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 weather has been quite cold but often dry with quite a lot of sun. Thick frosts have been the order of the day most mornings, but the temperature has risen to 11 or 12 on sunny afternoons.
BUTTERFLIES
January was the month of the Small Tortoiseshell. All but one sighting for the whole month was of this species, and quite a few were seen by myself and Tim Nash. The only other species seen was a Clouded Yellow, seen by my wife Catherine whilst out walking the dogs one sunny afternoon.
February started with the addition of a new species on the first, a Wall Brown, seen by Tim. Again, the butterfly of the month was the Small Tortoiseshell, far outstripping the numbers of other species with up to 15 individuals being spotted on a single walk. Other species seen this month were; A Small Copper on the 13th, two Red Admirals on the 18th, a Wall and a Red Admiral on the 25th.
FLOWERS
The first species recorded was the Snow Drop, so aptly named “Perce neige” in French (“Pierce Snow” in English) They started to flower about the 25th of January and continued right to the end of February, sometimes being covered in fresh snow then reappearing again completely unharmed as the snow melted.
The Stinking Hellobore started flowering in February. It is a plant that can be very abundant here. It slowly produces its buds throughout the winter and then flowers here in February and March.
By the end of February the first of the Violet and Lesser Celandine flowers were out and I also spotted a Wood Anemone on the last day of the month.
BIRDS
The Lammergeiers are incubating one or more eggs.
We are having to regularly refill the coconut feeders in the garden with a mix of fat and seeds. The commonest birds at the feeders are Great and Blue Tits. Also regularly seen are Marsh Tits, Nuthatches, a Robin and sometimes a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Under the feeders, on the ground, we have House Sparrows and Chaffinches in profusion. The Robin also spends quite a lot of time there, and occasionally a Blackbird too.
In the woods as usual the birds most in evidence are Robins and Black Caps. Red Kites are to be seen regularly patrolling around looking for carrion. At the end of February Black Kites were first recorded, three birds seen together. Red Kites over winter here but the Black Kites are migratory. They are among the first of the migratory species to arrive and are also early to leave, generally doing so by mid August.