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Butterflies

31/8/2015

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by Bruce Hyde

The Chinese philosopher Zuangzi wrote about 2,500 years ago "I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamed of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?".


More recently Dolly Parton sang "Love is like a butterfly, as soft and gentle as a sigh...." - all of which shows that butterflies are quite special and appeal to everyone's imagination. Someone said to me the other day that it was a shame such beautiful creatures only live for a day - which set me thinking. While some insects are as short-lived as this, butterflies are not, so I have written this blog on their lifespan.

Languedoc-Roussillon has some 327 different butterflies, representing about 75% of species which exist in metropolitan France. In size they vary from the very tiny (no bigger than the nail of a little finger) to large (more than 5cm from wingtip to wingtip). As general rule, the larger it is, the longer its life as a flying insect.

Picture
Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) - very small, perhaps 1cm overall
Picture
Common Swallowtail (Papilio machaon gorganus) more than 6.5 cm from wingtip to wingtip.
How long do they live?

This depends on many things and varies greatly. It depends on the size and species of the butterfly, where it lives, and what time of year it became an adult.

If there is an average life span of an adult (as a flying insect), it is about one month.  Although the smallest will usually only survive for about one week, some of the larger ones can live for about nine months.

Butterflies are cold-blooded creatures, so climate and temperature make a difference to length of life. For instance, if the egg is laid just before cold weather, it will stay in egg-form until the weather warms, when the caterpillar will emerge. If the butterfly is an adult and it starts to turn colder (and it does not migrate south), it will hibernate somewhere until the weather warms. What this means is that the insect could technically live for many months past the average life span, dependent on climate and what stage of life it is in when winter comes. 

During their lives as adults, they suffer the slings and arrows of misfortune. They can become rather tatty and often their wings become quite ragged, probably due to unfortunately close encounters with birds.

Picture
A rather tatty Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
Life Cycle
All butterflies undergo "complete metamorphosis." In order to grow into adults they go through four stages, each with a particular objective:

eggs hatch into caterpillars
caterpillars need to eat a lot
pupas house the metamorphosis stage
adults reproduce.

Dependent on species, climate and habitat, the whole cycle may take anywhere from one month to a year.

Egg
A butterfly starts life as a very small, round, oval or cylindrical egg, the shape being dependent on the species. They are usually laid on the leaves of plants.

Caterpillar
The egg hatches and the caterpillar emerges. The egg is always laid on the type of leaf the caterpillar will eat – each species liking only certain types of leaves.

They grow quickly. When born, they are small; when they start eating, they grow rapidly. Their exoskeleton (skin) does not stretch or grow, so they moult several times. 

Picture
Common Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) in the caterpillar stage
Pupa (Chrysalis)
As soon as a caterpillar is fully grown it turns into a pupa, also known as a chrysalis. 
Within this the old body parts undergo a metamorphosis to become the adult butterfly.

Adult
When it emerges, both of the wings are soft and folded against its body. As soon as it has rested, it will pump blood into the wings in order to get them working – and then fly.  Usually within a three or four-hour period, the butterfly will master flying and will search for a mate in order to reproduce. 

In this fourth and final stage they are constantly on the look out to reproduce. The butterfly life cycle then starts again.

Picture
Iberian Marbled Whites mating (Melanargia lachesis)
What happens to them in the winter?
Some species, including the Peacock, the Red Admiral and the Small Tortoiseshell, hibernate as adults. On warm winter days they will sometimes be seen flying or basking in the sunshine.

Most survive the winter as eggs, caterpillars or pupas; the Green Hairstreak and the Swallowtail above, for instance, both hibernate as a pupa, the Green Hairstreak usually among stones, leaves or moss at the base of trees or shrubs.

How many broods?
Some butterflies are univoltine, meaning one brood or generation each year. Others are bivoltine or even, like the Painted Lady (picture below), trivoltine.

Those with a short life-cycle can produce from one to three generations in a year. The Green Hairstreak (above) has only one and is normally seen flying between March and June. At the opposite end of the scale Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous), also a small species, is polyvoltine, has a complete cycle of 4-8 weeks and can be seen flying from February to October.

Picture
Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
Migration
This happens to a few species. The best known is probably the Monarch which moves in large numbers northwards from Mexico into the USA each year.

Better known in Europe is the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardhui). This remarkable butterfly seems to follow a 10-year cycle of massive population explosions, the last one being in 2009. Following a huge springtime emergence in N. Africa millions of individuals head north into Europe including UK, sometimes travelling over 6,000 kilometres from their point of origin. 


Picture
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardhui)
Until recently it was not known what happened then, but new research now shows that there is a return autumn migration, but at high altitude - typically 500 metres. This is above the level where they can be observed by eye, but they have been tracked on radar. The very odd thing is that a Painted Lady's life cycle is only 5-8 weeks. This means that the returning Painted Ladies are up to six generations removed from those which migrated originally. Nature is truly remarkable.

For more on this phenomenon see the list of useful websites below.

In Conclusion
It seems to me that there have been fewer butterflies around our area this year. This view is completely subjective and it could just be that I have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am certain, however, that the number of Marbled Whites (Melanargia) has been reducing each year for a number of years; they used to be plentiful but this year (2015) they have been quite scarce. I don't know why.

Having been inspired to write this blog by comments about how long butterflies might live, subsequent research has shown me even more how fascinating these beautiful insects are and how astonishing and complex nature can be.

Please follow this link to go to my gallery where you can see some of the delightful butterflies found in this region.

Information can be found on-line in the following places, among others:
_
www.thebutterflysite.com
atlas.libellules-et-papillons-lr.org
http://www.leps.it/
http://butterfly-conservation.org/5183-2342/painted-lady-migration-secrets-revealed.html

and of course Wikipedia.

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The End of Summer?

19/8/2015

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by Isobel Mackintosh

Realising that the resident swifts have left us each year is a reminder that summer is now on the wane in the Mediterranean Pyrenees. Sadly we won't hear that marvellous screeching as squadrons of swifts race in formation around the rooftops again this year.  But recently I've noticed the odd group of swifts cruising along at a much higher altitude in the skies above our village in the Alberes. Presumably these are migrating birds from more northerly latitudes passing through. I like to think that this area, being largely unspoiled and forested, must make for a rich source of flying insects - a handy pit stop for migrating birds to refuel en route. I don't know how many small insects there are flying at such heights, but what I can vouch for, painfully, is that there are plenty of the biting kind around at ground level this year.
Picture
A bee eater in flight against a classic summer sky
The charming sound of bee eaters gently chirruping away at this time of year is also a sign that the annual migration south of these beautiful, colourful birds is beginning. Happily, however, as I write this, the spectacular and much loved golden orioles are still with us. A glimpse of a bright yellow flash among the green leaves always seems to lift the spirits, and at this time of year each day that I can still hear or see one feels like a bonus – a sign that summer is still clinging on, just.
Picture
Ripe green figs on our tree early in August 2015
This year the green fig tree in our garden seems to be fruiting earlier than usual. Gardening books tell me to expect two crops of figs each year this far south: one in June and one in September. This year we had virtually none in June, but since then a huge number have appeared, and before the end of the first week of August many of them were already ripe and ready to eat. They are absolutely delicious, but not only to humans. Tree sparrows and blue tits are constantly flitting around the fig tree, and a pair of jays and a magpie are frequently seen helping themselves there as well.  I have never seen a golden oriole that close to the house before, but their occasional presence in the tree is an indication that the figs are fully ripe and sugary enough to attract insects for them to eat. I imagine that at the moment they are taking on as much energy as they can before the long flight ahead. Some it seems have left already. But a few nights ago we were delighted to be surprised by a far more exciting and unusual nocturnal visitor.
Picture
A tree sparrow in our fig tree - behind is a half-eaten fig bearing the tell-tale signs of a small perching bird's quest for the sugary fruit inside. Is it looking slightly guilty?
Just after dark, at around 9pm, we were clearing our supper from the terrace, when I heard a rustling in the bushes at the far end of our small garden. It sounded like something quite substantial was moving around there, but I assumed it must be one of the many feral cats living around the village. The rustling, which continued, implied that this was probably larger though. So we both stopped moving around and waited silently, in the hope of glimpsing something. We were certainly rewarded for our patience!

The small floodlight above our garden was turned on that night, so we knew that as long as the creature hadn't been frightened away by it, we would be able to see it quite clearly were it to find something of interest in our garden. And sure enough we could sense something coming closer and closer, until we saw what was clearly quite a substantial mammal walking along a low garden wall. At this point we could see very little, so waited stock still, and wondered if perhaps it was a fox. We soon saw a long bushy tail, and brown coloured fur on the trunk of this animal. Shape-wise it looked a bit like a large ferret. By this stage we had become aware that there were TWO of these creatures moving around in our garden, and that both were heading for the heavy laden fig tree.

They then jumped up, climbed different branches, and started reaching through the leaves for "our" figs, which they munched happily... without so much as a by-your-leave! By this stage, thanks to the floodlight, we were able to see that these creatures were in fact a pair of martens. The distinctive head shape, the small ears and their almost white-looking chin and bib were very clear now. When they looked up towards us and the light, reflective retinas made their eyes glow back at us brightly (just as dogs' and cats' eyes do when you take a flash photograph at home)

I knew that trying to take a worthwhile photograph was out of the question, however I had managed to get my binoculars, so I could be absolutely sure of what I was looking at. And I am very happy to report my first ever sighting of a beech or stone marten (Martes foina, Fouine in French, positively identified almost immediately thanks to the wonderful L'Albera book (which has suddenly and very sadly become more elusive than some of the creatures in its pages, by the way!)
Picture
It's not only the wildlife that's provided a spectacular show this August - frequent storms have drenched the Alberes and made them greener than I can ever remember
In the excitement of this wonderful, if brief sighting, I almost forgot to mention that the night before, at dusk, I had also been incredibly lucky to witness the most amazing aerobatic display from a pair of hobbies (Falco subbuteo) that I have ever seen.  The birds swooped around expertly, diving back and forth among the trees in the little valley beyond our garden for several minutes – maybe even a quarter of an hour. I had my binoculars to hand, but following their wildly spectacular flight was quite a challenge, especially as the light was fading fast. No doubt they were "hawking" for swallows, house martins or bats, and at one point I saw one of them apparently eating something, whilst in flight, from its claws. Their flying skills are quite extraordinary and their vision must be incredible to be strong and precise enough to spot and then hunt small, fast-moving targets in such low light. They are handsome beasts too - I could see the black moustache-like markings on on their cheeks very clearly, and the death-dark blue-black of their upper body parts was simply stunning.  Again I didn't want to risk missing a moment trying to get my camera set up, so I'm sorry to say that I have no illustrations to help you share in the excitement.

Instead though, I have two amazing memories that I will always cherish, and which I am sure will stay with me for life.

So whilst it is sad to be bidding the very hot weather goodbye for 2015, subsequent reports this week prove that such amazing sightings are not freak occurences, or once-in-a-lifetime encounters. Lesley spotted a beech marten at very close quarters in a tree whilst walking under cloudy skies in the Alberes with a friend a few days later.  I'm hoping she will write that dramatic encounter up as a blog soon. And another friend was thrilled to see a Genette crossing a track in front of her car at very close quarters in the woods above Chateau Valmy, also in broad daylight! Which confirms that although the nights are drawing in, and the sunshine getting weaker, this really is an excellent time of year to watch wildlife. So keep your eyes peeled - it's all out there!


Isobel Mackintosh, August 2015
All photographs © Isobel Mackintosh
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Saving a Snake

11/8/2015

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by Robin Noble

I have mentioned before that in our garden we have a small and annoying little pond; incidentally, we have decided that we must cover it up soon. It has occasionally given us proof of the existence of some local wildlife which we otherwise tend not to see, such as a sadly drowned mouse. Very recently, I thought I had found another disaster in its murky depths, but as I approached its edge, the creature I was concerned about because of its total immobility, proved very much alive. It dived fast and swam away to the other side.

It was a snake, obviously quite at home in the water but unable, having got in, to get any purchase on the smooth sides of the pond.

Picture
Realising that it would clearly starve if left there, I had to work out some way of getting it out. I had nothing to catch it with, and it was so alert that it seemed an unlikely solution to the problem anyway. I decided that first of all I had to let it calm down, so for what seemed ages I sat quietly by the pond until it had been at the surface for some considerable time. Then, infinitely slowly, I introduced one end of a narrow plank into the water and edged it incredibly gently towards the strongly marked head of the snake, leaving the other on the pool margin. Then I withdrew from the scene, inch by inch...

I found a corner behind some bushes from where I had a partial view of the plank, and so after a while, I took a very quiet look; the snake was actually out of the water and on the plank, which enabled me to take a quick, distant photo or two. When I looked again, later, the snake had disappeared, presumably into the nearby hedge, and has not been seen since.

Living in the far north of Scotland, I had never seen a grass snake, and always thought they were greenish in colour, but this, presumably youngish, was a sort of shiny beige, with beautiful, very regular and precise spots along its length. The collar, though, was very clear and helped with its ID. This has to be the couleuvre à collier, natrix natrix, the grass snake. The Albera book says: "diurne, parfois tres aquatique, elle peut se trouver loin de l'eau, dans les broussailles" -  which says it all really!
Picture
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Nocturnal drama in the Alberes

6/8/2015

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by Isobel Mackintosh

The hot summer nights have most definitely arrived in the Mediterranean Pyrenees now, together with the many tourists who flock to the area’s beaches and campsites. As well as hearing the sounds of people outside enjoying themselves on their holidays, with live music and other entertainments carrying on until late, come the inevitable mosquitos and other, more welcome forms of wildlife - bats, owls, moths and so on.  This year we seem to have been battered by a lot of thunderstorms, some of which have been very dramatic, with the occasional drenching keeping our gardens in good shape, and providing everyone here with a welcome short burst of slightly fresher temperatures.  

This short video is of an approaching storm in the Alberes, with the flashes of lightning that light up the clouds, and the rumblings of thunder interspersed with the insistent, repetitive calls of a tawny owl (Strix aluco) in the woodland just outside our village.  Having consulted with Lesley, we are convinced that this is most likely one or more juvenile(s) who, having left the nest, are still relying on their parents to feed them.  A couple of nights ago I actually saw one of them, perched on a fence post, calling loudly, before it flew right in front of me, still calling as it headed for a nearby tall magnolia tree. In the gloom I couldn’t positively identify that particular owl as a juvenile, but the call and the persistence of it makes me pretty certain that that is what we have been witnessing.


Version Française: L'approche d'un orage dans les Albères, avec jeune chouette hulotte

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