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One of the reasons I wanted to visit the Röhn area was to catch* the Clouded Apollo before becoming extinct in this area. I only knew two higher locations but as the temperatures were low before our trip the chance to find them was low. I learned that there was a secret kept location on a lower part but I really didn't know where. The first days after arrival I visited the higher locations but there was no sings of a Clouded Apollo or any other butterflies. Long story short....after one week I found a good clue on the internet and finally I found the place with at least 10 flying Clouded Apollos! And as icing on the cake one Clouded Apollo was sitting on a flower near the path.  Parnassius mnemosyne - Clouded Apollo - Röhn I was very happy and started to photograph this butterfly but after a few minutes I noticed that something was wrong. Although the butterfly was drinking nectar he could not fly. I walked around and when I came back he was still sitting on that flower....not a good sign but fortunately there were some other Clouded Apollo's flying around.
The next day I returned and this butterfly was still sitting next the path and on the path I found a dead fresh Clouded Apollo....not a good sign! I placed the butterfly on an other flower and he immediately started drinking. I guess that the area has too few nectar plants that some butterflies are starving.
Although I found this rare species I was not in happy mood and I guess that they will disappear if nothing happens.
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For years the Röhn region in central Germany was on my wishing list for butterflies; normally I visit the Eifel at this time of the year. Last year the amount of butterflies was disappointing low in the Eifel that I booked a hotel in the Röhn area for one week in May/June this year....I wanted more butterflies! The first morning we visited a nature reserve nearby but we couldn't find roosting butterflies, as it was the first day I had good hope that the situation would change.  During the week we visited a lot of nature areas in every corner of the Röhn but no meadows with fluttering butterflies. Sometimes one or two butterflies were flying around and that's it. One day we came back from an area and next to a small road a lot of common sainfoin was growing/flowering and finally I saw a lot of fluttering butterflies. The next morning we visited this small area next to the road again and found the first roosting butterfly: a green-underside blue!
On a sunny hillside we discovered a small area with a lot of flowers including common sainfoin again and three mornings I tried there to catch some blue species with open wings which was not easy due to the heavy wind. On Saturday, the day of our departure, a Chapman's Blue was very cooperative and did not fly away immediately. Although we counted 33 butterfly species during our stay, I only found 7 species/12 butterflies roosting, the absence of butterflies is frightening!  Chapman's Blue |
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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