The good, the bad and the .....

The good....7 or 8 years ago I visited an area to find the Scarce Large Blue but without any success. Very spontaneously, yesterday in the afternoon I decided to pay that area a visit again. Normally I avoid visits on Sunday but as the next holiday is coming soon, I took this opportunity and together with Bas Mandos we left early this morning. Passing the first fields we noticed a beautiful red fox.

Despite the bad weather during the night we made the right choice as immediately after entering the area we found the first Scarce Large Blues on Great Burnet (the larval foodplant). Due to the warm weather (at 04.30 it was 19 degrees) the first butterfly flew away. Fortunately the others were more cooperative and the more we photographed the more we found; at least between 30 and 40 butterflies!

Next to this special species with its special requirements (larval foodplant together with ants) a lot of other butterflies were resting and/or flying around in this beautiful area.

The bad.....yesterday evening I visited the heath area where a small population of the Alcon Blue lived for years. The larval foodplant of the Alcon Blue is the Marsh Gentian and last year I noticed that almost all Gentian plants were gone. This year not one single Gentian or Alcon Blue. 

Except the wind, the temperature and the biting mosquitoes , the conditions were perfect. One butterfly was sitting on a flower and as the sun came out I waited and waited for a photo with open/blue wings but unfortunately none of the butterflies were opening their wings. 

The ugly.....it's me when I'm looking into the mirror....weeks with not much sleep have left its marks.