Description

Join us in the French Pyrenees for Violet Copper, Spanish Fritillary, and a feast of other superb spring butterflies!

The eastern French Pyrénées (Les Pyrénées Orientales in French) lie along the French border with Spain and Andorra. They are the eastern part of the chain of mountains linking the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean Sea and were once part of Spain.  The dominant climatic influence of the Eastern Pyrenees is the Mediterranean; the climate is warmer and the days sunnier than elsewhere in the Pyrenees.

The butterflies that we can find are a beautiful mix of interesting and colourful species. Because of the proximity to Spain (and we shall also enter Spain on at least one of our days), we will find many of the species more commonly associated there like Spanish Fritillary and Spanish Festoon, Spanish Gatekeeper and Spanish Marbled White and many spring time butterflies. We also have a particular target species that we’ll focus on finding and showing you – the stunning Violet Copper! Our guide is an expert on this species and has been studying and helping with its conservation for 30+ years. Under his guidance you will not only see this beautiful butterfly, but you will learn all about its ecology as well (including an illustrated talk given at the hotel at some point during the week).

There are many other butterflies we can find and these include Apollo, Clouded Apollo, Southern Scarce Swallowtail, Marsh Fritillary (subspecies beckeri), Provençal Fritillary, Weaver’s Fritillary, Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, False Heath Fritillary, Provence Orange Tip, Mountain Small White, Western Dappled White, Mountain Dappled White, Map Butterfly, Duke of Burgundy Fritillary, Cardinal, Southern White Admiral, Chequered Blue, Osiris Blue, Chapman’s Blue, Amanda’s Blue, Provençal Short-tailed Blue, Provence Chalkhill Blue, Green Underside Blue, Turquoise Blue,Geranium Argus, Sooty Copper, Pearly Heath, De Prunner’s Ringlet, Bright-eyed Ringlet, Red-underwing Skipper and Olive Skipper, are just a few of the other butterflies we will see.

Our base for the week will be in a charming village hotel with a family atmosphere.. The area boasts a wide variety of habitats, from Mediterranean garigue and maquis, through holm (Quercus ilex) and downy oak (Q. pubescens), beech woods, calcareous grasslands and alpine screes. The Mediterranean area will host orchids and other typical plants such as Galactites tomentosa, Aphyllanthes monspeliensis, Helianthemum, Salvia and other Labiates. The woods higher up host a different set of orchids such as Epipactis, Limodorum abortivum, Cephalanthera longifolia, Corallorhiza trifida, Platanthera and Orchis militaris. The subalpine areas are natural rock gardens festooned with Saxifrages, Sempervivums, Globularias, Saponaria ocymoides, Dianthus, Gentians, rampions, Aster alpinus and  Rhododendron ferrugineu.

We look forward to welcoming you on what promises to be a fantastic tour!