Searching for butterflies in the Alps

Our aim
To make a short, opportune visit to a small area of the French Alps and find and identify as many butterfly species as possible, within the available habitats and altitudinal zones.

Itinerary (Checklists linked to dates)
Saturday 21^st July 2001 – Parc National Des Ecrins, La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (50 species recorded)
Sunday 22^nd July 2001 – from Les Portes up to les Lacs du Petaral.(36 species recorded)
Monday 23^rd July 2001 – Pralognan La Vanoise up to Mont Bochar (41 species recorded).

Arran Brown	Berger's Clouded Yellow	Black-veined White	Dark Green Fritillary	Dark Green Fritillary

Our plan
Using information from previous trip reports and relevant literature including, the Collins Field Guide – Butterflies of Britain & Europe, and referring to ‘range, distribution, flight-period and habitat’ for our target species, we assessed that the period mid-to late July, provided, in theory, the best time frame to visit the area. Information to predict and track weather conditions, for this period, was gained from a variety of weather forecasting websites. We had committed ourselves to ferry bookings and ‘time off’ and the weather, if poor, would have forced us to change our venues and possibly our aims. We needed to be flexible, and looking for plants, mammals, birds and dragonflies away from the bad weather would have been acceptable. Fortunately, the weather forecast helped to predict the degree of success we were to have.

Our method in the field
Due to the numbers and density of species at most sites and our relative lack of experience with European species, we generally attempted to temporarily ‘net and pot’ at least one individual per species, for identification. Equipped with purpose built nets and observation pots meant that the said specimen would be caught and identified as quickly and safely as possible, with no harm, and little inconvenience being caused. 

Positive identification
A slide transparency of some of the more obliging individuals was obtained and this helped us to confirm, or in some cases revise their identity, from ‘the comfort of our chairs’ on our return home. Using the aforementioned field guide plus other similar guides we found that the vast majority of butterflies were identifiable using this combination, though it is worth mentioning that, as with bird ‘ID’ guides that there is quiet often some remarkable variation in the artistic interpretations used for each species, (let alone the many types of natural variations of one kind or another, that seem to occur anyway). One would expect some families, for example the Skipper’s (Hesperiidae), the Fritillary’s (Nymphalidae) and the ‘Blue’s (Lycaenidae) to require extra caution even in Britain, but when faced with multiple members from the majority of families, we found ourselves treating the identification of every individual seen or caught with similar caution. It was never safe to presume the identity of any individual and we also struggled to gain positive ‘ID’ on some, mainly due their physical state. The brief time that we spent in the field, meant that we were only sampling the butterflies available on the wing at that time, so we were sometimes at the end of a flight period for one species, or at the start for another, and so on. Within most species though, there was generally at least one individual that was ‘perfect’ enough for us to gain an ‘ID’.

Marbled Fritilliary	Meadow Fritillary	Mnestra's Ringlet	Mountain Fritillary	Mountain Ringlet

Great fun!
OK, so that all sounds like hard work! But as I write this, looking out on my frosty garden I can assure you that I’m smiling because actually it was extremely satisfying and great fun. The sight of hundreds of butterflies of dozens of species going about their business on the slopes of a sunny Alpine valley is a wonderful wildlife experience, and we also bumped into many new (for us) species of moth and dragonfly, an obliging Pine Marten, several Chamois, a Smooth Snake, two or three Asp Viper’s, many challenging fungi and a reasonable bird list.

Nick Roberts, Jeff Blincow, Nigel Goodgame, Mark Piper