Photo from the garden

After the summer holidays there really isn't much time left to take photos. Even in the Netherlands I don't do anything except try something in my backyard every now and then. This does not produce many special results, except for the Peacock Eye - Inachis io below. I think it turned out to be a beautiful picture because of the colors and sharpness. The pink color is a cloth that happens to be in the background of the photo. It gives a slightly different effect to the photo.

Inachis io
Inachis io



Summerholiday end july/august in the South of France (Corona)

It is the middle of the Corona time, but we are still going to the South of France with the tent. We don't have a real plan, but we first drive towards Ardeche. Because few people dare to go on holiday, it is wonderfully quiet everywhere, I always liked it that way. We pitched our tent at Camping du Pont d'Arc, which turned out to be a great choice. (We have now found out that this campsite no longer exists, and it will become a parking lot for the enormous amount of tourists) In fact, it is so quiet that by the end of the day you will be completely alone at Le Pont d'Arc.

Le Pont d'Arc
Le Pont d'Arc

Many special butterflies cannot be found here, and most species I have seen so many times that I don't pay attention to them. Until a large brown butterfly happens to sit on the stand. It turns out to be a Hipparchia fidia, a species I have never seen before. The butterfly sits down quietly to drink, which gives me enough time to pack my things and take a nice photo.

Hipparchia fidia
Hipparchia fidia

A few days later we drive a little further towards the south-east, we have never been here and are not familiar with it. It is not very special, and there is not much to be found when it comes to butterflies. The only photo I take is of an accidental Melitaea deione. Still very nice, because the last time I saw this species was almost 20 years ago.

Melitaea deione
Melitaea deione

Then we drive on to the east of France and here the weather becomes very beautiful. We find a beautiful campsite in the middle of nature along a fast-flowing river. It's still bizarre how quiet it is everywhere, and at the campsite we can pitch the tent anywhere because there is no one there.

Camping during Corona
Camping during Corona

From this campsite we make several beautiful trips, including my favorite destination, the "Col de Bonette".

Together on the Col de Bonette
Together on the Col de Bonette

At an altitude of 2715 meters, this is one of the highest paved roads in the Alps. And in this area there is a butterfly that I would like to photograph, the Erebia aethiopella. Now you don't just photograph an Erebia during a warm afternoon, so I quickly walk around a few fields to see where these butterflies are flying around. I soon find a nice spot to return to early the next morning. No sooner said than done, and the next day I arrive early at the same spot to take photos. Fortunately, the butterflies are easy to find and cooperate well. It's a pity that only the females cooperate and most of the males are already a bit old and fly fanatically. But although this is a tedious butterfly to find and photograph, I am very happy with the photos.

Erebia aethiopell
Erebia aethiopell

As I walk towards the car again I pass a group of Erebia arvernensis. There is a beautifully colored and fresh copy that I will do my best for. Because it is already quite warm in the meantime, I run up and down hills, but in the end I still get a photo of this beautiful animal.

These are also the last photos I take this holiday and after a few more days of relaxing we drive back to the Netherlands.

Erebia arvernensis
Erebia arvernensis



08/12 July on the road with Floor

My eldest daughter Floor was already off school in time this year, so she went on a trip with me to Italy and Switzerland. After we packed our things, we left early in the evening.

On the road to Italy
On the road to Italy

The plan was to sleep somewhere along the way, but I decided to drive straight to Northern Italy. Once we arrived around 7:00 am I wanted to take a picture of Erebia christi here. The two of us started our walk still a bit tired from the long drive. Once we arrived at the right spot, it turned out to be a very steep mountain wall that you actually cannot climb without ropes. We lay in the grass for a while hoping that some butterflies would fly by, but alas.

At a certain point we got fed up and it was time to move on to another place. When we arrive at the end of the afternoon, this time I will look for the Erebia flavofasciata. It's not possible to take a photo yet, but I do find another beautiful species, namely the Colias palaeno. And this butterfly is also going to hang on a nice flower to sleep, so I finally take the first neat photo.

Colias palaeno
Colias palaeno

When it starts to get dark and cold, we crawl into the car to sleep in the car on top of the mountain. After a reasonable night I quickly go back up the mountain for more photos. But because I really want a nice photo of the Erebia flavofasciata, I pass by the other butterflies. Because the sun is quite warm, all the butterflies start flying faster than I would like and I can't get any further than a backlit photo.

Erebia flavofasciata
Erebia flavofasciata

We walk around for a while, but I don't take any more pictures. We enjoy the fantastic view for a while before we get back in the car.

Together on the mountain
Together on the mountain

We have seen the area here a bit, and we are now heading towards Eastern Switzerland. After a few hours of driving we arrive, but unfortunately the weather is a bit disappointing. It therefore takes a lot of effort to find an old, Melitaea asteria - by the end of the day. Quite a nice picture, but not at all what I had hoped for from this butterfly.

Melitaea asteria
Melitaea asteria

Towards the end of the day we eat a delicious pizza and crawl back into the car for a night of sleeping in the car. The next morning I try again to take a good photo of the Small Apollo Butterfly - Parnassius phoebus, but without success. If the weather is still very bad and we are very tired, we will probably drive a bit towards the Netherlands.

Somewhere halfway through the ride I still have a spot where the Polyommatus daphnis should fly. I have been wanting to take a nice photo of the female with open wings for years, so we stop at this place. Once I arrive it turns out to be quite a search to find the butterflies, but when the sun has almost set I find a male and a female. The light is already gone so we have to stay asleep to take a photo the next morning. No sooner said than done and the next morning I do my best to make something of it. It just won't be more than some standard pictures, and I take all the pictures except one picture of the female with open wings... When everything flies around again due to the heat, it's been nice and we drive on home. Great to have been out alone with Floor!

Polyommatus daphnis
Polyommatus daphnis



20-06-2020 Veenbesblauwtje - Plebejus optilete

Samen met Jordi weer eens super vroeg het bed uit gegaan om te kijken of we nog Veenbesblauwtjes - Plebejus optilete konden vinden. De dauw en mooi opkomend zonnetje waar we op gehoopd hadden zat er helaas niet in. Gelukkig konden we na wat rond gelopen te hebben toch een vlindertje vinden, zodat de hele tocht moet voor niks is geweest. Ben erg benieuwd hoe lang dit vlindertje nog in nederland te vinden zal zijn.

Veenbesblauwtje - Plebejus optilete
Veenbesblauwtje - Plebejus optilete



20-06-2020 Plebejus optilete

Together with Jordi we got out of bed super early again to see if we could find any Plebejus optilete. Unfortunately, the dew and beautiful rising sun that we had hoped for did not happen. Fortunately, after walking around a bit, we were able to find a butterfly, so the whole trip must have been for nothing. I am very curious how long this butterfly will remain in the Netherlands.

Plebejus optilete
Plebejus optilete



May

On May 15 we went looking for Common blues, there were hundreds of butterflies in a beautiful field. Even though there is so much choice, it is still difficult to take the photo you have in your head. It is actually more convenient if you have less choice. Still, after looking at all options, I took the photo below.

Now that I am typing this blog post I see that the butterfly is not a Common blue at all but an Aricia agestis.

Aricia agestis
Aricia agestis

May 30 we drove to the Weerribben to look for dragonflies. Of course, the hope is always for special species, but as is often the case, this is sometimes disappointing, and I only find a Libellula quadrimaculata. But luckily everything else went well, and I think I took a very nice photo of this common dragonfly. The colors in particular have become very special...

Libellula quadrimaculata
Libellula quadrimaculata



05-05-2020 Pyrgus malvae - Grizzled Skipper

The wait for the first butterfly photos is taking a very long time this year. When the weather is finally nice and I still have time to go out, it is already May. It is still early in the year for many butterflies, but the Strawberry Butterfly - Pyrgus malvae is already flying and in good numbers. I find about ten copies in a beautiful place in Overijssel and manage to take this photo. I am especially happy with the beautiful soft background.

Pyrgus malvae - Grizzled Skipper
Pyrgus malvae - Grizzled Skipper