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I'm back in the Netherlands and since days I'm very busy removing the weeds around my house. Five weeks vacation means a lot of work ;-). Exactely one week ago, I was at my favorite Aosta spot and I found a fresh Turquoise Blue which was roosting on Black Rampion. I took some photos with closed wings and searched for other roosting butterflies. Two hours later it was time to return to this butterfly as I wanted to catch him with open wings. When the sun came over the edge this little beauty opened his wings and it became clear why his name is "Turquoise Blue".  Turquoise Blue - Polyommatus dorylas That day I also found a freshly emerged Scarce Copper and Damon Blue and I wished I could have stayed another week. The counter remains at 96 butterfly species, not bad but I missed at least 10 other species.
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The last week of my Aosta trip has started. I’m here now for four weeks and until now I counted 86 butterfly species. I still miss a lot (mostly blue) species. Very slowly it’s getting warmer but finding roosting butterflies early in the morning is still hard working. Normally around the accommodation there are always roosting butterflies/nice species to find but now it seems to be ‘off season’ and it took until yesterday before I spot the first Apollo. This morning we visited on other valley than usual and after a long walk we entered the world of the Glandon Blue. Actually I was hoping/searching for the Alpine Blue but unfortunately we did not find this species; instead we found at least 15 Glandon Blues. The majority of the Glandon Blues were roosting on Alpine Cat’s tail (phleum alpinum) and photographing them on this plant was due to the heavy wind almost impossible.
Fortunately I found two Glandon Blues roosting on other (with a thicker stem) plants. As the sun almost touched the mountain edge I choose the butterfly with the purple flower in the hope that it was male. Very quickly the sun came over the edge and within a minute the complete flower field was sunny; the butterfly next to me opened the wings first….it was a brown female. After two minutes ‘my’ butterfly opened the wings and it was a male….I created some shadow and he allowed me some images before he left.
Maybe in a few days I will return to this place as photographing the Alpine Blue again is on my wishing list for years.
My wish list for Aosta included three things: the Iolas Blue, the caterpillar of the Piedmont anomalous Blue and the caterpillar of the Apollo. One and a half week ago I visited the hotspot of the Piedmont anomalous Blue and very soon I noticed three ants on Sainfoin and when I looked closer I saw a beautiful caterpillar. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me so I had to get it first...when I returned one ant was still protecting the caterpillar. As no image of the caterpillar of this species was available on internet, nor in books, I contacted one of the researchers of this species and she confirmed that this was the caterpillar of the Piedmont anomalous Blue.  Larvae polyommatus humedasae - caterpillar Piedmont anomalous blue I was very happy that I found the caterpillar of this species and with the confirmation I also knew that I photographed this caterpillar before in 2021.
The first week Aosta has passed by very quickly and until now we counted 40 butterfly species. Summer temperatures needs to rise and summer species still needs to emerge; a few days ago I saw in a higher area some fresh Orange-tips flying. But, I will not complain as I have no ‘choice stress’ and we often visited the area of the Iolas Blue as I wanted some decent photos of this species. On Wednesday we also visited this area after breakfast but all butterflies in this area were already flying around. I noticed a male Iolas Blue and dropped my camera bag on the path when suddenly a black snake crawled next to my bag. The first snake I have ever seen in Aosta, I was too much flabbergasted that I forgot to use my binoculars but I guess that it was a dark Western Whip Snake. No photos of the Iolas Blue as the sun was shining and they were flying around without resting. Yesterday, after two days of rain, we visited this area again and found a roosting Iolas Blue (I guess that she was surprised by the rain on Friday as between the showers the sun was shining shortly).  Female Ioloas Blue - Iolana iolas Unfortunately she was sitting on a spot with the longest shadow….so I waited three hours before she opened her wings. Although I plamped the twig of her larval foodplant, the heavy wind blowed her up and down during three hours and taking pictures with open wings was a kind of mission impossible.
Sitting three hours in the shadow and waiting for the sun was also not convenient for the cold I already have for weeks. So next week we're going to take it easy.
Yesterday evening we arrived in Aosta and after we unpacked the car we immediately went out, looking for butterflies. The meadows are full with alpine flowers but the butterfly season has yet to start. As we were tired after the long drive yesterday, I did not set my alarm clock this morning and after a cup of coffee we went out, not expecting much.
Two Green-underside Blues were roosting on Common Sainfoin and one of the Almond ringlets was sitting on a flower instead of low in the grass. As there were not much other butterflies we made plans to visit an other area after breakfast with the hope to find a new species: the Iolas Blue. This species flies on the southern slopes of the mountains. After we entered the area we spotted the first big blue butterfly and it became clear that it was not going to be easy as it is a powerful flyer, the slopes are steep and there are not many of this species. Long story short, one male and female were resting for a short time and I found an egg.....not bad for the first day in Aosta.
We will definitely visit this area again!
It's almost four weeks ago that I have left Italy. The last week I stayed in a more alpine area than the other valleys but due to the drought and hot temperatures a lot of alpine species were not flying or already gone. On the yellow flowering arnica montana I found one roosting butterfly the first morning....the other six days the flower buds were empty....no roosting fritillaries unfortunately.  There were plenty of butterflies, the majority were erebia's and skippers. Erebia's are very nervous 'bastards' especially when there are not covered with dew. There were a lot of different erebia species flying at day but finding them roosting was an other thing, especially the species which I liked to 'catch' like the ones with a metallic sheen.
 Lesser Mountain Ringlet - Erebia melampus As I did not catch the erbia species with open wings I need to go back to Aosta a fourth time!!!
In one of the Aosta valleys lives a very rare little brown butterfly of the blue family (Lycaenidae): the Piedmont Anomalous Blue (polyommatus humedasae). This little butterfly is endemic to Italy/Aosta. Like in 2020 and 2021 I payed a visit to the hotspot of this species. First, I was shocked how dry and and brown this spot was; I found some butterflies but not the species and amounts of the two former years. Secondly I noticed that a lot of Piedmont Anomalous Blues were numbered and searching for this species felt like a kind of bingo game!
During our first visit at day we found number 10, 70, 87 and two not numbered species on the main path. On our second visit we found number 6, 33, 38, 51 and 99 and again some not numbered species; all around/at the main path. Interesting was that number 38 was roosting far away from the other butterflies.
We had plans to return a third time this morning to get a full bingo card with hundred numbers but it was too warm during the last two nights that they will fly away immediately. But, the most remarkable thing is that I found this rare species on an other spot! Out of the blue there was sitting a beautiful Piedmont Anomalous Blue in front of me, what a nice bingo price:  Piedmont Anomalous Blue - Polyommatus humedasae I also saw a second one so I guess that there is a very small population on this spot.
In the meantime we have left the Mont Blanc view accommodation and moved in into an other beautiful place/valley at 1750 meters with 29 degrees in the shadow! Again I'm in the Aosta - Gran Paradiso region at the moment as this region is perfect for a butterfly and nature lover like me. Comparing to other years it is very dry and instead of pink bog and sainfoin the meadows and borders are brown. Near rivers and creeks fortunately it's not too bad. Unlike other years I have booked four different accommodations in three different valleys. Our first accommodation was a small farm at the end of the valley from which we could walk to different butterfly spots.
On the last day of our stay at the first accommodation/valley I could photograph the very rare Cranberry Blue in a kind of moor area. After five days Aosta - Gran Paradiso I counted more than 60 different butterfly species in one valley!  Cranberry Blue Yesterday I arrived at the second accommodation, a well-known place as I have been here twice before with Gerard & Frank. With a delicious cup of coffee and a fantastic Mont Blanc view I'm writing this first Aosta blog....watching the butterflies crossing the terrace.  Since days we have one storm after the other in The Netherlands. Eunice was a very heavy storm and in the evening I heard a tree falling down near the house. It was an old oak which had lost the majority of its top. After storm Eunice was gone I was out to see the damage and....to search for eggs of the Purple Hairstreak. Within one hour search I found 10 eggs on branches that lay on the ground.  Purple Hairstreak Unfortunately today it's too wet and stormy again outside to search for more butterfly eggs so I started to make plans and reservations for some butterfly trips this year. Again I will visit the Aosta - Gran Paradiso region this summer.....I can't wait to go back to this lovely mountain area and search alpine butterfly species.
It's almost time to say goodbye to 2021. Due to the pandemic my childeren missed for the second year in row a lot of school lessons and for my daughter it was in juli very exciting if she would pass her exam. Fortunately she graduated from high-school! Again the pandemic caused for a lot travel restrictions but luckily I was able to visit my house in the Vosges during the butterfly season and together with Frank & Gerard I made a trip to the Aosta valley region. 2021 was also a year of personal changes and farewells. Now I'm ready for 2022! I'm looking forward to new butterfly trips and positive energy! If possible, I would like to travel a few weeks during the summer trough the Aosta valley and other mountain area's. So fingers crossed that my 'boss' will be cooperative!  Aosta 2021 together with Frank & Gerard (© Gerard Jordan) I wish you all a very happy, healthy and positive 2022!
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Jibt dir dit Leben mal een Buff, denn weene keene Träne. Lach Dir'n Ast und setz Dir druff und baumle mit de Beene.
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