6 minute read
Black-veined Whites and Cepes
James Mann recalls the summer of2009 in the southofFrance
After our first sighting of a Painted Lady on the 14th April 2009 we soon became accustomed to them being the predominant species. By the end of April droves of them were flying in from the sea and moving north like leaves drifting off the trees in the autumn. They seemed never ending and we usually gave up before the influx of the day stopped. At night many of them roosted in the lime tree outside our bedroom window. As the first rays of the sun touched the top of the tree movement started and progressed downwards with the sun. Soon hundreds of Painted Ladies were nectaring on the flowers, turning the tree from green to orange, the number far too great to count. This spectacle was repeated each morning until the flowers had dropped. Not all were bound for northern climes, many stayed with us all the summer. My last sighting was a single scruffy example on the 26th November. We had seen vast numbers flying north, but not a single one returning south, so either they returned in clandestine groups or they relied on those remaining in Africa to supply next year’s stock.
Starting out on our randonée on the 15th June we assumed that it would be more of the same. We decided on ‘the chemin de fer and Tour Batere’ . We parked at Col de la Reducta, 889 metres altitude, above the village of Montbolo situated just up the valley from us, at night we can see their streetlights from our garden. We proceeded along a track which was bordered by various flowering plants including a lot of brambles. These flowers attracted several butterfly species with a fair number of Painted Ladies. As we climbed above the 1000 metres level the number of Whites increased and to my delight most of these were Black-veined Whites, including many mating pairs. After a final steep climb to 1123 metres we arrived at Formentere, the now abandoned, first station of the railway built at the end of the 19th century to transport iron ore from the mines of Ménerats, Rapaloum and Pinosa. At Formentere a furnace reduced the ore before it was taken by cableway 5 kilometres to Amélie-les Bains for further smelting. The railway line extends for 12 kilometres, twisting and turning through the beech forest, in and out of the ravines, with a very slight incline, 100 metres in total, so that the weight of the ore in the waggons caused them to travel down the slope at a speed that could be controlled by the brakes on the engines. The engines were like miniatures from the Wild West. The only sign that the railway ever existed is the odd rotting sleeper.
After having our coffee we proceeded along the route of the old railway. The first kilometre is an open track lined on the downslope side by brambles, thistles and other flowering plants. Yves and I were left far behind as we vied with each other to see which of us could take the best photograph of the masses of mating Black-veined Whites. To add variety we saw Marsh Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Cardinal, Large, Small and Marbled White, Gatekeeper and Spanish Gatekeeper, Sooty and Scarce Copper, Skippers, both Swallowtails, Tortoiseshells, Peacocks Clouded Yellows, Walls and of course more than a few Painted Ladies.
Leaving the open area and entering the
section shaded by the beech trees all the sun lovers ceased and at first we had to be satisfied with Speckled Woods. Several of the group deserted the railway line and moved either left up the slope into the beeches or right down the slope into the beeches. What were they looking for? Although it was June and not September I was informed that the shaded conditions were just right for Champignons, they were off searching for Cepes. On and off one or another returned to the track to get us to admire what they had found and to tell us in detail how they, or their wives, were going to prepare them for eating. By the time we left the trees each of the five ramassers had collected around a kilogram of mixed Bolet à Pied Rouge and Cepe de Bordeaux with the odd Girolle, all very good for eating so I am told.
I stayed with the group on the path and soon spotted a considerable number of Chimney Sweeper moths. They seemed very static, but as soon as I got my camera out they were off. In a small clearing where the sun was shining through into a vertical rock face I could see a large, brown butterfly and on close inspection it proved to be a Large Wall. Unfortunately it was too high up for a good photograph, but luckily I had got a super one a couple of years ago.
Due to the various conferences about the comestibility of various fungi we were now way behind time, so after about 4 kilometres of the railway we climbed to the left up the steep slope directly for Tour Batere. As we cleared the trees we could see the tower about two kilometres in front of us. In the sunny area we saw more of the same butterflies plus Speckled Yellow moths, Burnets, Garden Tigers and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth. We arrived at the tower just after midday for our lunch and sat on the grassy bank at the foot of the tower, basking in the sun. The tower stands at an altitude of 1429 metres, and as it was built during the 14th century as one of a series of signal towers, the views are magnificent. Several other signal points can be seen from here. During the day signals were by smoke, during night by flames and on the very rare foggy days by runner, and hope he didn’t get lost in the fog. During lunch, washed down with the traditional glass of red wine, our butterfly count was added to by at least two types of Blue and some species of Mountain Argus.
The first part of our descent was over an open rock strewn hillside where we encountered Grayling and Great Banded Grayling. As we left the stony area and proceeded towards the woods many of the species seen during the morning returned with a high percentage of Blues and Coppers. The path through the woods led us back down to the start of the railway track at Formentere. We walked through several sun-washed clearings that supported yet more Black-veined Whites locked in an activity to increase their numbers.
After an absence of seven hours we arrived back at our cars and were able to mull over two unexpected achievements. The fungi hunters collected a great bounty at an unusual time of the year and I had seen the Painted Lady relegated from first place in the numbers game.
With my limited knowledge I had identified over 30 butterfly and 5 moth species, an expert would have increased this by a considerable amount, particularly on the moth side, but all in all a very satisfying day.
