus
61. Geranium Bronze
62. Provençal Short Tailed Blue
63. Holly Blue
64. Small Blue
65. Osiris Blue
66. Mazarine Blue
67. Green Underside Blue
68. Silver Studded Blue
69. Amanda's Blue
70. Adonis Blue
71. Turquoise Blue
72. Common Blue
73. Chapman's Blue
74. Chequered Blue

[David M]

Lycaenidae - Hairstreaks

There were plenty of Green Hairstreaks around, but that was the only member of this group seen.

In previous years, the odd Sloe and Blue Spot Hairstreak have turned up, but perhaps the greatest absentee was False Ilex Hairstreak, which can be found in serious numbers most years in the scrubby sites nearer to the coast.

Sadly, the perpetual high winds probably stopped them from flying. I guess they were about, but they were staying firmly anchored to their roosting spots.

75. Green Hairstreak

[David M]

Lycaenidae - Coppers

There were only five in this group, and whilst all were thin on the ground, we managed to get them all.

Small Copper was probably commonest, but with still fewer than two dozen seen.

Next in line was Sooty Copper, a butterfly I really like. The males must be the best 'posers' out of all the European species. They perch nicely on flowertips and even when disturbed come back to the same spot:

The females, being less 'sooty' are possibly even lovelier:

Only one Purple Shot Copper was seen during the visit; this one being found holding territory at the top of a hill and was impossible to approach due to the sheer numbers of Wall Browns with which he was skirmishing:

As for Purple Edged Copper (which is a more montane species), with it being a late season, I was hoping rather than expecting to see one. Thankfully, a pristine male showed up at 1,650m on the very last day:

[David M]

The other member of this group is the rarest of them all, and the principal target species for this trip - Violet Copper.

Here's a male:

....and the particularly stunning female:

[David M]

76. Small Copper
77. Violet Copper
78. Purple-Shot Copper
79. Purple-Edged Copper
80. Sooty Copper

[David M]

Riodinidae

So, to complete the set, we also had several Dukes of Burgundy, which I neglected to photograph given how much else of greater interest was going on around me.

81. Duke of Burgundy.

With me missing out on two species, this means that in 10 days at the latter end of May, at least 83 different species were flying. This is despite a 'late' season, particularly at altitude, and the fact that spring butterfly numbers do not seem to have recovered from the fallout due to the Siberian low pressure system which froze most of western Europe in March last year.

I still believe that in a good year, it would be possible to break the 100 barrier in this region, which is quite something prior to the start of summer.

[essexbuzzard]

Dribbling and drooling over your female Violet Coppers, David. They are truly stunning, congratulations on finding them.

[David M]

Dribbling and drooling over your female Violet Coppers, David. They are truly stunning, congratulations on finding them.

Yes, Mark, they're absolutely stunning, aren't they?

We always see a few males but females are harder to come by. We actually saw her fly across one of the leks and she was accosted by a male which we hoped might lead to a pairing.

Sadly, she flew off and it took three of us about half an hour to relocate her in a boggy field!

It was worth it though, as she took several short flights during a 20 minute period where we were able to follow her and watch her go about her business.

[David M]

Whilst we concentrate mainly on butterflies, there is plenty of other wildlife of interest.

There are some stunning birds seen in this area at this time of year, for example serins, black redstarts, honey buzzards, scops owls & griffon vultures. However, on the day spent near Andorra, we had the privilege of witnessing two lammergeiers circling overhead, which even distracted us momentarily from the Violet Coppers!!

I also wish I was better on moths, as there were plenty flying around. This species of tiger moth was very striking. I have checked it out with one of the experts in south Wales and it is atlantarctia tigrina, which, to my knowledge, doesn't have an English name:

Rather easier was this Elephant Hawk moth:

There were plenty of ascalaphids (owl flies) about too:

[petesmith]

Sounds like a great trip David! Violet Copper is always a sensational sight, and that Tiger moth looks a bit special also. A pity you missed out on desfontainii this time, but it must be one of France's "hardest to find" species...

[David M]

Sounds like a great trip David! Violet Copper is always a sensational sight, and that Tiger moth looks a bit special also. A pity you missed out on desfontainii this time, but it must be one of France's "hardest to find" species...

Thanks, Pete. It's two years since I last saw a female Violet Copper so that made up for the absence of Spanish Fritillary. In four years, we've only managed to find two, and this year I met up with a guy who lives in the Dordogne and he spent a further whole day at the quarry sites in near perfect conditions and drew a blank.

I'd love to be able to spend a week there just concentrating on this species to see how rare it really is.

[David M]

This is a botany trip as well as a butterfly one, and the drizzly day we experienced left me with nothing else to do but concentrate on flowers.

There were some fabulous orchids seen.

This one is a Man Orchid:

...an Elderflower Orchid:

....and I think this is a Bee Orchid:

[David M]

There are always peculiar, unexpected things which happen during these trips, and perhaps the biggest surprise came on the damp day, when one of the group shouted that he had found something crawling across the road:

This is a Fire Salamander, not especially rare in southern Europe but very seldom seen! We watched it intently until it disappeared into the undergrowth on the other side of the road which, thankfully, was not busy with traffic!

[Matsukaze]

Good to read the comment on the deranged alciphron, one of my favourite species.

[Sylvie_h]

Hi David,

Wonderful report and nice species from the Pyrenees. I believe that your 'bee orchid' is Ophrys scopolax (Woodcock orchid). This time of year is excellent for orchids in France, I just came back from the Savoie region and it was full of orchids, the highlight being the Lady's Slipper orchid which I've always wanted to see, one of the most beautiful flower I have ever seen....
Sylvie

[David M]

...Wonderful report and nice species from the Pyrenees. I believe that your 'bee orchid' is Ophrys scopolax (Woodcock orchid).

Thanks, Sylvie. Yiannis, my botanist friend, was not with me when I saw it so I just made an assumption.

I guess that's a life tick for me as I don't remember seeing that species before.

[Sylvie_h]

Hi David,

The Ophris group is a difficult group. The thing that drew my attention were the petals which are usually green in a bee orchid (ophris apifera), whereas on your picture the specimens have pink petals. I was caught myself in the Savoie where I started to photograph some orchids which I had mistakenly assumed as bee orchids but in fact when I looked closer, I noticed that there were slightly different in appearance and after checking in my book, the specimen I had found were Ophris fuciflora (late spider orchid). I was also very lucky to witness a male bee (Eucera longicornis) 'copulating' with one of the flowers something I had never witnessed before. Some great moments....
Sylvie

[David M]

Thanks, Sylvie. Yes, orchids can be tricky but they are always a joy to see. There are plenty more in the Piedmont Alps right now too!

[Sylvie_h]

Hi David,
Plenty of orchids and butterflies too I hope ! I look forward to reading your trip report.
Sylvie

[David M]

Hi David,
Plenty of orchids and butterflies too I hope ! I look forward to reading your trip report.

Yes, it's been quite something, Sylvie. I'll be starting with it in a few days.

It was a pleasant surprise too to find that French is widely spoken, because my Italian is rudimentary at best!