Wilson's Wildlife
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Birds
    • Finches, Sparrows and Buntings.
    • Warblers
    • Woodpeckers / creepers.
    • Sea Birds
    • Raptors
    • Hummingbirds
    • Tanagers.
    • Water birds
    • Herons, egrets and bitterns
    • Waders
    • Ducks, Geese and Swans
    • Other European birds
    • Other North and Central American Birds
    • Other South American Birds
    • Waxwing Gallery
    • Osprey gallery
  • Bugs
    • Butterflies
    • moths
    • Flies
    • Bees and wasps
    • Beetles
    • Dragonflies
    • Damselflies
    • Crickets and Grasshoppers
    • Spiders
  • Mammals
    • European
    • African
    • American
    • Australasian
    • Asian
  • Reptiles
    • European
    • American
    • African
    • Asian
    • Australasian
  • Amphibians
    • Frogs and toads
  • Fish
    • Sea Fish
    • Freshwater Fish
  • Contact
  • Talks
  • Links

Bains St Thomas

19/8/2014

 
Lynne wanted to visit some open air thermal baths which are situated in the small mountain village of Fontpedrouse (90 minutes from Argeles).  This place is a mountain gem, not because of the thermal baths (which are excellent too) but because of the sheer variety of wildlife.  Arriving at 10AM, my troop took the plunge while I explored the area...  
Picture
The St Thomas Spa building at Fontpedrouse. Try to arrive for 10am (when the spa opens) on a day forecast for good weather.
Just in the café / picnic area alone, I noticed several species of butterfly fluttering around the buddleia, some were familiar British ones (gatekeeper, painted lady, large white, etc) but others were definitely not.  In this small area alone, I counted 12 different butterfly species, 8 familiar British ones and 4 new ones to me.   
Picture
Brown Hairstreak, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. A winner for me.
Picture
Knapweed Fritillary, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Another winner!
Picture
Southern Comma, 19/08,14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse.
Picture
Silver-washed Fritillary, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. The commonest butterfly here.
Picture
Gatekeeper, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. One of many British familiar British butterflies here.
Picture
Mountain Small White, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Yet another winner!
Picture
Marbled Fritillary, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. And another winner! Keep 'em coming...
Picture
Jersey Tiger Moth, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Not a butterfly, but just as stunning.
Picture
Crab Spider: Misumena vatia, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Not a butterfly either but worth a mention: these camouflaged critters lay in wait on flower-heads, ready to pounce.
After saying "goodbye" to my family at the spa entrance, I proceeded to walk up a narrow, winding, stony path which overlooks the outdoor pool area and leads up the nearest mountain.  Wow!  I have never seen so many insects, especially butterflies...   
Picture
A few minutes' walk from the spa entrance, the narrow path winds upwards through open meadow.
Picture
Swallowtail, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fonypedrouse. Not a new one for me, but stunning anyway.
Picture
Iberian Marbled White, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse.
Picture
High Brown Fritillary, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse.
Picture
Spotted Fritillary, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse.
Picture
False Grayling, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse.
Picture
Bath White, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse.
Picture
Black Satyr, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. A new one for me, so was the plant: a thistle with a sunflower-sized bloom.
Picture
Chalkhill Blue, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. The commonest blue butterfly here, and another winner!
Picture
Amanda's Blue, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Yet another new one for me.
Picture
Provençale Short-tailed Blue, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. And another!
Picture
Cardinal Fritillary, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. And another!
Picture
Piedmont Ringlet, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. And another!
Picture
Scarce Copper, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. And another!
Picture
Silver-spotted Skipper, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Encore une winner!
Picture
Western Marbled White, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Another winner! Albeit rather tatty.
Picture
The Hermit, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. You guessed it: another winner for me. This was getting silly!
Already overcome by butterflies, my attention was drawn to a buzzard-like bird soaring overhead.  I took a few shots just in case it turned out to be something new.  I enlarged the shot and sure enough, it was a winner: Honey Buzzard!  
Picture
Honey Buzzard, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse.
Picture
Rock Bunting, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Seen on the way down, another mountain bird.
Picture
Wall Lizard, 19/08/14, Bains St Thomas, Fontpedrouse. Common here, but so is its food source: insects.
What a day!  No doubt we'll be retuning here on our next visit to southern France.

Comments are closed.

    Author

    Tony Wilson.
    Amateur wildlife photographer.   

    Archives

    May 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    December 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.