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.
The first half of January started well enough, frosty but sunny days where the temperature could be -10°C in the morning and 15 in the afternoon. Then from late January winter really took a grip and as I write this in early March there is still loads of snow on the ground and we have had 6 weeks continuous of freezing weather.
BUTTERFLIES
The first one was seen on the 4th by Tim Nash, not surprisingly a Red Admiral. This was followed by sightings of this species and Small Tortoiseshell regularly up to the 14th, with one other species being added on the 11th, a very early Peacock. Since then, absolutely nothing in the air apart from snow flakes!!! So everything is hopefully just waiting for the thaw and spring will burst forth in one big explosion in March (I’m keeping my fingers crossed!!)
FLOWERS
The first snow drops were spotted in late January, they have been doing the thing that gives them their name in French “Perce Neige” which translated means piercing the snow. They have been submerged in snow several times and appear again as it melts. They are very tenacious under the snow and six weeks later the same flowers are still on the same plants as they reappear through the melting snow yet again.
BIRDS
Well the Lammergeiers do not seem to have been put off by all the cold and snow. One couple in my area are incubating one or more eggs, as for the other couple with the bad weather it has not been possible to venture anywhere near where they nest so far. Hopefully with the efforts of the volunteers who hump bones on their back up to feeding stations, the birds will have enough to eat and will not abandon the nests, always a worry in periods of extended cold bad weather such as we have been experiencing.