Spring 2012 newsletter - Butterfly Conservation

Butterflying in the Pyrenees Greg Herbert
It was about 25 years ago that three families from
the branch camped in the Pyrenees for a week’s
butterflying. On that trip we saw Camberwell
Beauty, Apollo and Chapmans Blue among about
seventy species. This year I went with Chris Lunn
and some members of the European Interest Group
from Butterfly Conservation.
We started early on Wednesday 6th July with a
drive to Paris where we left the car in the hands
of the SNCF who were to take it to Narbonne
for collection the following morning. While we
travelled on a TGV express train to Narbonne
arriving the same evening. We collected the car
after a hot and airless night in a cheap French Hotel
and drove the long way to the Pyrenees via the
magnificent Millau Viaduct arriving at the campsite
on Thursday evening. The rest of the group were to
arrive on the following day.
FRIDAY 8th July Weather 100% sunshine
Today was a free day so we chose to visit the Circ de
Truemouse, not as spectacular as the nearby Circ de
Gavarnie but on the narrow road we saw numerous
Apollo butterflies and large fritillaries, in a lay by
we were met by Scarce Coppers, Mazarine Blue,
Dark Green Fritillary and many Marbled Whites,
Meadow Browns and Ringlets.
SATURDAY 9th July South facing hillside above
Bareges. Weather 60% sun
Our party gathered in the village car park, where
a dozen of us set off up a path through the wood
to some open meadows above the village where
in addition to numerous British species we saw
Amandas and Echers Blue; Large Wall Brown,
Pearly Heath and Woodland Grayling; Weavers
Fritillary; Black-veined White; Marbled and
Oberthur’s Grizzled Skipper. 32 species for the day,
not a bad start.
SUNDAY 10th July Col de Tourmallet. Weather
AM 60%, PM 90% sun
3
Today we met the rarest of animals, a group of
French Butterfly enthusiasts, who led us up a path
off the main road up to the pass. Along this path
were seen, in mixed sunshine Large and Turquoise
Blues, Purple Edged and Scarce Coppers; Bright
Eyed, Gavarnie, Mountain, Yellow Spotted,
Pyrenees Brassy and Western Brassy Ringlets
and Northern Wall Brown and; False Heath and
Lesser Marbled Fritillary; Apollo, Clouded Apollo,
Peacock, Mountain Dappled White, and in the
afternoon in some meadows at the foot of the climb
Map, Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra,
Queen of Spain and Meadow Fritillaries, Large
Grizzled, Olive, Marbled, Red Underwing and Rosy
Grizzled Skippers 47 species.
MONDAY 11th July Above the Circ de Gavarnie.
Weather AM 70%, PM 55% sun.
We drove through Gavarnie village, getting views
of the famous Circ in the distance, to a road up
towards the Spanish border, we stopped to survey
some roadside meadows where numerous butterflies
were flying in good sunny intervals these included
Amandas, Mazarine and Large Blues; Mountain,
Gavarnie, Yellow Spotted and Piedmont Ringlets;
False Heath, Niobe, Lesser Marbled, Meadow and
Spotted Fritillaries; Apollo and Swallowtail with
Large Grizzled, Marbled, Olive and Rosy Grizzled
Skipper. In the afternoon we drove to the top of the
road not far from the Spannish Border. 46 species.
Gavarnie Ringlet on Greg’s hand, the Circ de Gavarnie in
the background.