Graham Hart has lived in Ariege since May 1998 and has known the area since 1991. He has a life-long interest in natural history, which started with butterflies and birds and now includes other insects (especially moths) and flowers. He leads butterfly watching holidays in the region and is writing a book on the butterflies of Ariège. When not out chasing butterflies Graham works as a vet in Ax-les-Thermes.
Well after a total of just over six weeks of freezing temperatures, we went in mid March from -8 °C to 25°C in just one week! There were lots of avalanche warnings in the mountains because the huge amount of snow was melting so fast. For about ten days this “summer” weather continued, then things cooled down to around normal temperatures for the time of year and that is where it has stayed for the rest of the month.
BUTTERFLIES
As soon as the weather warmed up in mid March we were greeted by a good number of Small Tortoiseshells and Brimstones with a smattering of Red Admirals. Then within three or four days other things started to appear, Comma, Peacock, Large Tortoiseshell, Camberwell Beauty, Orange Tip, Green Veined White and a Large White on the 24th. Also during this last week Tim Nash spotted Sooty and Small Coppers and Speckled Wood, and Holly Blues started popping up everywhere. I counted three on the path from the house to the road (60 metres) the other day. From the foothills Clouded Yellows were reported but there are none so far in the mountains.
My most memorable butterfly sighting this month was a Camberwell Beauty who was patrolling up and down a lightly wooded track, he flew right by me three times, right in front of my face. It was wonderful to be able to observe for two or three minutes its flit-glide-flit-glide flight and I could make out the hairs coming from the base of the wings around the thorax and abdomen as it glided past at eye level.
Humming Bird Hawk moths have been active for the last week but there numbers do not seem very large. The Orange Underwing, a small day flying spring species has been seen in good numbers, making me think back 37 years to when I saw my first one in Ashtead woods in Surrey. They often fly around several metres up and I can remember being very frustrated 37 years ago, wondering what these things were until I was lucky enough to find one low down which I caught. I wonder if this lovely little moth still flies in those woods? On the day that I saw a lot here it was very hot and I was very lucky to see one down on the ground at the edge of a boggy patch where it had its proboscis extended, drinking from the wet ground. At first I thought it was a Dingy Skipper as if flew along low in front of me before settling on the wet ground. I approached very slowly and it did not budge. I was spellbound for a couple of minutes just watching until suddenly it flew up and resumed the more typical behaviour of flying around tantalisingly well over head height.
FLOWERS
With the cold weather all the flowers were very late in their development, but as soon as the weather warmed up they did their utmost to catch up. It was funny to seen Stinking Hellebore in full flower in late March instead of January / February and the Hepatic had only just started to flower by the end of the month. There was plenty of Germander Speedwell about with its lovely little blue flowers and there was a good smattering of Common Storks Bill particularly by the road side in places where the soil is thin. The wild daffodils also had only just started to flower by the end of the month, they are paler and smaller than the cultivated varieties.
BIRDS
From silence to full Dolby surround sound in just one week was how it seemed to me. As soon at the weather warmed up in the middle of the month there were birds singing everywhere, proclaiming it seemed to me, spring, but I am sure they were more intent in establishing territories than telling the whole world that spring had arrived. Robins and Black Caps were the most prominent, but there were a good number of Chaffinches also singing their somewhat less melodic song. The Rock Martins turned up in numbers from wintering grounds further out of the mountains, there seemed to be loads of small insects in the air so they must have had a feast.
The Lammergeiers near me are still incubating one or more eggs, but there is worries about one or two other couples that could have been put off by the very hard winter, at the moment we are keeping our fingers crossed.