Chelmos, Erimanthos, Mainalo: A Peloponnesian Butterflies Trip, 28/06/12 – 08/07/12 (1 Viewer)

[CactusD]

Day 9 (continued)

...

After this, I relocated the meadow area at just over 1420m, and stopped here for just over an hour.

Mainalo, 1421m
During this stop I saw the following:
Chapman’s Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary, Meleager’s Blue, Ilex Hairstreak, Small Copper, Mountain Small White, Green-veined White, Large White, Dark Green Fritillary •, Large Skipper, Brown Argus, Clouded Yellow, Camberwell Beauty – one of these majestic insects flew past at a rate of knots, but sadly my attempt to chase it down the road for any photos failed spectacularly! (shame since I’d only seen one once before, on a Naturetrek holiday in Sweden), Meadow Brown, Scarce Swallowtail, Niobe Fritillary, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Grecian Copper, Comma, Lang’s Short-tailed Blue • (super to see this!), Dusky Meadow Brown, Large Wall Brown

I then headed off to Lakkes Rouchi for some lunch and further exploration…

 

[CactusD]

Day 9 (continued)

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Lakkes Rouchi 1440m, 13:05–14.50
Here I saw the following:
Silver-washed Fritillary, Large White, Chapman’s Blue, Grecian Copper, Olive Skipper, Meleager’s Blue, Turquoise Blue, Small Copper, Eastern Bath White, Brown Argus, Painted Lady, Cardinal, Scarce Swallowtail, Lesser Fiery Copper, Small White, Brimstone, Essex Skipper •, Grecian Anomalous Blue, Silver-studded Blue, Oberthür’s Grizzled Skipper • (thanks to Guy Padfield for the ID on this one!)

After this, I headed up to the Ski Centre and the lower parking area as on my previous visit...

 

[CactusD]

Day 9 (continued)

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Mainalo Ski-Centre lower parking area, 1511m, 15:00-15:30
Here I saw the following:
Brimstone, Meleager’s Blue, Zephyr Blue (heavily worn female) •, Chapman’s Blue, Small Copper, Grecian Copper, Brown Argus, Lesser Fiery Copper, Painted Lady, Sooty Copper – nice to see more of these, Clouded Yellow, Common Blue

Then back down to the super meadow area at 1420m...

 

[CactusD]

Day 9 (continued)

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Mainalo, 1421m, 15:45–16.15 •
Here I added some topside shots of male Chapman’s Blue • showing the distinctive androconial patches, another Sooty Copper •, and a cool find in the form of a Mediterranean Skipper •

After these successes, I drove back down through the trees, passing a large set of elder bushes in flower, which was attracting the largest group of Fritillaries I’ve ever seen: a mixed group of maybe 50 or more Silver-washed, Cardinal, and Niobe Fritillaries. A great end to a super day.

I arrived back in Kalavryta late afternoon, having passed numerous Scarce Swallowtails along the way.

The first shot is of one of those clumps of Salvia being patronized by a variety of Lycaenidae.

 

[CactusD]

Day 9 (continued)

Day-list total: 46 species (6 lifers). So many highlights today!

Trip-list additions:
67. SOUTHERN WHITE ADMIRAL
68. HIGH BROWN FRITILLARY
69. Camberwell Beauty
70. LANG’S SHORT-TAILED BLUE
71. ESSEX SKIPPER
72. OBERTHÜR’S GRIZZLED SKIPPER
73. MEDITERRANEAN SKIPPER

 

[Mick Sway]

Great stuff, will read in more detail when I get time.
Best
Mick

 

[CactusD]

Great stuff, will read in more detail when I get time.
Best
Mick

Thanks Mick, hope you enjoy!

 

[CactusD]

Day 10, 7th July

So today was my last chance to search Chelmos for new species missing from my list.

Though I figured my chances were slim, I was looking for any or all of Chelmos Blue, Odd-spot Blue, and Fiery Copper. Sadly I saw none of these, but I guess that without very specific location information (which I didn’t have), I was unlikely to find Chelmos Blue.

I was perhaps unlucky not to find Odd-Spot Blue since I seemed to have been at the right time and right altitude and was pretty sure I found some clumps of the larval host-plant Acantholimon androsaceum it shares with Fiery Copper; no luck with the latter either, though it seems to emerge later in July and into August.

This is one of those instances were a larger group, rather than one person(!), might have had more luck. All of these species are reported to have suffered quite badly in years past from unscrupulous collecting :C:C, so chances are they’re pretty hard to find even with very specific info.

Never mind, this just means I’ll have to come again! And anyway, I did get some good sightings today.

 

[CactusD]

Day 10 (continued)

Agia Lavra 950m

I started off with a final visit to Agia Lavra pre-breakfast, where I saw Common Blue, Meadow Brown, BMW, and Great Banded Grayling. No Hairstreaks today again: almost certainly confirming the lateness of my visit for any more species.

Also saw a Middle Spotted Woodpecker, and heard a calling Nuthatch.

Then off up the mountain after breakfast. First stop at Taverna Kastro.

Taverna Kastro 1021m, 09:10–09.35

On this visit had a wider search of the area, and discovered a large mass of flowering brambles down the slope behind the restaurant. Though I only had binocular views of the butterflies here, my list for this visit was longer than usual as a result, and I saw some species here that I hadn’t seen since earlier in the week, or not otherwise on Chelmos.

These were:
BMW, Lattice Brown (3 seen) •, Clouded Yellow, Scarce Swallowtail, Long-tailed Blue (3), Ripart’s Anomalous Blue, Ilex Hairstreak, Escher’s Blue, Silver-washed Fritillary, Large White. Not a bad start to the day, then.

Also had good views of 3 Peloponnese Wall Lizards (two males and a female) •

Then on to the usual stop at 1446m…

 

[CactusD]

Day 10 (continued)

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Mt. Chelmos 1446m, 09:50–10:40
Here I saw:
BMW, Scarce Swallowtail, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Large White, Brown Argus, Silver-studded Blue, Grecian Anomalous Blue, Chapman’s Blue, Brimstone, Great Banded Grayling, Mountain Argus

I also managed to locate a Serin in the trees, my first actual view.

I then took in a stop of the main road where I spotted an open water trough; horses were in this open area on my return so I didn’t revisit it, but it could have been interesting to have explored more extensively earlier.

Mt. Chelmos Xerokambos 1608m
Here there were:
BMW, Large White, Silver-washed Fritillary, Great Banded Grayling, Dark Green Fritillary, Scarce Swallowtail, Silver-studded Blue, Painted Lady, Meadow Brown

Also Northern Wheatears, Linnets, Red-backed Shrikes, and the sound of Corn Buntings.

 

[CactusD]

Day 10 (continued)

...

Moving on up the tarmac across the Xerokambos, I headed back to the rocky outcrop area with the ‘bandstand’ at 1567m, the location I first visited back on Day 2, again looking for Chelmos Blues.

?Chelmos Blue Location, Mt Chelmos 1567m, 11:40–12.40
Here I saw the following:
BMW, Clouded Yellow, Scarce Swallowtail, Grecian Anomalous Blue, Swallowtail, Silver-washed Fritillary, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Ilex Hairstreak, Painted Lady, Essex Skipper

Birds were good today, especially here:
Around the crags and bushes amid the rocks I was Lesser Kestrel, Goldfinch, Black Redstart, Stonechat, and Rock Bunting – the latter is a very smart bird indeed, with a stripy grey and black head and red-brown body; I’d only had one fleeting view of this species before, in Delphi several years back, so was glad of a better view.

Moving on, I went back to the Ski Centre and went up to the favoured gully area for lunch and further exploring…

 

[CactusD]

Day 10 (continued)

...

Chelmos Ski-Centre Side-road Gully 1700m+, 13:00–14.45
On this final visit, I explored the scrub below the track as well as the gully above, and saw:
Orbed Red Underwing Skipper, Glanville Fritillary •, Silver-studded Blue, Clouded Yellow, Small Skipper, Brimstone, Niobe Fritillary, Chelmos Zephyr Blue, Spotted Fritillary, Common Blue, Camberwell Beauty – another one that got away, zooming past and away as soon as I’d spotted it –, Cardinal, Large White, Dusky Meadow Brown, and one Amanda’s Blue • (heavily worn so tricky to ID, and initially I thought Pontic for this, but ID now confirmed |=)|).

Also heard Tawny Pipit and Woodlark calling. 3 Hooded Crows were flying overhead, when one was swooped upon and attacked by a Peregrine, which was then chased off by the Crows!

Then back down for a final visit to the Pontic Blue spot…

 

[CactusD]

Day 10 (continued)

...

Mt. Chelmos 1446m, 15:00-15:45
Here there were:
Clouded Yellow, BMW, Dusky Meadow Brown •, Brown Argus, Large White, Brimstone, Cleopatra, Large Tortoiseshell (maybe even the same individual I saw on a previous day’s visit?), Small Skipper, Zephyr Blue, Chapman’s Blue, Small Copper, Comma, Grecian Anomalous Blue

And then, finally, a last visit to Taverna Kastro

Taverna Kastro 1021m, 16:20–16.35
The final few:
Meadow Brown, Silver-washed Fritillary, Ilex Hairstreak, BMW, Escher’s Blue

Plus a couple of Red-backed Shrikes and a Cirl Bunting heard calling.

 

[CactusD]

Day 10 (continued)

Day-list total: 35

Trip-list additions:
74. AMANDA’S BLUE

Then back to Kalavryta for my final evening, before departing after breakfast for the drive back down the mountain to the coast, the motorway, and Athens for an afternoon flight back home. The only butterflies seen today were the generally ubiquitous Great Banded Graylings; I also heard my only Turtle Dove of the trip at a brief stop-off down towards the coast.

 

[CactusD]

Trip Summaries

Final Butterfly total: 74 species (or 75 if you split the Chelmos-endemic Zephyr Blue as Plebeius brethertoni from the Zephyr Blue I saw at Mainalo). Of these, about 44 cannot be regularly seen in the UK.

Butterflies by Mountain:
Chelmos (including Kalavryta and the surrounding area): 63 species
Erimanthos: 22 species (one visit)
Mainalo: 49 species (two visits)

 

[CactusD]

Birds: a small but select list (40+9 heard)

Sparrowhawk (1), Common Buzzard (4), Peregrine Falcon (1), Lesser Kestrel (3), Common Kestrel (1), Short-toed Eagle (1), Yellow-legged Gull (1 seen along the coast from the motorway), Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove (1 heard), Scops Owl (2 heard), Common Swift, Hoopoe (1), Middle Spotted Woodpecker (2), Wryneck (heard), Red backed Shrike (7 or more), Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw (heard), Hooded Crow, Raven (8), Great Tit, Blue Tit, Crested Lark (1), Woodlark, Swallow, House Martin, Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Cetti’s Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Firecrest (heard), Eurasian Nuthatch, Blackbird, Northern Wheatear, Black Redstart, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Tawny Pipit (heard), Chaffinch, Serin, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Corn Bunting (heard), Ortolan Bunting (1), Rock Bunting (1), Cirl Bunting (heard)

 

[CactusD]

Reptiles:

1 Tortoise species seen lumbering across a road; a number of deceased snakes on the roads – only one live snake seen, winding its way across the road (glistening brown, about 2-3 feet long, but not identified); lizards: a few Peloponnese Wall Lizards; one Balkan Green Lizard

 

[CactusD]

Final Comments

Dips, highlights, and comments on the season

There were a number of species I hoped to see but didn’t: I was slightly too late, slightly too early, or didn’t have specific enough info to find the few threatened/endangered species of the region, these being Fiery Copper, Bavius Blue, Odd-Spot Blue, and Chelmos Blue. If it had been possible, I would probably have gone a week to two weeks earlier, but then it may be that I would have had more Blues in better condition but a reduced variety of Coppers and Fritillaries. If Naturetrek visited the Chelmos area this year it will be interesting to compare notes with their report for late June.

I struggled to find Hairstreaks other than the very numerous Ilex; no Cupido Blues, and no Green-underside Blues, which I put down to being a little late for these; no Blue Argus; no Iolas Blues - although I did see a small number of Bladder Senna bushes at the Kerpini junction site, these had finished flowering some time before. It was a shame not to have seen any Greek Mazarine Blues (the beautiful Peloponnesian version of Mazarine Blue with the distinctive orange unh patches), but again I must have been a little late for these. Quite often the Blues and Skippers I encountered were worn (with one or two clear exceptions), which tends to back up this supposition.

 

[CactusD]

Having said this, I was highly delighted at the varied range of species I did encounter. Personal highlights would have to be the Coppers, the variety of Blues, particularly including Pontic, Meleager’s, the Anomalous species, and the Polyommatus species, esp. Turquoise. The range of Nymphalidae was very nice, and the range of Skippers was interesting (and challenging!). The Pontic Blue spot I discovered is relatively well shaded by the surrounding trees, perhaps allowing for a later emergence of a variety of species than out in the open on the mountainside; this spot was the only place where I found any Vicia dalmatica, although it is said to occur commonly across the mountainside.

The abundance of individual species for the trip as a whole was mixed. Quite a number of the Blues and Skippers were seen in single figures, while other things – notably the Fritillaries on the final visit to Mainalo were truly impressive in their numbers. And other species were seemingly ever-present: Great Banded Graylings, Balkan Marbled Whites (on nearly every roadside thistle), and, latterly, Silver-washed Fritillaries and Scarce Swallowtails.

 

[CactusD]

A quite superb trip with excellent weather, great scenery, and some excellent sightings! An absolutely massive 51 lifers for me.

Definitely worth looking into if you’re interested in something a little bit different.

Even if you haven’t visited Greece before, if you have some experience of driving on European roads and have the decent maps and a solid guidebook like the Rough Guide it shouldn’t be too difficult; as already mentioned, Greek hospitality is generally brilliant (verging on over-attentive at times!), and you don’t need to be able to speak Greek (I don’t, though I’m working on it…); road-signs are generally bilingual, or accompanied by visual icons.