Nilsia - Finland

[NickB]

Hooray - the first time the sun has been out since I've been here and sure enough several Small Tortoishell up and about......very pale yellows ....

..and the squirrel returned to feast on the pine cones that are put out for him and the birds...

N

[JKT]

The next three days would be a good time for a Camberwell as well...

[NickB]

...now THAT would be something for me - I've never seen one!
Here's hoping....

[NickB]

NO Camberwells so far; all ST's

and one Comma-
Still hoping...
N

[JKT]

Oh well, I hope you will still find it.

My list for today:
G. rhammni
P. napi
A. urticae
P. c-album
I. io
N. antiopa (probable - too far to be sure)

C. cinctaria
A. punctularia

What I did not find was A. levana & B. freija. The latter is what I was really after. The place was new and I was probably too early anyway.

[NickB]

Not a bad list! My last day here; and family and friends come before serious butterfly hunting, so that is probably it - until next time!
Where are you located? Nilsia has been very cold up to this week, so I was not really expecting much - was hoping that the odd Fritillary may have been out but still too early for this season at least.
Good luck with A. levana and B. freija...
N

[JKT]

Actually it wasn't a very good list. I don't understand why I did not see C. rubi. C. argiolus and A. cardamines were also missing, but those can be attributed to cold spring.

I will see A. levana, if I have time - the place is pretty certain, but I'd like a killer shot of it and that is always more difficult.

B. freija is much more difficult in the south. There was a nice marsh (or bog or whatever - I'm not quite sure which is which in English) in Janakkala, where I used to live, with a good population. Unfortunately, they are harvesting peat there nowadays. Now I need to find another place in order to get a few pictures. It would be easy in Lappland, but the species is so early that they have been worn by the time I got there. If this weather holds, they should start within a week in the south. BTW, I live in Vantaa - about 5 km from the airport.

Too bad you missed the N. antiopa. Next chance is in august. Put out a wine bait and you should see plenty. This will give you distribution and flying times.

[NickB]

Hi - Thanks for the info. I managed to sneak out for a couple of hours to explore a new area and found some C.rubi in a woodland clearing. Not much else tho'....

My fiancee, Erja, actually lives in Vantaa - Ruskeasanta - her sister and parents live in Nilsia, which is why I spend time up here when I visit. However, I will be back in Vantaa sometime this year, we should meet up if the times coincide...

N

[JKT]

However, I will be back in Vantaa sometime this year, we should meet up if the times coincide...

That would be interesting - we'll see how it goes.

[NickB]

Indeed - I tend to bump into people from this forum at certain places and at certain times every year. In particular Glapthorn for s. pruni - and Fermyn Woods for a. iris - seem to be favourites. It is always nice to meet those who share your passions; the more we all show and spread our enthusiasms, we may just help our fellow beings to have a little more respect for the other species we share this planet with.... and have more consideration of their everyday existence and how it impacts their environment.
Butterflies, I find, are a perfect metaphor for how precious that spark we call life is; they spend most of their lives as either an egg or a larva or a pupa, and then for a brief moment they blind us with their beauty and grace. And it is all driven by that desire to continue their species and secure the next generation, just like us
Speaking of which having just returned from Finland seeing my fiancee, taking with me images of the sun setting over a mirror-like lake, in the company of good people, food and wine, if we do bump into each other I hope it either at a moment like that, or when you get that killer shot of A. levana ( and I get one too )
N
Plenty of a. argiolus behind where I live. I'm lucky the cemetery has plenty of good holly bushes and ivy covered graves and supports one of the best colonies around Cambridge. They were 2 weeks later this year after the miserable cold early spring we had.

[Jack Harrison]

Nick says:

.....just returned from Finland seeing my fiancee

About time you did the honourable thing Nick The lady is bound to impressed by that Lada you own – surely that must be the clincher?

Jack

[NickB]

As I have always said, Jack, I will marry Erja - but we need to be able to live in the same country at the same time when we are married that's all....
Indeed Jack, she has no interest in cars, so that's lucky isn't it...
I can imagine your Tart Citron turns a few heads, eh!
N

[Jack Harrison]

I pulled my wife with a blue Vauxhall Astra. Or was it her red Renault 4 that impressed me? It must be easy for you Nick with a (colour now difficult-to-ascertain) Ford Escort.

And my current car is a citron coloured Peugeot. My previous car was a cherry coloured Citroen.

Jack