St. Pierre d'Entremont - March 24

[Mark Walker]

Well, it's been a long time since I shared any adventures with you - too
much work and too little time.  This report is way past due, but it involves
a stay in Lyon,
France, during the first week of war in Iraq - an historic period that would
have been more optimally spent at home with my family.  Fortunately, I was
able to spend much of my time staying with good friends that have been
established over years of periodic return.  Suffice it to say that although
the war was a major and constant topic of conversation, good food, wine, and
fellowship made for a wonderful stay.

 

On Monday, March 24, I was free to spend a day in the field under
unseasonably warm weather conditions.  My friend Xavier, from Villeurbanne,
joined me for his first experience with a butterfly net.  We drove SE of
Lyon to a delightful area just northwest of Grenoble.  This area is
characterized by majestic peaks and quaint villages nestled among the
valleys between the mountains.

 

I didn't really expect to see much flying, but enjoying a day driving
through this country requires no butterflies.

 

By 10:00 a.m. we were already at altitude, and with much snow still on the
ground I was amazed to see the butterflies begin their daytime activities.
The temperatures soared to above 20 degrees C, and we decided to stop and
take a bit of a hike through the mountains.  Several species were quite
common, including the stunning Inachis io (Peacock) and Nymphalis vau-album
(Large Tortoiseshell), both species that overwinter as adults.  Another
anglewing species we found at creeksides appears to be Polygonia egea -
golden dorsally - though I haven't yet positively id'd the voucher.

 

The Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) was also common, and could be found
throughout much of the French countryside between Paris and Lyon.  The
Brimstones were also flying at altitude over snow fields.  It was pretty
cool to see large yellow butterflies while crunching through snow that was
little over a week old.

 

The highlight on this early spring day was a singleton of a rather large
Anthocharis orangetip (I assume this was cardamines, though it wasn't
netted), flying around a snowmelt-fed creek near a crosscountry skiing area.

 

This day provided yet another pleasant diversion from my absence from home.
I must say that I was treated graciously by all in France, and though I
found the media coverage there to be grossly one-sided, my interaction with
the people regarding the war was both intellectual and stimulating.
Actually, I consider myself blessed to have experienced that first week in a
culture that provided me with a different perspective.  Sharing perspectives
with international peoples is great education, and I feel that I did my part
in providing some balance to those I interacted with as well.  I sincerely
hope and pray that we will all soon be back to a life characterized by some
degree of normalcy, though I'm not sure that such a thing really exists (or
even should exist) in our ever-changing world.

 

Mark Walker.

Visiting Indianapolis, IN - where the temperatures are pushing 80 degrees F,
and the deciduous trees are just beginning to bud.

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