Greenwings: Central & Northern Spain, 22-29 April 2023

[David M]

I have just spent 19 days in Spain to undertake two tours aimed at finding the special butterflies of Spain in springtime.

I reccied the area last year in what was the worst April in Spain for a generation. This spring was the polar opposite, with no rain and barely any cloud, and if we factor in temperatures between 22 and 28c it would be true to say that this was as advanced a spring season for butterflies as one could realistically expect.

Here's a selection of images of places visited in both the Montes Universales and the Pyrenean foothills:

[David M]

On 23 April, the first full day, we ventured out in search of the top target for the Montes leg of the tour - Spring Ringlet.

Last year, there had been plenty of them even in dull and cool conditions, but the first warning sign of how advanced the season was took less than half an hour to arrive.

We found a female epistygne fairly quickly:

However, we only managed another half dozen or so individuals at this site, which was still looking fairly pallid as if winter had only just finished:

The next day, we visited another location for them but could only find four faded specimens, so I was grateful that the first one we saw was at least in decent condition.

[David M]

Of course, an early spring season tends to have more advantages than disadvantages, and later that day at a site near Noguera, we found two more target species rather easily.

Last year on the recce we only saw one Iberian Sooty Copper, but they were straightforward to find on this occasion:

Panoptes Blue was very common. They popped up almost everywhere in good numbers:

[John Vergo]

Lovely David, I have been looking forward to read this report

[Benjamin]

Great to see you’re off to a flying start David. There are many spring species I’ve not yet caught up with so I’m sure I will particularly enjoy reading your spring reports.

[David M]

Lovely David, I have been looking forward to read this report

Thanks, John. It was a very interesting week with plenty to keep us occupied.

[David M]

Great to see you’re off to a flying start David. There are many spring species I’ve not yet caught up with so I’m sure I will particularly enjoy reading your spring reports.

Thank you, Ben. The whole idea was to provide some way of offering an opportunity to see some of the Iberian species that aren't about later in the year when most people go to Europe butterfly hunting.

Spain has a phenomenal number of April/May species that simply can't be seen elsewhere on the continent at this time.

[David M]

I wasn't sure how the early season was going to affect Provence Orange Tips.

Thankfully, they were very common in Montes and only slightly less so further north in the Pyrenean foothills.

The warm, sunny weather made them difficult to approach but I managed to get close to a small number:

The females are rather more sedate and present less of a challenge:

[David M]

Another of the top targets was Sooty Orange Tip.

This species is unpredictable but I had been tipped off about a site near where we were staying and whilst several of us were stood in a ruderal field, one suddenly turned up which caused great excitement.

I had to keep my distance to allow others in the group to get their images, meaning mine was from a distance away:

Later in the week when we visited Los Monegros we found several more meaning that everybody could get reasonably close to this most skittish of butterflies:

[essexbuzzard]

Looking forward to this report, David. Excellent start with those Sooty Orange Tip images!

[David M]

Looking forward to this report, David. Excellent start with those Sooty Orange Tip images!

Thank you, Mark. Lots of other super butterflies to come...

[David M]

Although Provence Orange Tips were common in Montes, we had to wait until the trip to Los Monegros to find Spanish Festoons.

I counted 8 at that site, 7 of which were in one small field, which is a greater concentration of this species than I have ever seen.

A few more were picked up in the Pyrenees with most being very fresh and exceedingly beautiful:

[David M]

Another butterfly that could be seen in numbers in the same field as the Festoons was Southern Marbled Skipper.

Normally, I'm used to seeing them in very small numbers so it was a pleasant change to have them as almost the 'default Hesperid' in many places. Indeed, they were far commoner than Mallow Skipper and plenty of them were mint fresh:

Our trip to this site had to be put back by a day due to a serious motorway accident which closed the autopista for an hour and a half. Our vehicles were 12th and 13th in line about 200m back from a raging lorry fire and we were all concerned that the driver had been trapped in the inferno. Happily, a check of the local news later that day told us that he had managed to escape the cab prior to the fire taking hold.

In addition, the early season put paid to our chances of seeing Spanish Greenish Black Tip. We scoured the upper part of the site in mid-afternoon but there were none to be seen. Given the prolonged drought, this species may have a difficult spring next year too.

[David M]

The traffic accident meant that we were only able to explore for one full day in the Pyrenees.

Undoubtedly the highlight was finding several Camberwell Beauties, although the first one made life difficult by posing around 10 feet up in a tree:

Much to my surprise, the final one I saw posed perfectly and was the nearest to this species I have ever got (approx 3 feet):

[David M]

Hesperiidae

The usual suspects...although Sage Skipper was a bit of a surprise:

1. Mallow Skipper
2. Southern Marbled Skipper
3. Red Underwing Skipper
4. Sage Skipper
5. Rosy Grizzled Skipper
6. Southern Grizzled Skipper
7. Lulworth Skipper
8. Dingy Skipper

This Red Underwing Skipper was in excellent condition:

I potted this Rosy Grizzled Skipper to be certain of its ID:

[John Vergo]

super and that Camberwell looks really nice

[David M]

super and that Camberwell looks really nice

Thanks, John. The best behaved antiopa I've ever seen !!

[David M]

Papilionidae

Got all three although none were about in any numbers.

Spanish Festoon reached two dozen at most. Iberian Scarce Swallowtail were only slightly ahead of that total:

Swallowtails, as usual, just turned up here and there. I didn't want to waste time chasing the adults, but when a guest shouted that he'd found a larva, I spent a few minutes studying it:

9. Spanish Festoon
10. Iberian Scarce Swallowtail
11. Swallowtail

[Matsukaze]

That baeticus is on its hostplant, Marrubium vulgare, which I think you get on parts of Gower.

[essexbuzzard]

That’s a glorious image of the Camberwell Beauty! What a well behaved adult.