Padfield

[David M]

Nice to see those early Tortoiseshells, Guy. Normally I can rely on them myself by early March, but there were so few last year I'm wondering whether I'll see any at all this spring.

[Padfield]

Thanks David. Let's hope 2025 is the year they spring back in the UK ...

Last night it was -13°C in Leysin and it was still subzero when we arrived at Martigny at 10h23. By the time we reached our first hotspot, it had warmed to 1°C but I still expected to wait a beer or two for the butterflies. Not so! Just as I turned the corner, I saw a small tortoiseshell and Queen of Spain in flight and they quickly stopped near one another:



The Queen was obviously romantically interested in the tortoiseshell. I was still a long way from them but snatched some more photos:





This is the context, familiar to readers of my personal diary:



There were several of both species around:









We then continued our walk through the vineyards, seeing more of both species. Here is the view along the Rhône Valley:



There is a lot of field speedwell in flower, which the Queens were avidly feeding on:


(this one is on storksbill)


(same butterfly)

This poor chap seemed almost wingless - perhaps an encounter with a vineyard strimmer or other machine. But he was apparently very happy, flying in a buzzy but directional way and enjoying the speedwell:



The lizards were out and about too:



I had to be back home early so left the vineyards by about 13h30. The season has definitely begun!

Guy

[essexbutterflyer]

Always love the landscape shots! One thing I'm struggling to understand however is how on earth those butterflies are out in such low temps? 1 degrees and sun here wouldn't even tempt a Red Admiral

Happy your season has begun

[Pete Eeles]

Brilliant - nice to see the season starting somewhere! That poor QoS - what an amazing feat to be able to fly with such tattered wings.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

Thank you both. As I’ve said before, it’s all about aspect and radiant heat - and of course, the sun is 5° higher in the sky here than in southern England. The butterflies are able to heat their bodies enough to fly even at such low ambient temperatures.

I notice I mentioned speedwell then immediately illustrated it with a Queen on storksbill! But speedwell was the predominant nectar plant.

Guy

[Padfield]

My 61st birthday today. I stayed in Leysin, as I have again to go out in the afternoon, but was very happy to see some birthday tortoiseshells in the cemetery:





Guy

[essexbutterflyer]

As I’ve said before, it’s all about aspect and radiant heat - and of course, the sun is 5° higher in the sky here than in southern England. The butterflies are able to heat their bodies enough to fly even at such low ambient temperatures.

Guy

Very interesting, thanks. Now that you mention it, that does sound familiar… perhaps the long winter is getting to me

And happy birthday! Glad the torties came out

[Padfield]

Sorry Zayed - I didn't mean to sound like a school master ("Weren't you listening the first time I told you, boy?" ). Rather, when you reach my age you become conscious of repeating yourself!!

I was on duty as pianist for church in Villars last night, and got home late after birthday drinkies. Just as I reached my flat, the gibbous moon rose from behind the Grand Chamossaire:



Today was again cold but sunny. A stiff breeze and drifting haze from the valley made it feel bitter:





That didn't stop the small tortoiseshells flying, though:





I had hoped for an early large tortoiseshell but I think it was just too cold.

Guy

[Padfield]

For the record, these are my first small tortoiseshell records for the last quarter of a century:

2001 16th Feb - Vaud
2002 31st Jan - Vaud
2003 24th Feb - Vaud
2004 6th Feb - Vaud
2005 10th Mar - Vaud
2006 3rd Feb - Vaud
2007 3rd Feb - Valais
2008 24th Jan - Vaud
2009 2nd Feb - Vaud
2010 27th Feb - Valais
2011 17th Jan - Valais
2012 15th Jan - Valais
2013 8th Jan - Vaud
2014 12th Feb - Vaud
2015 16th Feb - Vaud
2016 26th Jan - Vaud
2017 2nd Feb - Vaud
2018 30th Jan - Vaud
2019 15th Feb - Suffolk UK
2020 11th Mar - Suffolk UK
2021 23rd Apr - Suffolk UK
2022 15th Mar - Suffolk UK
2023 5th Feb - Valais
2024 29th Jan - Vaud
2025 4th Feb - Valais

All Vaud records are over 1000m and all Valais sightings are near Martigny, at c. 500m.

Sticking that into excel, with year on the x axis and day number on y axis, gives:



This year is by no means unusual, though (ignoring the four years in the UK) the trend does seem to be for earlier sightings.

Guy

[Padfield]

The beautiful weather continues:



At this time of year, the choughs live in the towns and villages. They have been conspicuous in Leysin recently:





When spring proper comes they will fly back up the mountain.

In and around the cemetery, love is in the air for the tortoiseshells:



The same pair is in this picture:



As usual, they were very active, but did stop occasionally to be photographed:






"Have you tried along here, Guy?"

Still no large tortoiseshells here. It's half term for the school I teach at in the mornings, so I might be able to get further afield during the week to see if anything else is flying. And if the weather holds into the weekend, we might even nip over to north Italy, where large tortoiseshells were flying at this time last year.

Guy

[Padfield]

And still the sun shines here:



We took our lunchtime walk a bit higher and further afield than recently, coming back down through woods to the cemetery:





Small tortoiseshells were flying in small numbers everywhere - even over the snow where that snowy photo was taken, though none stopped there. This is at least the fifth consecutive day they have been out and about, so long enough to be productive. And there is more fine weather to come.







As we set off, a red kite was flying high over Leysin:



Guy

[essexbutterflyer]

Sorry Zayed - I didn't mean to sound like a school master ("Weren't you listening the first time I told you, boy?" ). Rather, when you reach my age you become conscious of repeating yourself!!

Hahahaha! No worries at all, thanks for letting me know regardless

[Padfield]

The mild patch is due to end, with cloud and rain this weekend and plenty of snow in the week(s) to come. But I think a week is enough for the tortoiseshells to do their stuff.

There is a new, young stag in the Leysin deer park, in charge of his bevy of hinds:



Big responsibility.

Hepatica are coming out in the woods ...



... alongside the primroses that have been out for some time:



And some small tortoiseshells, enjoying the last of the sunny days - for now:





Guy

[Padfield]

Well, the cloud has come but so far not the snow ... Yesterday we took a trip to the Papiliorama to get our fix of tropical butterflies. It wasn't the best day to choose - a gloomy, wet, last-day-of-half-term, so more crowded than I've ever known it - but I was still able to enjoy the butterflies. Here are a few:


(the large and striking South-American Phoebis philea)


(a male of the south-east Asian Papilio lowi)


(a female of the same species)


(a freshly pumped-up Cethosia biblis, from Asia)


(the south-Asian Doleschallia bisaltide)

... I could go on - and have in the past! So for a change, here are some of the birds. I'm not a fan of zoos, but it seems to me the birds (and bats) here live a good life.


(red-crested turacos fly in the butterfly house)


(great currasows wander around in the dedicated forest section)


(the forest section, with a high walkway for viewing into the canopy)


(white-winged doves fly here too)


(there are always toucans in the canopy, making a great noise)


(the roseate spoonbills have no fear of the visitors and enjoy sifting the water from the side of the pond. I've posted a short video here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WIEaZS3X28U)

Finally, there are always fruit bats hanging around in the butterfly house:



The Papiliorama is a non-profit organisation committed to conserving rainforests and other natural habitats. Its website is here: https://www.papiliorama.ch/.

Guy

[Benjamin]

Lovely winter reports as always Guy. The small torts look so at home. If they must be driven into the mountains then so be it - I will happily travel to see them! And if I can’t then your photos will keep me going…..

[Wurzel]

It's great to see all of those Small Torts and Queen Guy Hopefully it won't be long til they're out and about over this way

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Papiliorama is a Godsend for you, Guy.

Mind you, there appear to be quite a few home-grown butterflies round your way right now. Pleased to say things are starting to stir over here too.

[Padfield]

Thank you, Ben. Small tortoiseshell is such a universal butterfly - mountain, valley, garden, arable land - its decline in the UK is truly baffling. I hope you aren't forced to come to the mountains to see it, but I'll gladly show you around here if you are!

Hi Wurzel. Won't be long for you now!

David, you're right, the Papiliorama is a great bolt-hole. I was told there was a butterfly farm not far from me in Suffolk while I lived there but I never got a chance to visit.

The cold returned, as predicted, and I didn't get out to Italy last weekend. This was our walk to work two days ago:



And this was the upper station in Leysin later that day:



Today, it was bitterly cold at dawn ...



... and I didn't expect to see any butterflies. But we took a walk across the meadows to the cemetery at lunchtime and quickly started seeing more small tortoiseshells, even though the temperature when we saw the first of them was just 1°C:






(in the meadows, on a sunny bank without snow)


(in the cemetery)


(in the cemetery)


(in the cemetery)

At the moment, the forecast is for sun in Domodossola on Sunday, so we might go for large tortoiseshells and other early emergers then.

Guy

[Padfield]

I did get to Italy today but found surprisingly little on the wing - less than I saw at the same place on 17th February last year (and much less than a month later, on 16th March). In total: two male brimstones in flight (the second flew around me for a while but I couldn't get a photo as I was sitting on a steep slope and had just opened a beer - and hadn't yet found a place to put the beer down!); two red admirals; one comma and one small tortoiseshell. Only one of the red admirals and the comma settled, and in very poor places for photos! It was a lovely day in the hills, though, and probably more true to the natural phenology of the butterflies than last year's extremely early start.


(a very distant shot of the second red admiral)


(the comma)


(Minnie negotiating a traverse near one of our regular nettle tree spots)


(beer and biscuits stop)


(drinkies in the river Toce)


(some Italian dogs shouting obscenities at Minnie)


(Minnie doesn't know any obscenities)


(a sheltered Queen of Spain site - but none there today)

Guy

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Queens and Small Torts in your previous posts as well as the Alpine Choughs - cracking birds they are I didn't envy you your conundrum on your last visit (beer or butterfly?) but truth be told I think I'd veer towards beer

Have a goodun

Wurzel