Highlights of 2023.

Two highlights stand out during the 2023 season. One of them is the return of the Long-tailed Blue to my garden.I have had several visits of this species in the past attracted by the Everlasting Pea plants that grow in the borders.These visits have been during the latter part of August,but this year a female turned up on the 27th June.She stayed for a while and egg laided on various  flower buds.Although I was not fortunate enough to witness the any offspring ,I am confident that homegrown Long-tailed Blues ensued.

The other is a holiday in the Greek Islands,the first visit I have made since the pandemic.We spent a very pleasant fortnight on the island of Rhodes,close to the coast at Kiotari. A few weeks later this area was ravaged by wildfires and the brown and greens of the countryside were turned black.The result of the fires at the spot of our accomodation can be seen in the photo below taken from drone footage.I am glad to say that the villa where we stayed looks as though it survived the fires.

Among the butterflies encountered around the village of Kiotari were The Aegean Meadow Brown,the Pygmy Skipper,together with the Small and Lulworth Skipper. A great delight was the visit a Two-tailed Pasha on several occasions to nectar from a can of Mythos lager.

What is that Skipper?

A butterfly encountered on numerous occasions during my wanders along the tracks around our holiday base were skippers. All attracted to the roadside flowering plants and the garden flowers. There are records of three species of skipper on Rhodes,however the one I was hoping to see was the Laventine Skipper Thymelicus hyrax, which is restricted  to a few eastern Aegean Islands, although there are a couple of regions in mainland Greece where they can be found.The other two species on Rhodes are the Lulworth Skipper Thymelicus acteon and  T. sylvestris the Small Skipper.

All are difficult to identify,at least for me, so I thought it wise to consult an expert  on my return home. The result was not what I had hoped for and the Levantine Skipper was not among the photographs I had taken. Still,I had managed to photograph the remaining two species and they can be seen below,duly captioned. 

Lulworth Skipper

Small Skipper

Lulworth Skipper

Lulworth Skipper

Lulworth or Small Skipper

Very Small and Very Fast.

This diminutive skipper was seen in the garden of our holiday accommodation on Meganisi.Its flight was fast and sometimes difficult to track.The butterfly is the Lulworth Skipper Thymelicus acteon the smallest of our 'golden skippers'. The English name of course refers to the only location in the UK where this species is found. 

Butterflies on Meganisi.

In fact, butterflies encountered within a short distance of our accommodation within a stones throw of the clifftop village of Spartachori.The Island of Meganisi is situated close to Lefkada in the Ionian Islands off the west coast of mainland Greece.The surrounding landscape is one of massive limestone boulders incorporated into small 'paddocks' where there are stone walls and olive trees.The very rural conditions are supplemented by goats,chickens, and the odd cow.Butterflies are numerous and can be observed flying through the rock strewn groves and along the narrow country lanes and tracks.
The village of Spartachori is perched on a cliff overlooking the bay of Spilia.It is a very traditional and pretty village with narrow streets and picturesque houses.It is also an excellent place to see butterflies.They are attracted to the colourful flowers that cascade from the walls and buildings.The Southern Comma pictured below was seen basking in the warm on a paved street.
Other butterflies recorded in and out of the village were Eastern Dappled White,Painted Lady,Southern White Admiral,Cleopatra,Southern Swallowtail,Clouded Yellow,Scarce Swallowtail,Two-tailed Pasha,Geranium Bronze,Lulworth Skipper,Brown Argus,Wall , and a Large Tortoiseshell observed outside our villa and settling just long enough to be identified before flying on up the lane.

Favourite Find of 2016.

The 2016  butterfly season in the UK has been disappointing with sightings down on recent years.The results of The Big Butterfly Count can be viewed here.I have found this trend too on my forays around the Isle of Wight this year.A noticeable lack of butterfly numbers in the common species that I would expect to see doing well as our summer  had good spells of warm,even hot weather.

I was pleased to see that the Newport town centre White-letter Hairstreaks were back on the elm tree where they were discovered in 2015.Along our southern seaside cliffs the Glanville Fritillaries seem to have had a good season too.

During my two visits to the Greek Islands in 2016 I had the treat of  seeing several Lang's Short-tailed Blues and that import from South Africa,the Geranium Bronze which has now spread all along the Mediterranean coast from Spain to Greece.An unexpected sighting was a colony of Lulworth Skippers among the wild flowers of an olive grove on Greek Island of Lefkada.A rare butterfly in the UK,only seen on the coastal cliff tops of Dorset.

However my favourite find was during May when a trip was made across the Solent to the New Forest in Hampshire to see the beautiful Pearl-bordered Fritillary.Now alas,gone from the Island since 2011 due to a lack of sustainable habitat at its last location in Parkhurst Forest.The particular New Forest inclosure visited on that day was named New Copse and despite the rather cloudy weather there were good numbers of these fritillaries on the wing.The habitat here is well managed  for the needs of the Pearl-bordered.

  

An Unexpected Treat.

After several visits to the Greek Islands and encountering the butterflies that are in the vicinity of our holiday homes,I have learnt to be aware that a 'blue' may not be just another Common Blue or a 'skipper'.just another Large or Small Skipper. This proved so following a trip to Lefkada at the end of May this year.In  a nearby olive grove dispersed with wild flowers and long scrubby grasses there were many skippers busily buzzing about.If the opportunity presents itself, it is a good idea to take some photos just in case I have stumbled upon something more interesting than 'just another skipper'.

That is where I left it until thankfully a fellow butterfly enthusiast advised me that my skippers were Thymelicus acteon or the Lulworth Skipper as it is commonly called in the UK.This species is not widespread in Britain,in fact it only occurs along the south facing grassy cliffs of Dorset.In continental Euorpe however it is found  throughout and tends to be more common in the south including the Balkans.

Under The Olive Trees.

Find an olive grove carpeted in wildflowers on any Greek Island  and it is certain that a good selection of butterflies will be encountered.The mix of butterflies may depend on the altitude, and the particular spot I came across on Lefkada recently was at sea level.The dominant species were Common Blue along with  a favourite of mine, the Clouded Yellow.Other butterflies included Small Copper,Meadow Brown,Brown Argus,Painted Lady,and various Whites.The dark Small Copper below is apparently a form commonly seen in Greece.