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Butterflies of the Kaçkar Mountains, Turkey – Olgunlar Village

The trip then moved up to the sloping village of Olgunlar which is at the end of a road at 2100m in altitude.

This village is used as the start point to climb the highest peak in this area Kaçkar Dağı, at an elevation of 3,937 metres (12,917 ft).

We arrived quite late so there was nothing flying but plenty of roosting butterflies, blues and skippers were found in vegetation close to the road. Downhill a bit from the Pansiyon there was a sloping hillside covered in stonecrop the larval foodplant of the Apollo butterfly.

Apollo habitat and larval food plant

Our guide found on roosting on a flower head which made photographing this stunning butterfly quite easy.

Apollo (Parnassius apollo)

The following morning knowing where this Apollo was I headed out at 06:30 and soon found it in the same place. This time just getting within a few feet caused it to fully open its wings showing off the most amazing wing colouration. I spent the next few minutes just admiring this very special butterfly.

Apollo (Parnassius apollo)

In the same area I came across this stunning Owlfly.

Owlfly (Libelloides macaronius)

The plan today was to walk up the valley to an altitude of over 2500m to search for higher altitude species.

Olgunlar village

The track just follows the river all the way up and is a gentle climb but takes a while when you are stopping to look at butterflies every few minutes.

Olgunlar Valley

The flowers were amazed colour everywhere like nothing I had seen before. The different larval food plants were checked for adults giving us many great views of species such as the Caucasian Spotted Fritillary.

Caucasian Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea interrupta)

There were a number of Russian and Lederer’s Heath’s around.

Russian Heath (Coenonympha leander) Lederer’s Heath ( Coenonympha symphita)

We had lunch at a lovely spot surrounded by the most amazing scenery.

Lunchtime Olgunlar valley

We were discussing what we should be looking for now having climbed to 2500m. Some people were considering heading back down when a brown butterfly flew past.

Thankfully it landed not too far away and we as a group crept up on it very slowly. Like many of its family (Eribia) it had buried itself in the short grass. It gradually crawled to the edge of a rock and we got some wonderful views of Hewittson’s Ringlet a quite stunning butterfly.

Hewitson’s Ringlet (Eribia hewitsonii)

A smaller group of us continued up eventually reaching the base camp at 2900m which is used for attempting the climb up Kaçkar Dağı, at an elevation of 3,937 metres (12,917 ft).

As the cloud was coming in and the temperature dropping, we headed back down whilst regularly taking in the spectacular views down the valley.

Olgunlar valley

By the time we had reached the village we were ready for a beer so we headed back to the Pansiyon.

The following day the plan was to stay local to the village in the morning. We headed out early as it was bright sunshine and already warm. Butterflies were already puddling in the small streams of water flowing down the footpath near to the cafe in the village. Many blues and skipper species were soon found. We got first views of the Chelmos Blue, a butterfly we had not found from its only location in Europe on the trip to Greece.

Chelmos Blue (Polyommatus iphigenia)

Another higher altitude species which was now appearing in the puddling area was the Bosnian Blue which is now considered a separate species from the Gavarnie Blue found in the Pyrenees.

Bosnian Blue (Plebjus dardanus)

There were a number of geranium species around so we got good views of the Geranium Argus

Geranium Argus (Aricia eumedon)

and also the Mountain Argus.

Mountain Argus (Aricia artaxerces)

To add to the species of Argus seen a very obliging Blue Argus was sighted just off the footpath.

Blue Argus (Aricia anteros)

After an hour or so I wandered back to the hotel to get some water. I passed through the village and several small groups of blues and fritillaries taking in minerals and fluids. Most if not, all seen would be males.

Just before I reached the Pansiyon I caught sight of a larger yellow butterfly on the ground surrounded by lots of black-veined whites. To my huge surprise it was a pristine Swallowtail (Papilio machaon gorganus). Not content with one a second one joined it and I spent the next 15 minutes or so just watching these two tussling with each other, then sitting side by side wings fully open. What an amazing sight!

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon gorgannus)

One would gracefully fly off do a short loop and drop back down to the ground. They both looked so fresh I can only assume that they had both emerged that day and were stocking up on liquids and essential minerals.

We had lunch in the Pansiyon and then took a walk down the road below the Pansiyon. Here we found Eastern Bath White and a few very obliging Sloe Hairstreaks.

Sloe Hairstreak (Satyrium acaciae)

Close to the Sloe Hairstreaks was a Willowherb with a number of Black-veined Whites roosting on it.

Black-veined Whites (Aporia crataegi)

We headed on to the next valley the birthplace of Ahmet Baytaş the author of the excellent field guide to the Butterflies of Turkey.

Körahmet

The valley was quite different being steeper than at Olgunlar we found a few puddling spots where we saw more Bosnian Blues as well as Balkan Zephyr Blues.

Balkan Zephyr Blue (Plebjus modicus)

Nectaring on the umbellifers were a couple of Eros Blues.

Eros Blue (Polyommatus eros)

Rather than driving back down to the main road a few of us walked down the valley side along a path which was no longer getting much use.

Körahmet valley

The following day we are up early and departing to visit a number of sites we had stopped off on the way to Erzurum. With the sightings we had had it was felt the season was late and we had a chance if picking up a few new species on the way back to Erzurum. The first stop was a site alongside the river in the Dereiçi valley where Fiery Copper had been seen in the previous years. A couple of us headed to the area where it was seen last year the rest headed to the nearby flowery meadow. As we reached the area where it was seen last year my fellow lepidopterist spotted something bright red and it soon landed on a nearby plant stalk. It took off again a minute or so later and you could see why it had gained its name if Fiery Copper. We proceeded to watch and photograph it for 15 minutes or so before the rest of the group arrived to see this spectacular butterfly.

Fiery Copper (Lycaena thetis)

The second stop was taken alongside a river where there was lots of Christ’s Thorn the food plant of the Little Tiger Blue which is one of the smallest butterflies you will ever see but is so stunning both its underside with its stripes and topside with its iridescent blue, purple pink colouration.

The guide spotted one almost immediately it was so small and a few metres away, it was hard to see without binoculars. It eventually settled a little closer to us allowing for some great views of its underside.

Little Tiger Blue (Tarucus balkanicus)

We moved further down the road and saw an Ionian Emperor on the road then a second one.

Ionian Emperor (Thaleropsis ionia)

They appeared to be feasting on the sweet white mulberries which were strewn across the road. White-bordered Grayling and Freyer’s Grayling were also found feasting on the white mulberries.

White-bordered Grayling (Hipparchia parisatis) & Freyer’s Grayling (Hipparchia fatua)

Further Little Tiger Blues were seen as we dropped down lower.

The next stop was the riverside in the Tortum valley. Here very quickly had a number of Rippart’s Anomalous Blues which last week we had seen just one.

Rippart’s Anamalous Blue (Polyommatus ripartii)

The highlight was however a stunning Orange Hermit which everyone gasped at as it flew by wondering what it was until our guide told us. It landed in front of us briefly flicking its wings open briefly a few times before it flew off.

Orange Hermit (Chazara bischoffii)

The final stop was Güngörmez Valley a site which was so productive the week before. We found a lot of the puddling sections had dried up and perhaps because we were there later in the day we saw a smaller number of butterflies. We headed out to a site down by the river a little up from where we had been to look for the Dusky Large Blue which had been seen by one of our group the weeks before. On reaching the area the butterflies gave themselves away rather as they sat upon their foodplant Great Burnet. The Dusky Large Blue is classed as Near Threatened in Turkey.

Dusky Large Blue (Glaucopyche nausithous)

One female was seeing laying in the flower bud.

The blues had started to leave the puddling areas and could be found roosting amongst the local vegetation. I found a pristine Pontic Blue so rare in Europe found only in a very small area in Greece and managed to take a focus stacked image of it as it rested on s blade of grass.

Pontic Blue (Polyommatus coelestinus)

The site was in previous years a good place for Gerhard’s Black Hairstreak and Rebel’s Hairstreak. Climbing higher up the hillside both were eventually found by the guide. I managed to great views of a Gerhard’s Black Hairstreak as it hunkered down for the night in the grass.

Gerhard’s Black Hairstreak (Satyrium abdominalis)

This was the final species sighted as we jumped into the bus for the last time and made the 45-minute trip back to Erzurum before flying home the following morning.

Flickr site Butterflies of Turkey

Flickr site Scenes of Turkey

Butterflies of the Kaçkar Mountains, Turkey – Barhal Village & surrounds

The first morning in our new location we were greeted by blue skies and sunshine, a sign of things to come. There were already Silver-washed Fritillaries flying outside the door to my room at 7:30 am !

After breakfast we headed down the road to a patch of Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus), also known as Danewort, which was growing by the side of the road. This is a plant we were to find in many locations at lower altitude and was a magnet for many species of butterfly as well as other insects.

Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus)

At this early time of the day there were Silver-washed Fritillaries, Marbled Fritillaries and a small number of Sloe and Ilex Hairstreaks on the Elder.

Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne)

We were soon loaded up on the bus and headed to Bıçakçılar Valley, a valley adjacent to where we were staying. The track took us a long way up into the valley even as far as to where there was still snow. In a couple of cases the snow was bridging the raging river.

We found a bridge which had a damp area of ground on it and this proved a magnet for many species of butterflies. Not just blues but High Brown Fritillary, Heath Fritillary, False Heath Fritillary & Glanville Fritillary.

Butterflies puddling

False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina) & Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia)

Amongst the Heath Fritillaries we spotted an abberant one. During the next couple of days we found two other abberations and I have put all three here.

Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia) abberations

Marsh Fritillary (Melitaea aurinia)

One of the blues we saw for the first time was the Turkish Blue. These were puddling along with other blues on the bridge and stood out due to the white stripe on the rear underwing. This is one of the subgenus Agrodiaetus blues of which there are many in Turkey more than 30 at the time of writing. Some of them are extremely difficult to tell apart. Many typically have a white stripe on the underside of the rear wing.

Turkish Blue (Polyommatus turcicus)

Floating down the scree on the left hand-side of the road were a small number of Apollo’s. None of them stuck around but their graceful presence was a delight to watch so like their Swallowtail & Birdwing relatives.

We headed lower down the valley and the Dwarf Elder became more abundant. A number of Hairstreaks were seen nectaring on this superfood, including Purple, Sloe, Ilex and Blue-spot.

Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis) Purple Hairstreak (Quercusia quercus)

We headed to another stop lower down the valley and this was to look specifically for the Ionain Emperor a species of butterfly not found in Europe. The area had plenty of Dwarf Elder and it did not take more than a couple of minutes to locate the first one nectaring. A stunning butterfly which you felt ought to be larger in size than its diminutive 2.5cm ! We were all gather around it taking photographs but it wasn’t long before another one was found.

Ionian Emperor (Thaleropsis ionia)

We all spent some time watching these stunning butterflies as they nectared on the dwarf elder, every now and then taking some time out resting on an adjacent leaf, wings wide open. We felt lucky to have seen such a beautiful butterfly as they are not always seen as well on this trip.

Also on the dwarf elder and surrounding brambles was a stunning Southern White Admiral the inky blue sheen of its upperwings very visible at the right angle.

Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)

We also got our first views of Scotch Argus, again nectaring on the Dwarf Elder. By the end of the day we had seen 84 species and we were at a total of 110 species seen in the three days so far.

The following day we got up really early to go look for bears. One was sighted briefly just outside the village as we headed up our valley. We saw no more but got the most wonderful views of the sunrise from high up in the valley.

Head of Barhal Valley

On the fourth day we headed to Pisankara Valley which was a valley over the hill from where we were staying. At the top of the path we came across a Balkan Clouded Yellow one of only a couple we were to see. It would not allow us to get close but the butterfly in flight was stunning with an almost fiery orange colour to the top side of its wings clearly distinguishing from most other Clouded Yellows.

A Sooty Copper was seen soon afterwards by the side of the dirt track we were walking down.

Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)

A Large Blue was seen flying towards us, its sheer size giving it away. It hung around long enough to get a few photographs in order to confirm the ID.

Large Blue (Phengaris alcon)

A sallow tree was found with two groups of final instar Camberwell Beauty caterpillars.

Camberwell Beauty (Nymphalis antiopa)

In the same area on the ground puddling in the trickle of water running by the road a few Eastern Baton Blues were seen for the first time.

Eastern Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes vicrama)

There were even a couple of fairly fresh looking Pearl-bordered Fritillaries on a track just to the side of the main one.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Clossiana euphrosyne)

On my way down to breakfast on the final day in Barhal I noticed across the hill from my room an Ibex perched high up on a ruined building. It stood there for a long time allowing others to get views of it too. A second one can be seen at about five O’clock in the ruins.

Ibex (Capra aegagrus)

The final morning before moving on was spent going up the valley from our Pension and walking down the road slowly until reaching the village where we had lunch. Before heading off we found a couple of Nettle Tree Butterflies taking in some water near the minibus. I managed an open wing shot of this unusual butterfly.

Nettle Tree Butterfly (Libythea ionia)

The roadside was covered in Dwarf Elder which was covered in butterflies. I have never seen so many Silver-washed Fritillaries in one small area. They were joined by Marbled Fritillaries, Queen of Spain Fritillaries and numerous Sloe & Ilex Hairstreaks.

Amongst the Silver-washed Fritillaries we started to see the beautiful valezina form with the bronze-green finish to their wings. First one then another and then another. They were all in pristine condition jockeying amongst the normal Silver-washed Fritillaries for flower heads.

Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) valezina form

On the Dwarf Elder were a number of fresh High Brown and Queen of Spain Fritillaries.

High Brown Fritillary (Fabriciana adippe) Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)

Two species of Wood white were found on this part of the walk.

Eastern Wood White (Leptidea duponchelli) Wood White (Leptidea sinapsis)

We walked into the village for lunch by the river and a much needed ice cream from one of the village shops then headed onto Olgunlar which was approximately 25 kilometres and a single track and largely dirt road away.

We made a couple of stops along the way including to an area of meadow. Here we spotted a number of Scarce Swallowtails nectaring on Viper’s Bugloss with out a care in the world allowing a very close approach.

Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)

Also in an adjacent meadow a single Scarce Copper was sighted, the only one we were to see on the trip.

Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae)

Flickr site Butterflies of Turkey

Flickr site Scenes of Turkey

Butterflies of the Kaçkar Mountains, Turkey – Travel to Barhal Village

After an overnight stay in Erzurum we headed up into the Kaçkar Mountains, the first overnight stop being Barhal.

Stopping at several sites with different habitats to look for butterflies along the way. The first stop was Güngörmez valley which is approximately 45 minutes from the hotel in Erzurum. The Güngörmez valley is accessed by a small single-track road which after 6 km reaches the small farming village Güngörmez, population around 90 people.

Güngörmez valley

This is a place which appears stuck in time with little machinery for farming with a lot of work done by manual labour including grass cutting with scythes. Chickens and cows were regularly encountered on the track. Parking up just after the village we headed a little up the hill to where huge numbers of blue butterflies were “puddling”. Out came everyone’s binoculars and the scanning of the blue congregation began. Species after species being called out as they were identified amongst the gathering.

Blues Puddling

These included numerous Silver-studded Blues, Aedon Blues & Pontic Blues.

This was an impressive sight of the males of these species collecting minerals from the damp soil almost oblivious to our presence. Above this area a shout went up for the first Yellow-banded Skipper of the trip. These are easily identified when you can see their undersides.

Yellow-banded Skipper (Pyrgus sidae)

In another damp area several other species of Skipper could be seen including, Aegean Skipper (which replaces the Grizzled Skipper we see in the UK in this region), Olive Skipper and Marbled Skipper.

Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae) & Olive Skipper (Pyrgus serratulae)

A Large Wall Brown gave me the run around never settling other than just too far away for a decent photograph. Clouded Yellows were seen occasionally flying in the higher meadow areas never stopping in the hot weather.

There was a small area of flowering plants which had attracted a number of other species amongst them a stunning Purple-shot Copper which posed nicely.

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron)

A Scarce Swallowtail also appeared and these were going to become quite common across the trip.

As the morning moved on and the temperatures got warmer we finally got to see one of the specialties of this region the Odd-Spot Blue. This is a close relative of the extremely rare Odd-Spot Blue I saw in Greece in 2022 but is now thought to be a distinct species. We did not see many but it was wonderful to see them, in a very different environment to their Greek cousins.

Odd-Spot Blue (Turanana endymion)

There were Cardinals flying at speed around us along with thier close relatives the Silver-washed Fritillary. We moved on after lunch to Dereiçi valley and to the riverside near Tortum Castle.

Here we caught sight of a few blues such as Amanda’s and Chapman’s.

Amanda’s Blue (Polyommatus amandus) Chapman’s Blue (Polyommatus thersites)

The weather was now showing signs of how hot we were going to be for most of the rest of the week. The walk along the river was a welcome change and gave us a sign of how much water was flowing down from the surrounding mountains as the snow melts.

We saw a few new butterflies at this site including Amasian Satyr and Great Banded Grayling. Clouded Yellows were in good numbers so I attempted to get a photo of a female in flight to show off his stunning upperwings.

Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea)

I spotted what turned out to be the only Rippart’s Anomalous Blue to be seen this early in the week.

We headed off as we still had a bit of travelling to do as the road had finally been diverted from the valley floor around Yusufeli (rebuilt on the hill-side) through a series of tunnels now they had started to flood the valley for a new reservoir. We then arrived at Barhal where we were staying for three nights.

Link to my Butterflies of Turkey Flickr site

Link to my Scenes of Turkey Flickr site

Butterflies of the Kaçkar Mountains, Turkey – Palandöken Mountains

A Greenwings trip to the Kackar Mountains in Turkey in July 2023.

There are around 380 species of butterfly found in Turkey with new ones being discovered quite regularly. I was visiting the Kaçkar Mountains known for its endemism amongst its flora and fauna and a recognised biodiversity hotspot in the eastern part of Turkey. They have been around 200 species of butterfly recorded in this region. The area is close to the southern Caucasus region being near to Georgia, Armenia and Iran and so shares some species with that area as well as many found in Europe.

To get there I flew into Istanbul and stayed overnight to get some sleep before the early morning flight to Erzurum. As I arrived around 4pm I went for a wander around the waste ground next to the hotel and quickly found a few Spotted Fritillaries both males and a stunning female.

Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)

A good start before an early night ready for an early start the next day.

Early the following morning at Istanbul airport I met some of the other trip participants who had traveled through the night.

The starting point of the trip was Erzurum a 1hr 45-minute flight from Istanbul. The area is at 2000 metres plus in the Palandöken Mountains and is a big a ski area in the winter.

The hotel we stayed in had a grass bank behind it where after our early morning arrival we headed out to see what we could find. There were flowers everywhere and many species of butterflies could be seen.

No sooner had we started on the path than an Eastern Orange-tip was seen, the only one of the trip.

Eastern Orange-tip (Anthocharis damone)

There were lots of Black-veined Whites and some Cardinals, a very large fritillary I had wanted to see. As the weather was overcast after three days of rain we got great views as they often settled. I even managed to get good views of the underside of the Cardinal with the top wing extended showing off the orange/red colour on a very fresh specimen.

Cardinal (Argynis pandora)

Another fritillary which showed well was the Niobe fritillary these in the dull wether could be seen relatively easily resting both wings open and closed.

Niobe Fritillary (Argynnis niobe)

The guide was surprised to see Pontic Blues around as they are typically seen later in the year. They were congregated around its larval foodplant.

Pontic Blue (Polyommatus coelestinus)

This was to be a theme of the trip as we saw them just about everywhere we went. They were very common not bad for a butterfly rarely seen in Europe other than in a small part of Greece.

We caught sight of the only Esper’s Marbled White we were to see on the trip.

Esper’s Marbled White (Melanargia russiae)

Behind the hotel we saw a number of other blue butterflies including Meleager’s Blue (Meleageria daphnis), Silver-studded Blue (Plebjus argus), Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus).

Meleager’s Blue (Polyommatus daphnis)

New ones for me included Aedon Blue.

Aedon Blue (Polyommatus aedon)

In the afternoon we headed up the hill a short way from the hotel and saw a number of different species including Balkan Copper which can’t be missed when it flies its flame orange wings giving it away in flight and when its wings are open, at rest.

Balkan Copper (Lycaena candens)

We also caught site of a lovely fresh Lesser Fiery Copper in the same area around the water. As it turns out this was the only sighting during the week.

Lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon)

The final site of the first day was a short drive in the bus to a site on the eastern side of Erzurum here we saw many more Cardinals, a first sighting of Loew’s Blue and Eastern Brown Argus.

Loew’s Blue (Plebjus loewii)

Eastern Brown Argus (Plebjus eurypilus)

We headed back to the hotel in Erzurum at the end of the day having recorded 49 species of butterfly many of which were lifers for me.

Flickr site Butterflies of Turkey

Flickr site Scenes of Turkey

Northern Brown Argus – Wharfedale, North Yorkshire

The Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes) in Yorkshire is quite different in its markings from those found further north from County Durham and beyond. A hotspot to see them is in Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. I was keen to photograph them so needed some cooler weather with intermittent sun. I consulted with our local butterfly recorder and kept an eye on the weather. A three or four hour window looked promising in the afternoon so I headed out to Conistone and parking on the bridge Grid Ref. SD979675

Here we met up and started on the walk up to Dib Scar walking through a number of fields containing vast quantities of Common Rock-rose, the larval food plant of the Northern Brown Argus.

Dib Scar

You could see across the valley a belt of yellow for quite some distance. The habitat appears to be in great condition due to the reduced grazing regime the area is now seeing. We sat eating lunch as the first shafts of sunlight started to appear. We finished lunch and headed back to a patch of Rock-rose. It was noticeably a degree or two warmer now, the cloud was thinning and sure enough we got our first glimpse of a Northern Brown Argus it’s dark silvery grey colour showing up against the green background of vegetation. With it being still quite cool the butterfly soon landed and I managed both closed and open wing shots much to my delight.

Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes)

We continued along the footpath around the top of Dib Scar and into Bastow Wood.

Just before we reached the boundary we caught sight of two males battling over a female. One chasing the other off. Then went to sit on a nearby piece of bracken wings fully open.

Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes)

We continued on into Bastow Wood which in parts is very open with small clear areas containing Common Rock-rose. At many of them we saw the butterfly along with the Cistus Forester moth.

Grassington in the distance

The sheer quantity of Rock-rose was amazing the golden yellow showing everywhere. This meant many more Northern Brown Argus sightings but now the wether was warming and the sun appearing the butterflies where getting much more flighty and did not sit still until a cloud shaded the sun.

Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes)

We slowly headed back after entering Lea Green having witnessed some amazing views of the Northern Brown Argus.

Lea Green

We headed above Bastow Wood to walk along part of the Dalesway footpath back to Conistone.

Dalesway Footpath

I can throughly recommend this site, from mid August it is a great place to see the Dark Green Fritillary and the Scotch Argus.

You can park on Conistone Bridge and walk up to Dib Scar, Bastow Wood and Lea Green and return the same way or drop down into Bastow Wood and return via the road to Conistone.

Brown Hairstreak – Morton Stanley Park, Redditch, Worcestershire

I grew up living across the road from Morton Stanley Park. I don’t know how many times I have walked around this park in the past 40 or so years. To now seeing it being a place where over the winter of 2021/22 more than 300 Brown Hairstreak Eggs were found is quite marvellous.
The eggs were found on almost all patches of Blackthorn but the main concentrations were found on the south facing blackthorn bushes south of the car park at Grid Ref SP0293965280 and can be reached by following the sign to Partridge Lane. They were also found in good numbers and on the south and west facing blackthorn bushes around Grid Ref. SP02522 65477. These Blackthorn hedges have been managed now for more than 8 years and that work is now reaping the benefits as the Brown Hairstreak continues to expand its range in Worcestershire. This site may now even exceed the usual go to site of Grafton Wood as the place to see Brown Hairstreaks in the future. The park benefits from very easy access to the sightings areas, good car parking and now a recently opened cafe.

A number of Brown Hairstreak sightings had been reported from early August onwards with the flight period normally expected to last until at least the end of September. I walked across the road and headed into the park i had only just entered the park and I saw a female Brown Hairstreak fly over me and land in a Field maple tree to the left of the footpath just north of the Cafe.

Whilst walking around the park seeking further Brown Hairstreaks I met two Brown Hairstreak egg hunters who have been doing a marvellous job recording the great numbers of eggs over the previous winter. We stood and chatted for a while about all things Butterflies. They had managed to find a few eggs which been laid this summer and pointed me in the direction. It did not take long for me to get my eye in and I soon found my first egg sat in the joint of a relatively young stem of Blackthorn. These eggs are so intricate looking like the head of a dahlia.

The success of this butterfly now being routinely recorded from its eggs and now being seen more frequently by people in the park is testament to the work of the conservation volunteers who have helped shape this landscape over the past few years, the benefits are now there for all to see.

The most recent sightings of adults and largest numbers of Blackthorn plants and therefore eggs are highlighted by red lines in the image below.

Chalk Hill Blue – Prestbury Hill Butterfly Reserve, Cheltenham

We were staying in the Cotswolds for a few days so headed over to Prestbury Hill Butterfly Reserve. This reserve has two areas of limestone grassland, high on the Cotswold scarp slope, east of Cheltenham. There are marvellous views across the Severn Vale and beyond.

The 31 hectare reserve has a very rich mix of limestone and neutral grassland types, with small areas of heath where thin deposits of ancient windblown sands overlie the Oolitic limestone. The southern half of the reserve, known as the Bill Smyllie Reserve, extends southwards as a narrow valley containing thickets of scrub. It is separated by a beech plantation from the northern half of the reserve, known as the Masts Field, which is within the Cleeve Common Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

We parked in the upper car park at the end of the road closest to the three masts. All the way up the dead-end road are ad-hoc car parking spots. There a couple of official car parks on the right hand-side of the road. We entered Masts Field via one of the entrance nearest to the car park. There are numerous footpaths in the reserve. It was not long after we entered we saw the first Chalk Hill Blue, the pale blue of the males upper wings giving it away.

The whole areas had numerous Thrift and Knapweed plants in flower and many Chalk Hill Blues were seen, mostly males. They exposed parts can be quite wind swept so head fo the less exposed areas to have a better chance of witnessing the butterflies at rest.

A reserve well worth visiting as they have recorded 30 species of butterfly including the Duke of Burgundy, Green Hairstreak and Small Blue at the right time of the year.

Butterflies of Greece – Mt Parnassos

I visited southern Greece in June of 2022 on an organized trip with Greenwings. The trip was based in two areas, the first around Mt Parnassos staying in the ancient town of Delphi, which is 2.5 hours north west of Athens and the second south of the Gulf of Corinth around Mt Chelmos staying in Kalavryta. These two areas are real hotspots for butterflies in Europe. Greece has 235 species of butterflies recognized.

The weather all week was ideal with some sunshine and cloud to prevent the butterflies being too active.

We spent three days staying in Delphi and exploring the mountains around Mt Parnassos. A few of the stops were just roadsides with a rough track running off them. They were all rich in butterflies. The first stop yielded Ilex Hairstreak, Clouded Yellow, Balkan Marbled White, Brown Argus, Chapman’s Blue and Eastern Bath White.

Balkan Marbled White (Melanargia larissa)

We headed down the mountainside to a green meadow area which was full of butterflies. The first Queen of Spain Fritillary was found.

Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)

Another species of Fritillary the Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma) was also found in small numbers.

In the same meadow we got excellent views of the Clouded Apollo (Parnassius Mnemosyne) a member of the Swallowtail family.

Also Eastern Bath Whites were around in good numbers.

There were numerous Silver-studded Blues also visible.

Whilst up at altitude we located a single Mountain Argus and a Blue Argus.

Mountain Argus (Aricia artaxerces allous)

Many species of Blue (Lycenidea’s) butterfly were seen and telling them apart became quite a challenge at times. Thankfully we had an expert guide Dr Simon Spencer who helped with this.

There were Mazarine Blue’s which was once found in the UK. Along with Chapman’s Blue and Zephyr Blue.

I was walking around the meadow when a large burnt orange coloured butterfly caught my eye resting on the ground. It was unmistakably a Large Tortoiseshell the first of many we were to see during the week.

Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)

We made a short trip on the third day to the ancient ruins at Delphi.

We were greeted almost immediately by a Large Wall Brown resting on one of the ancient walls. Amongst the ruins several other butterflies were seen including Balkan Grayling, Mallow Skipper, Cleopatra and Southern Comma.

We were leaving the ruins at Delphi when a Southern White Admiral landed in a tree just next to the exit. It sat for a while giving me great views of the inky blue iridescence of its wings before take a short flight and landing back in the same location.

Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)

In the afternoon we headed to a lush green meadow.

Here we got excellent views of Eastern Bath Whites, Grizzled and Oberthur’s Grizzled Skipper.

Oberthur’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus)

A female Fiery Copper was found egg-laying on the edge of a track.

This site gave us the opportunity to compare Clouded Yellows and Greek Clouded Yellows which are distinguished by their darker orange colouring and pinkish tinge to their forewings.

The following day we packed up to head to our second base in the Mt Chelmos area. Our first stop was only a short drive from our hotel. Blue Spot Hairstreaks and Lesser Spotted Fritillaries were found at this road side stop.

Lesser Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia)

The primary target for this stop was the Grass Jewel probably the smallest butterfly in Europe with a wingspan of only 8 to 12mm. It was not long before our guide found a number of fresh examples of this diminutive little butterfly found more commonly on the African continent.

We left this site having got excellent views of the Grass Jewel and we headed for lunch at Galaxidi. On arrival we went for a wander where we got our best views of the Scarce Swallowtail of the whole trip.

Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)

Butterflies of Greece – Mt Chelmos

We made one further stop in a lay-by on the way to Kalavryta the base for the second half of the trip in the surrounds of Mt Chelmos. At this stop there was bramble in flower and there were numerous Hairstreak, Ilex, Sloe and White-letter nectaring on the brambles.

White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album)

There was also several blues including the Turquoise Blue, Holly Blue, Long-tailed Blue and Lang’s short-tailed Blue plus a solitary Pygmy Skipper .

Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)

One of the group found a sap run on a nearby tree and this had attracted a number of Large tortoiseshells, Great banded Graylings, Lattice Browns

We arrived in Kalavryta and settled into our hotel.

In meadows nearby we got good views of the Black-veined White another species which was once a UK resident.

Also Large Tortoiseshells were seen basking in the warming sun.

We caught sight of a Meleager’s Blue the only one see on the holiday with its scalloped wings.

We witnessed several Long-tailed Blues egg laying.

We then headed higher up the mountain side to a very special location. This is the only site where the Odd-Spot Blue (Turanana endymion) probably the rarest butterfly in Europe with just two hectares of habitat left can be found. This butterfly is much collected and so is at risk of extinction. The weather was cold and windy but after sometime a pristine Odd-Spot Blue was found and it stayed put for everyone to get a good view of it. A real pleasure to see such a rare butterfly but its lack of range and collecting makes me fear for its future existence.

Acantholimon androsaceum larval foodplant of Odd-Spot Blue

Our final stop of the day saw us park up a way down the mountain and walk along a track. As soon as we stopped numerous Sloe and Ilex Hairstreaks Ilex, could be seen nectaring. Anomalous Blues were also found.

Walking along the track we entered one of the fields and were greeted by what looked like a tiny fireball. It didn’t settle at first then I saw it land in a tree back towards the path where we got good views of a stunning male Grecian Copper. An image of the female is also shown.

Grecian Copper (Lycaena ottomana) female

The following morning we headed down to the coast and to the Vouraikos Gorge near Diakoptou.

The target butterfly here was the Two-tailed Pasha. A large butterfly and the only representative of the Charaxes family to be found in Europe. The butterfly was lured in with fermented banana dosed with a little Ouzo for good measure. Within minutes the first Two-tailed Pasha had been enticed in but it did not hang around for long. We decided to give it some time and went for a walk along the river. Here we saw the European race (Papilio machaon sub species gorganus) of the Swallowtail which sometimes finds its way onto our shores in the UK.

Heading back to the baited area several Two-tailed Pashas were now in the vicinity and were coming down to the banana affording excellent views of the underside of this beautiful butterfly.

We left the Two-tailed Pasha’s and headed back up the mountain. We stopped in a small layby and began seeking out butterflies, the only new species found for the trip was a Purple Hairstreak.

Next we went to Mega Spilaio monastery where no sooner had we got out of the bus than a new species for the trip was found a Grecian Anomalous Blue which was taking in water and minerals in the car park.

Grecian Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus aroaniensis)

This same butterfly remained in the same location for the entirety of our stay. Several Ilex and Slow Hairstreaks we seen nectaring but not much other than a Dice Snake which gave us something different to see.

We made one last stop on the way back to the hotel it was impromptu as we had to slow down to rescue a Spur-thighed Tortoise. We parked up and placed the Tortoise in a safer place and started o explore the area. It proved to have many species of butterfly including Brown Argus, Long-tailed Blue, Eschers’ Blue, Anomalous Blue, Sooty Copper and Hungarian Skipper.

Eschers Blue (Polyommatus escheri ssp. dalamatica)

We decided that the site was so good we would visit it early the following morning to see what had been roosting. This gave us the chance to see several species again with wings closed.

We then headed to a new site alongside a river. Here we got good views of a couple of Silver-washed Fritillaries and a beautiful pair of Sooty Coppers.

We returned to the site of the Grecian Copper and we got a very different set of butterflies. The dominant ones were Brimstone and Cleopatra. The two look quite alike until the male Cleopatra takes flight and you see a beautiful orange colour in the fore-wing.

Final instar caterpillars of the Swallowtail (Papilio machaon gorganus) were found on a number of the the fennel plants.

We had seen very little puddling activity on this trip and our guides continued to seek out possible locations. When we finally found a damp area of track there were very few butterflies. We did however get to see a Nettle Tree butterfly taking on minerals and water from the very small area of damp ground we found.

We headed back to the hotel before heading out for our final nights dinner we had seen 99 species of butterflies seen on the trip. A wonderful trip nearly all the butterflies we saw were in a very fresh condition and the weather most of the time was perfect for photographing butterflies.

More photos can be found on my Butterflies of Greece Flickr site and more photos of the scenery on Greece.

Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon) – Bindon Hill, Lulworth Cove, Dorset.

I had been told that I would find them on Bindon Hill which sits overlooking Lulworth Cove. Being called the Lulworth Skipper in the UK, I thought I should look to find them here. I chose to get to Bindon Hill by walking down into Lulworth Cove all the way around to the eastern edge and then headed up a rough footpath which gives you great views back into Lulworth Cove. This photo was taken at Grid Ref. SY 82828 79738.

I now headed north following a well-worn footpath which gradually started to ascend on the east side of the Cove. Grid Ref SY8286180021. The path has a number of installed steps to make the going easier. The footpath reaches a fence which to the right is an MOD firing range. I started to see a few Lulworth Skippers at this point mostly males looking very dark olive in colour with no discernable markings. The steep path continues up the steps until you reach a fence which is passed through via a gate at Grid Ref. SY8288580133 where you join the Coast path.

Lulworth Skipper (*Thymelicus acteon*) – male

I started to see more and more Lulworth Skippers they seemed particularly fond of the Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare). At one point I came across a single Vipers Bugloss plant which must have had twenty Lulworth Skippers on and at least if not more Six-spot Burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae).

I continued to find more and more Lulworth Skippers as I followed the path back to Lulworth Cove.

It was quite breezy but as I continued to descend, I found a very still area around Grid Ref. SY82315 80152. Here I found Brown Argus, Small Blue, Adonis Blue, Common Blue, Marbled White, Small Heath, a Silver-washed Fritillary and of course still lots of Lulworth Skippers plus a few large Skippers and a couple of Dingy Skippers.
The Coast footpath comes down at Grid Ref. SY8238380440. It appears the Coast path has been diverted meaning a slightly longer trip from Lulworth Cove than I has expecting. The path then drops down to the main road from Bindon Road to Lulworth Cove at Grid Ref. SY82319 80508.

I then walked back to Lulworth Cove for a well deserved ice cream having now seen all 59 of the resident species of butterflies found in the UK.