Padfield

[bugboy]

I did exactly that with some BH eggs I rescued a few years ago at Bookham. I managed to follow cats for a few months before losing track of them.

[Padfield]

That's good to know, Buggy.

I collected a few more eggs today (from broken or cut branches) and also ordered a native blackthorn from an online Swiss plant shop, to put on my south-facing balcony. I ordered one 60cm-100cm tall, so I hope it will be ready for them in the spring. If not, I'll put them all out in the wild.

It snowed this morning but the ground was too warm for anything to settle:



By the afternoon it was just grim:



But these little people brighten up any walk...





Those are on living branches.

Guy

[Wurzel]

I do find two Brown Hairtreak eggs situated together kinda comical Guy - like some strange cartoon character from 'Jamie and the Magic Torch' or some such

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Padfield]

I do find two Brown Hairtreak eggs situated together kinda comical Guy - like some strange cartoon character from 'Jamie and the Magic Torch' or some such

... or the Cookie Monster?



(That's what they'll look like after they've hatched ...)

Guy

[Padfield]

The ski season's back on, here in the Alps:

Snow fell all morning ...



... and by early evening had even settled on the tarmac of roads, with cars passing over it:



It's still snowing and a lot more is forecast. Don't cancel those chalets just yet!

Guy

[Padfield]

I now have a shiny new, Swiss-grown blackthorn on my balcony, waiting for spring. Some of my fridged brown hairstreak cats will go on this - not too many, as I don't want them feeling cramped and trying to find a new plant!



Today, owing to a cancellation, I had a little time to wander around Les Grangettes, near Villeneuve, on the lake.

Great crested grebes were doing their neck dances:



There were quite a few goosander around:



This one was very difficult to photograph as he zoomed along with his head pushed under the water about 90% of the time:





Here is a heraldic cormorant:



The little streams were alive with thousands of fish - rich pickings for the many herons and other water birds in the area.



Guy

[Wurzel]

Cookie Monster - spot on!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Good to see the white stuff returning round your way, Guy. After 3 seasons ruined by Covid, the last thing ski resorts need now is an absurdly mild winter!

Nice blackthorn purchase. I hope those Brown Hairstreaks thrive on it.

[Padfield]

I thought you'd see the likeness, Wurzel!

With wall-to-wall sunshine forecast today, it was a toss-up between looking for butterflies in the valley or trying out the local pistes de fond, which are now covered in perfect snow and beautifully groomed. As the ambient temperature was -11°C, I opted for the skiing. Yes David, the ski season is definitely on, and Leysin no longer resembles at all that rather tragic picture you posted recently!

Sadly, dogs are not allowed on these pistes. I'll do some wild skiing with Minnie soon, but as yet I don't know the routes around here and so had to leave her at home for an hour or so this morning. Here's an iPhone's view of the scenes today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs5hFk6 ... uyPadfield

Guy

[Padfield]

As I'd left Minnie alone while I skied in the morning, I took her to Montreux in the afternoon for a walk along the lake - where she can meet all the posh dogs and have a clamber on the rocks. It was still bitterly cold there and the sky suggested there wouldn't have been any butterflies flying in the valley if I had gone there.





The Château de Chillon, where Frankenstein was written, with a grebe swimming in the foreground. The motorway wasn't there in Mary Shelley's day:



I've often seen black-necked grebes on the lake, but today there were only great crested:





Here's a goosander:



Minnie did indeed have fun clambering over the rocks:





Finally, one of the many signs advising people not to feed bread to the water birds:



This being Switzerland, everyone took the message and no one was feeding the birds.

Guy

[Wurzel]

I do like those back-lit 'stained glass' shots Guy I reckon another 4/5 weeks and they could be in the offing over here - I can't wait it's been a long winter

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Padfield]

When I was a kid it was the end of March, Wurzel. But recently, yes, the beginning is already fun.

The moon, Venus and Saturn tonight (Saturn is only just visible, because the sky was still light, but it's there!):



Guy

[Matsukaze]

I was admiring much the same moon-and-planets combination from a viewpoint in the Mendips that same evening, though it was a fair bit darker there!

Some of my earliest memories are from staying, aged four, at the campsite at Les Grangettes. I don't remember the birds - or the butterflies, for that matter - but do remember seeing a grass-snake slithering into the nearby canal.

[Padfield]

Some of my earliest memories are from staying, aged four, at the campsite at Les Grangettes. I don't remember the birds - or the butterflies, for that matter - but do remember seeing a grass-snake slithering into the nearby canal.

I've probably seen the great, great, great ..., great grandchildren of your grass snake in those same channels, Matsukaze! Many's the time I've seen one slip from almost under my feet into the water. I wonder if somewhere deep in your auditory memory there are still traces of the hundreds of black kites there, whinnying in the trees - an unforgettable sound.

Guy

[Goldie M]

That's a lovely shot of Minnie Guy , she always looks like she's enjoying herself

Your shots of the landscape or lovely and always a pleasure to look at. Goldie

[Padfield]

Thanks Goldie.

By the end of January, there are often several species flying in the Rhône Valley vineyards. This year, however, it has been so cold since the last proper snowfall that even though that was over 10 days ago, it still lies thick on the ground. It was beautifully sunny today, so I visited my usual hotspots, but I could tell just looking out of the train window as we approached Martigny that I wasn't going to see any butterflies:



We tramped up through snow but as we approached the main suntrap it looked as if there might just be a chance. My top spot is the bare wall visible in the distance here, surrounded by apparently snow-free vineyards:



They weren't completely snow-free, though, and the maximum temperature, in the heat of the afternoon was just 2°C (it was -5°C when we arrived in Martigny):



This is the view back down towards Martigny as we walked home:



The winter Queens will have to wait a little longer, I think!

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

Indeed - but Minnie's enjoying it I may not comment very often, but am enjoying seeing your exploits in your new home.

Roll on spring!

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

It's so good to see your winter experiences in la Suisse again, Guy. I'm sure your first butterflies aren't too far away (reckon we're fairly close too given the mild conditions lately).

[Padfield]

Thanks Pete and David.

This morning, heavy cloud was brewing over the valley, soon obscuring the view completely:







Nevertheless, the satellite images and forecasts all suggested the south-facing slopes near Martigny would be in the sun. It's very difficult to predict in the mountains, when the clouds are behaving like this, but it seemed hopeful, so Minnie and I set off to add Queen of Spain and small tortoiseshell to our year list.

In the morning, those clouds still threatened to stop play ...





... but failed. Despite chilly winds and ambient temperatures maxing at 4°C, we saw 10 small tortoiseshells, four Queens of Spain and 2 red admirals:











That last was the only Queen that stopped - and even then rather briefly - anywhere accessible. They don't like the wind and are always outcompeted by small tortoiseshells when they meet, so they were pushed off the sunny rocks into the lee of the stepped vineyards.

When we got back to Leysin it was still thick cloud and was even snowing lightly.

Guy

[Wurzel]

I was hoping to see my first today Guy but it seems that the Small Torts over here are a soft bunch compared to the Swiss ones and they were still tucked up in bed Cracking Queen of Spain

Have a goodun

Wurzel