Sunday 29 July 2012

Butterfly Spectacular

After a thunderstorm the night before last the air has freshened considerably but it is still warm.  Yesterday I went out hoping to find some wildlife.  Passing Minerve I noticed a couple of Alpine Swifts over the village and reaching the Foret de Minervois a Sparrowhawk passed carrying prey. I was in the forest for a good reason.  I concentrated on a sunny bank which is a favourite place for finding butterflies.  This was a good day.

Glanville Fritillary
I was concentrating on photographing these glorious insects and if I did not identify them immediately doing so later from the photos.  I stayed about 45 minutes and logged Clouded Yellow, Pale Clouded Yellow, Great banded Grayling, Scarce Swallowtail, Chapman's Blue, Glanville Fritillary, Spotted Fritillary Wood White and Cleopatra.  There will be others I missed but the air was full of butterflies in a way that sadly rarely happens in the UK any more.

Chapman's Blue
Spotted Fritillary
On my way home I drove through local vineyards noting Hoopoe, Bee-eaters and Rollers.  Late last night as I closed up the house a Little Owl called from our hillside.

1 comment:

  1. What a fantastic selection of butterflies Derek. As for the birdlife, I can but dream of such birds on my local patch in Worcestershire!

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