Brittany Butterflies

[Paulcrook]

We are planning a trip to Brittany in early July this year. Can anyone give me any ideas as to what butterflies might be about then please?

Thanks
Paul

[Charles Nicol]

Hi Paul

I found this interesting link for you:

http://www.gitessouthbrittany.com/wild_life.htm

they have a detailed monthly archive so you can easily find the July species:

http://www.gitessouthbrittany.com/natur ... chives.htm

I have not looked for Les Papillons in Brittany moi-même but there seem to be some interesting species on the list.


Bonne chance

Charles

[Elaine]

Oooh! I'm famous! It's official! Thanks so much for recommending my website and Nature Notes! I now have renewed enthusiasm for keeping them a bit more up to date - last entry about a month ago!

I can report my first butterfly of the year, which I recorded in the garden last week. A very fresh-looking Speckled Wood (Tircis), which was on the back doorstep - unfortunately not very well, as my kitten had got to it before me! I rescued it and it fluttered weakly into the brambles. Our Speckled Woods are very orange compared with the UK ones.

I really hope that my Nature Note archives are of interest to folk out there. However, please remember that we are in southern Brittany - on the border of the Loire Atlantlique and some of the species seen here may not be found further north - dislcaimer!!!!!!! lol !

[Charles Nicol]

I really liked the pics on your website Elaine. I would love to see some of the species such as the Camberwell Beauty. The Elephant Hawk moth caterpillar looked just like a snake !!

Would you take group bookings if some of us were interested in, say, a week's butterflying when it gets warmer ?

Veuillez croire, Madame, à l'assurance de mes salutations distinguées.


Charles

[Elaine]

Ca serait avec plaisir!!!!

Not sure that I should be using the forum to discuss the idea, though. So please pm me.

I can't wait for warmer weather and to get up at 5 am again to check out my moth trap. That's where butterflies have the edge - the best time to see them is in the day, in the sunshine and there are over 2000 less species to choose from! lol Same goes for the dragonflies and damselflies.

I find that UK Butterflies is my best source of id info - that and UK Moths. Most of the species here are seen in the UK, but some are much rarer there and others not present. I find the option to view both primary and secondary species of invaluable help. I also use this site - Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa : http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesP ... hiTirh.htm

I find the following site very useful, as it includes an id quiz for both butterflies and moths. It is in French, but gives the latin. So when I don't know the common French name I research the latin on the other sites to get the English common name (I don't cheat and look at the photo! Oooh! Is that my nose growing?).

http://www.lepinet.fr/quizz/index.php

Does anyone know of a similar quiz available on a UK site?

Amicalement

Elaine

[Pete Eeles]

Great feedback Elaine. If you (or anyone else) have suggestions for how to improve the site then I'm "all ears"!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Charles Nicol]

Hi Elaine

I loved that French quiz site... unfortunately I only scored 1 out of 5

Charles

PS Apologies to Paulcrook for abusing his thread