European butterfies

Czech Republic 2015

This was my first ever family holiday abroad – unless a few nights on the Isle of Black count. I remember when I was 14 I went on a school visit to Italy and being an avid birder I eagerly gazed through the European Fieldguide hoping to tick off a huge number of new species. In actual fact it wasn’t to be and whilst I did add a few new species (Black Kite, Crag Martin, Alpine Swift, Serin, Night Heron, White Stork and House Sparrow d’Italie) I saw nowhere near the number of species to match my expectations. Hence on this holiday I was looking forward to seeing new species of butterflies but I wasn’t expecting an awful lot for several reasons:
1. Time of year – August isn’t the best time to be going as, if the continent is anything like the UK, late spring early summer generally produces the widest range of species flying.
2. The weather – The Czech Republic was in the middle of a heatwave with temperatures consistently in the mid thirties for about a fortnight previously.
3. Location – The place we were staying was in the lower foothills of the Eagle Mountains with the highest local point at just over 500m so I wouldn’t be seeing any sere changes. Plus we didn’t have access to a car so we may be pretty restricted with where we could go as it would all be on foot and little L only has little legs that get tired easily.
4. Knowledge – I have never been butterflying abroad before and so I don’t know what to look for or where to look – I was going on a very steep learning curve!
5. Family – This was probably the main reason I wasn’t expecting to add 50+ species to my ‘life list’. As this was a family holiday the wishes of my girls would come first and any butterflying would have to be on the hoof or stolen five minutes here and there, no long visits for a set of target species, no waiting and watching. It would be a case of ‘quick they’re in the loo are there any butterflies on that flower bed’ and ‘I’ll just get a few shots and catch you up’. In fact I was treating this as more of a training exercise where I could pick up so field craft techniques to use on future trips.
That said I have gotten quite good at ‘grabbing’ as much as I can on my five minute Larkhill stop-offs so I reckoned I might be able to add 10 new species to my life list and if that included a Camberwell Beauty then I would be very happy indeed!
Better get started...

07-08-2015
We had a pretty horrific journey with heavy traffic from the end of the A303 until we reached the M23. Mind you on the way I managed to spy a Peacock and various Whites at the start of the traffic jam and a couple of Holly Blues near the Heathrow turn off (I wondered if they were Dave Miller’s?). Eventually we got to the Travelodge and bedded down for the night.

08-08-2015
First butterflies of the holiday this morning actually in Gatwick airport itself, four male Purple Hairstreaks! Mind you they were printed on our Passports...
Once in Prague I managed to get us off the airport bus far too early (well the driver did say that it was the train station) so after a very hot walk and two tube changes we got to the train station and from there we had a two hour journey to Ceska Trebova in East Bohemia. Despite the fantastic train at fantastic prices (single fare for 2 adults and 2 children £14!) it was quite frustrating as we whizzed past great looking habitats that I was itching to explore. Once the train pulled into Czeka Trebova we (or rather I) lugged our gear off and Thomas one of our hosts greeted us and drove us onto Pastviny (495m above sea-level) stopping at Tescos on the way for us to pick up some groceries and a Holly Blue flew through the car park. The Tescos was quite surreal with the same uniforms and signage but Lidl like produce. On the drive to Plasviny I saw plenty of whites and what I am convinced was a Large Copper (flying near some reedbeds). The scenery was amazing with rolling hills and fields filling your field of view, the absence of hedges and fences offering an almost panoramic vista.

The house itself was no less stunning with a huge field in front of it sloping down to a stream hidden by vegetation. I managed a quick 5 minute wander while waiting for the girls to get ready for dinner and found a couple of Smessex, 3 species of white (the usual British varieties I presumed), a Hummingbird Hawk Moth and 2 Wall Browns. All through dinner (al fresco as the temp was still about 28-29) politeness prevented me from investigating the orangey butterfly that had landed on a bench at the top of the garden. Unfortunately for me it was only a tired Comma and not a much anticipated Large Tortoiseshell. I slept well after a good number of “Bernards” and dreamt about exploring the fields.

09-08-2015 The first day Proper!

We awoke after a fantastic nights sleep and at 7am it was warm enough for shorts and T-shirt so breakfast was taken on the decking. While the girls ran wild in the meadow I set off out across it towards the lower boundary which was damper and had taller vegetation. On the way I noticed a Small Tortoiseshell, several Smessex and Small Heaths amongst the occasional Common Blue (I did check them for Chapman’s) and not as many Meadow Browns as I had expected. There were also some larger Frits flying. When they stopped they appeared to be missing the third spot on the fore wing and the occasional flash of an underside revealed an extra row of spots. I presume that they’re all High brown Frits and not Niobe.

On the bush at the bottom there were a few whites feeding and a Small White Admiral flew by – a species I’m familiar with – a Map. Things were shaping up nicely and I then followed the boundary round to the left which started to rise up hill. In the longer grasses a dark blue, almost black butterfly flew past me and landed on a red topped grass species. I cautiously approached it and it glinted almost bronze in the morning sun. A Dusky Large Blue, a stunning looking butterfly but a bit of a bugger to photograph as it kept walking round as it was taking nectar rarely stopping.

As I started to make my way back another Map fluttered by and another smaller dark butterfly did too. Unlike the previous Dusky it seemed to glint silvery and when it flew it reminded me of a Brown Argus. Luckily it landed and I managed to both get down to its level and get to ninety degrees to it. I could then see why it appeared silvery as the underside was white with black spots and just the hint of orange along the margins. As I watched it started to open its wings ever so slightly and then there was a dark chocolate upper with the black spots showing through - a Sooty Copper. Realising that I’d been at least 15 minutes I made my way back to the cottage as we were heading out for the day with our hosts.

Tom drove us to a local nature reserve called Zemska Brana (Earth’s Gate) with the river Diovka Orlice running through it. While we waited for Tom to come back with Eva and Lucas I had a pootle around. A Silver-washed Fritillary flew by a miniscule female Blue pretended to be a Brown Argus and another Map kept me amused. Once everyone was together we set off on the woodland walk. The first part was reasonably open and there was a small area full of Cabins. A large dark butterfly flew by on my right dipping in and around the cabins. At first I thought it was a Peacock but as it was almost pure black and I belated noticed the pale edge to the wings as it drifted past at its closest point I realised it was a Camberwell Beauty; no photo though. We then reached a tiny bay of the river and so we all went in for a dip to cool down from the 35+ degrees heat. A Common Blue and Silver-washed both landed on the gravel probing amongst it presumably for salts. I nipped off for 5 minutes while the girls built towers out of ever smaller pebbles (a common pastime for local children) back to the edge of the path where there was a cleared scallop. Here there were more Silver Washed, a tiny unidentified Fritillary tore by and a multitude of Brimstones fed here and there. I flushed a massive orangey butterfly and when I relocated it found it to actually be a pair of High Brown Fritillaries. One was slightly older and grainy looking whilst the other was almost a blank canvas with most of the spots missing.

Having had some relief from the heat we carried on with the walk. On the way there was the odd white, a Red Admiral, a cave where the local Czech version of Robin Hood had lived and two renowned bridges. At the second, a stone bridge, we headed up hill to a restaurant in a clearing for lunch but it was heaving so we retreated back down to the bridge so the girls could have another paddle and Tom walked back for the car. He then picked us up and we headed to a different roadside tavern. While we waited for Eva Black Redstarts flitted around in the place of sparrows and then when we were all reunited we had lunch and I discovered Kofola! The day didn’t end here and Tom dropped us off at the highest local point (Kasparova chata na Adamu, I think it was?) so the girls could enjoy the views and look across to Poland. This was great for me and I hoped for some hilltopping butterflies. It started quietly enough with a Small Tortoiseshell and then I glimpsed a frit – much more golden than orange and as I stalked closer I could make out metallic flashes on the body edge of the wings. It was my first Queen of Spain...

While I was still enjoying the warm glow from seeing this species for the first time my wife called me over as she’d seen a ‘massive yellow’ butterfly. It turned out to be a slightly beaten in Swallowtail but I didn’t mind the nicks and tears in the wings it was still so impressive, the stripes, the tails, the shear size of it. Things did quieten down again but there were a few Small Heath and DGFs to keep me entertained as well as a few Silver-spotted Skippers. As we drove home Tom pointed out Poland, just on the other side of the verge!

Once back home I took another stroll around the field once again finding Dusky blues (apparently they’re common here), Common Blues, Brown Argus as well as Smessex, Whites, Red Admiral, 2 Walls and three species of Fritillary – High Brown, Dark Green and Silver-washed. As I strolled up to the cottage K called out to come quickly as she’d found a frit. I raced up the garden path and she pointed to a tiny frit sitting on Clover. It was a cracking little butterfly, holding an unusual posture. I photographed it from both sides and it was great to see how in the shade a purple band would appear at the margin of the hind wing yet in the light it would become much paler and pinker in colour. A Weaver’s Fritillary as I identified it later. As I backed away it stayed in place, as I pointed it out to L it remained so I took my first sip of Bernard and that was when it flew landing a short distance away with wings open. So I had to put my beer down, grab a few shots and return to supping ale, it’s a hard life this foreign butterflying!

As we headed down and round the corner to our part of the cottage I thought back over a fantastic day, 6 new species with 3 found directly after breakfast. But that wasn’t the last sighting of the day, for as I passed the flowers just outside our door there was a Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

10-08-2015 First day at the Dam

Once again we were up early, which because of the time difference was even earlier so as soon as breakfast had been dealt with the girls went out to run around, my wife relaxed with a cuppa on the terrace and I disappeared out with my camera – pretty idyllic really!

As I made my way down towards the bottom of the hill and the damper ground I was accompanied by Dusky Blues, High Browns, Silver Washed and Dark Greens as well as the odd White and Common Blue. At the yellow flowered bush the Map didn’t reappear, instead it was replaced by a Small heath. On the way back a dark vanessid had me holding my breath until it came out of the shade and revealed itself to be a Red Admiral.

Today’s activity was visiting the local lake formed from flooding by the Pastviny Dam. It meant a 45 minute walk down through the woodland, past the local shop and along a footpath with a few fields along the side. On the way there were whites and a few Maps to keep me busy and outside the shop a Small Tort, Common Blue and Dusky Blue caused me a bit of a problem as I tried to take photos of them while holding a ‘Nogger’ (like a Toffee Feast) at the same time.

The best bit of the trip was when we took the footpath on the final stage of the journey. Having crossed the road there were a couple of fields and in them Common and Dusky Blues (no Chapman’s though I did check) a Brown Argus and numerous whites plus two very pale Yellows. I managed to get the briefest of shots. We carried on over the bridge and my butterflying became slightly curtailed; not just by the pressing and incessant heat but also because I had to revert to Dad mode – driving the boat for an hour, ordering lunch by pointing at a phrase book and supervising the girls on a pedlo for a further hour. Then came the return journey with tired legs, hot heads and a massive thirst. To keep us going we stopped for more ice creams before continuing the slow walk up through the wood. I stopped occasionally; for a Map and a stunning Sooty Copper (female) and unlike usually these little stops were welcomed by the girls as they could have a rest.

Once back the girls seemed to find more vim and so they bounded off giggling to run around the field a la Heidi. This meant that once I’d unpacked the day bag, sorted out the towels and swim suits and had an all important cuppa I too could bumble out and around the field, hopefully a lot less Heidi like!
Flapping around all over the place were HBFs as well as a few more aged looking DGFs. I’d scan around the red topped grasses and each little clump seemed to have its own Dusky Blue. Down at the yellow bush there was no sign of the Map but this time there was a Small Pearl (in August!) and an older Sooty Copper (male). I strolled back up the hill ready for something to eat stopping occasionally for the HBFs, wondering if there was a Niobe amongst them, and a lovely Common Blue which I wish was a Chapman’s. And so ended yet another glorious day, a few more species added to the life list, a few more added to the trip tally and for the first time in a very long time I was calm and relaxed.

11-08-2015 Castles

After two cracking days I was probably due a quiet one and so today turned out to be...

It started well enough with yet another post brekkie sortie in glorious weather and this time I worked my way up the hill towards the road. It seemed that the Walls preferred this area with three representing the species and behaving in their usual frantic manner. As I worked my down the hill towards the damper area near the stream I found a few Small Heath, the odd Meadow Brown and a Common Blue. Once here I managed to relocate the Small Pearl from the day before or found a different one. Also here was a Silver-spotted Skipper amongst the tussock grass, 3 Maps on the yellow flowers and 3 Duskys on various red topped grasses. When I got back to the cottage K wandered off with my camera and found a Red Admiral as well as an alien looking grasshopper. Thomas leant us his car and with the reminder to drive on the right and a quick glance at a google we set off for Potstejn and its castles.

The first one that we visited was the old ruined castle and after a walk up a steep wooded hill we reached the fortifications and sat down to wait for our tour guide. While we waited a Common Lizard popped up between L’s feet and scuttled up the wall much to L’s amusement and a few whites fluttered here and there. As the tour started a smallish Fritillary hove into view whilst I was watching it I couldn’t decide if it was a Small pearl or a Weaver’s and it was only when I managed to have a quick check in the wine cellar that I could see the large spotting on the hind wings – so another Weaver’s it is then. The only other butterflies about were the odd Wall Brown and a single Peacock so quite quiet really and I was left wondering whilst wandering the ruins whether it was too warm?

I zoned out from butterflies and settled into ‘Dad’ mode for a while trying my best to answer questions for my daughters by scanning through the English guide notes. It seems that this castle was destroyed not by soldiers trying to winkle the bad Count out from his lair but by the Count himself as he was searching for treasure that had been hidden somewhere within the grounds or the fortification itself by a previous occupant who was a bandit chief. A few embellishments along the lines of ‘blood, gore and hacking limbs off’ and my daughters were happy. And when we meet the resident goats they were ecstatic!

As it was quiet at the Castle we set off to the next place, another Castle this time at Zamberk and I was pinning my hopes on this one as not only was there a small petting Zoo (grasses, animal dropping etc) but also a ‘maintained’ garden. However as we drove through the town we reached the railway crossing and the road was closed! So we turned round and headed back to Potstejn. Really we should have parked, crossed over the railway on foot and there we would have been at Zamberk Castle but with no SatNav, maps and only the briefest of glances at Google Earth that morning it seemed better to head to where we knew. After lunch we took a tour of the ‘New Castle’, more of a manor house really. A quick shufty round the garden yielded a Red Admiral, Silver-Y and a Common Blue, a whiz round inside and a quick Kofola later we were heading back to Pastviny. A good family day out but a poor butterfly one with no new species.

12-08-2015 – Mountains!!

Today was probably the day I had been looking forward to most as we were going to drive to a ski resort and take a chair-lift to the mountain top. I didn’t even do my morning check of the field as I was checking my kit again and again but I did stop for a huge Cricket next to the back door. The drive was quite long but there various notable things on the way – huge bunkers from WWII, rolling hills changing to forests, a native American camp with Tee-pees and Totem pole plus we got to count how many times we criss-crossed the same rail track (11 in total). Once there we parked and waited for the others to arrive. Around the car park a Peacock and a couple of Whites flitted about and try as I might I couldn’t get the Small Tort to change into a Large one! A quick trip to the toilet revealed a few more Small Torts and a Black Redstart.

With the whole group together we then boarded the four seater chair-lift for the first stage of the ascent. Below us were butterflies a plenty – more Peacocks, Small Torts plus a smallish Fritillary – possibly Small Pearl Bordered? Then we had to disembark before switching to an older, less comfy and much more rickety looking two seater chair-lift. As I thought little L was going to hate it I went with her. In fact she loved it, wanting to rock it, asking questions like ‘what happens if the cable breaks?’ and pointing out the butterflies below - which were Ringlets of some sort – with great delight as “you can see them but you can’t photograph them Daddy – ha, ha”. We carried on chatting as the chair traversed the air and L revealed that actually she wanted to find me a ‘tick’ as “mummy found you the Swallowtail and K found you the Fwatillary”.

Luckily as soon as we got off at the top little L ran straight over and pointed at a Ringlet – job done! We all then strolled along the mountain top path to a chalet building for a beer at 10:30 am. There was as stunning view across the range and in the direction of a nearby Spa town the buildings resembled Lego blocks in the distance. All around butterflies flew and besides a single Red Admiral they were all Ringlets. As I wasn’t up on my identification so I tried to photograph each and every one that I saw and I’d worry about what they were later. For now they were just Ringlets (turned out to be Large Ringlets with the odd Arran Brown – both ticks for me).

Suitably refreshed after a Holba it was time to head back down. Luckily for me my wife had hated the journey up and couldn’t face going back down so I got to accompany her on her descent by foot. The girls went down with Eva, Thomas, Luca and the Grandparents and we waved them off expecting to see them two hours later once we’d zigzagged down the mountain side under and round the chair-lift. On almost every clump of flowers there were Ringlets, they were all over the placeand it was only when we got about half way down that other species started to appear – Small Whites, Small Torts, Peacocks and the occasional Comma. Some of the Peacocks were tiny, smaller than the Small Torts.

As we approached the final stretch a Queen of Spain showed itself amongst the taller vegetation and there were now Silver-Washed, HBFs, Brimstones as well as the ubiquitous Ringlets whose numbers were now starting to drop off. A vivid orange butterfly flew up and down the verge a couple of times, never stopping close enough but I was able to see that it was a Large Copper and one that got away though a fantastic sight to see.

We then had lunch and the girls played in a small park while Lucas had his nap. A Wall Brown stopped just long enough for a photo but the Red Admiral and possible Large Tort didn’t. All the while a Peacock was sitting, wings closed on the gravel in the car park. As everything else was flying away I decided to try for a photo of this. As I approached I realised that it was large for a Peacock. It also had a very pale margin and when it flew I was in no doubt – a Camberwell Beauty – possibly my third of the trip. As with the others this one proved to be a bugger but it stopped just long enough for me to sprint towards it, take two distant shots before it carried on and off into the woods not to be seen again. It may only be a record shot but I don’t mind as I’d actually gotten a shot!

Happy with my haul I didn’t mind when we moved on, or when the weather broke and the inevitable thunderstorm and torrential rain came – I’d gotten a Camberwell!

Back to the Dam 13-08-2015

So began our final day at Pastviny and once again I headed out to the field, this time for the final time. As usual there were the HBFs, four definite individuals plus an assortment of Small Heath , Meadow Browns, two silver spots and a Smessex as well as the usual Dusky’s – they’re so last week dontcha know!

So what to do with our final day? I would dearly have loved to revisit the wood from day one or the high point from the same day but I was outvoted. So instead we packed the swim things and set off down the hill to the Dam for the day. A Red-backed Shrike watched from the overhead cables as we set off.

On the way down through the wood I missed out on yet another Camberwell Beauty. They seem to appear from nowhere and flap away deep in amongst the trees so that you can’t relocate them. A quick check of the field revealed a few Common Blues, a Brown Argus and quell surprise a few Dusky Large Blues.

Whilst the girls took their first Pedlo ride I legged it up to the fields behind the dam. Unfortunately for me everything seemed to be frequenting the one field with restricted access and I could only watch a Pale/Bergers from the sidelines. To further torment me everything that was taking nectar from the verges disappeared across and in to restricted field filed so I came away with only a few fleeting shots and a Hummingbird Hawk Moth from the woodland at the end of the road. I mean the end of the road literally as there is tarmac road and then woodland no cu-de-sac, no kerbs the road just ceases to be...transmogrifying into forest. I retrace my footsteps and neck a beer tO stave off the heat – it’s starting to get quite unbearable now, but a pint of Holba helps and all for the pricely sum of 19K (48p)!

After lunch (lucky dip for me – point at the menu and see what comes out) the girls head out again on the Pedlos so I again make my way to the fields and luckily now the butterflies were playing ball and are in a different field, one that I have got access to so I manage a few shots this time. Again a quick beer (I’m starting to enjoy the heat again now) and a spot on the pedlo and then we start the hot, tiring walk/trek back home.

We were able to stop frequently so the girls could; have a drink, eat an ice cream, have a paddle in the stream or just have a breather so my butterflying took place in a series of 5 minute bursts. The first of which was in the ‘Yellow field’. There were three Small Torts (still no Scarce) a few whites, the odd Dusky and a Queen of Spain. Just over the road was a Common Blue and a Chapman’s (no cell spot when wings forward) – finally all the eyestrain caused by trying to follow the blue bu$$ers visually and the calf strain from frenetic runs when they finally deemed to land for a few seconds paid off. The second stop was at the little break in the woods where I’d previously found the female Sooty. While the girls had a breather I fund a few Small Heaths and singles of Silver-washed and Queen of Spain Fritillary.

Further up and stop number three was a female Pale/Berger’s that just wouldn’t settle, 2 Silver-washed and yet another fly-by Camberwell Beauty. I reckon that I’ve gotten so used to identifying them in flight that if one actually landed I wouldn’t have a clue what I was looking at! The final stop was so the girls could have a paddle and here there was a Map and a Green-veined White. Once home we had to pack as we were off to Prague on the morrow so I managed only a quick mooch round the field with the usual suspects.

14/15-08-2015

The final day we said our goodbyes to Eva and Lucas and Thomas drove us to the railway station at Czecka Trebova and from there onto Prague (White Stork in a field on the way). Prague itself was fantastic and in a short space of time we’d seen the various parts of a Castle (Prague Castle - more like a small town) , the famous clock (astronomical clock), a square (Wenceslas Square) and the (Charles) bridge. See I’m a butterflier and the cultural stuff passed over my head – I had to look it all up when I got home and have since correctly named it (in the brackets) ;-) With very few butterflies the highlights of Prague for me were the Spitfires outside the castle and a pub that was an entire street long!

The final butterflies of the trip were four Purple Hairstreaks, all males and all in our passports just like on the way out...

Lifers:
1. Pale Clouded Yellow
2. Berger’s Clouded Yellow
3. Dusky Large Blue
4. Large Ringlet
5. Arran Brown
6. Swallowtail
7. High Brown Fritillary
8. Weaver’s Fritillary
9. Queen of Spain Fritillary
10. Sooty Copper
11. Camberwell Beauty
12. Large Copper