'What a way to round off the summer! I am again impressed by the dedication of Team Mariposa, always going the extra mile to ensure every guest gets the most from their tour' The very first testimonial we received for last year's Autumn Exotica in Andalusia - thank you Kirsty! 🦋

Time spent in Andalusia at this time of year is always richly rewarded for dragonflies. Back home now, I'm already missing them... but they'll be there for my return next year with @mariposanature.bsky.social. #Dragonfly #Odonata #WildlifePhotography

'Mariposa guides are friendly, enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable. Recommended without reservation' Yet more lovely feedback from a guest on our Butterflies of the Montes Universales tour. Thank you, Ian! 🙏 Our tours are friendly and enjoyable affairs for all concerned.

Just a couple of days after our final butterfly tour of the year concluded, we've made our donation to support the brilliant, science-led work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social. We do this after every one of our butterfly tours - our commitment to BCE is immediate, and unwavering.

Tour update 🚨 Bookings coming in steadily for 2027 tours and beyond - another in the past day for the 2028 edition of our highly successful Serbian butterflies tour, featuring the simply gorgeous False Comma. mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

Really looking forward to leading this one next year for the fourth consecutive year. It's a lovely way to end the year's butterflying.

Mariposa Nature Tours@mariposanature.bsky.social · 5d ago

Tour update 🚨 Another booking came today for the 2027 edition of Autumn Exotica in Andalusia. Not wholly surprising given what a success it's been in the past couple of years, with some really exciting African butterfly species seen. It's filling fast... www.mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

Good morning & welcome to a new week! Our featured tour of the week, Autumn Exotica in Andalusia, promises a host of butterflies rare in a European context, and a donation to support the brilliant science-led conservation work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social: www.mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

2/2 And Queen of Spain Fritillary

I don’t suppose I will ever see these two species together on the river Thames again in my lifetime. Pilot whale 1/2

We are delighted to be supporting the next Symposium on the Ecology and Conservation of Butterflies and Moths. In Girona, Spain 6-10 April 2027. Early Bird bookings open now. Don’t miss it. esdeveniments.udg.edu/148395/detai...

Ecology and Conservation of Butterflies & Moths International Symposium

6-10 april 2027 Girona The Ecology and Conservation of Butterflies " />

esdeveniments.udg.edu

macaulaylibrary.org/asset/663618... Possible Short-tailed Shearwater off Spain last month.

ML663618654 - shearwater sp. - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML663618654; © Daniel López-Velasco | Ornis Birding Expeditions; A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

macaulaylibrary.org

Appears to have been an influx of Issoria lathonia into Southern England this summer. This was one of 20 seen on a site in Essex today.

Desert Orange-tip's seen locally today. I only found a single female but there were at least 10 males present. Search lojawildlife for more photos.

Sometimes I need this sort of song from Neil Young, it's been a long wait. Wistful, wonderful moving music. Gorgeous vocal? Yup. Harmonica just when you will it to start? Yup. Gentle lyrics to make you think on life? Yup. A song with an autumnal glow, perfectly delivered. youtube.com/watch?v=JZnz...

Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts - Second Song (Official Lyric Video)

YouTube video by neilyoungchannel

youtube.com

"My best ever wildlife holiday" More kind words of testimonial from our Butterflies of the Montes Universales tour - thank you so much, John. Your sharp eyes and birding skills greatly enhanced the tour for us all. 🙏

Greenwings is proud to be sponsoring the 1st ever 'Bhutan Glory Meet', with funds generated from our worldwide butterfly tours. The event happens next month along the Bhutan Glory Wildlife Trail our guide has been developing. Guests on our fully booked Sept 2027 trip will also enjoy this event!

"Mariposa... deliver beyond expectations" More lovely feedback from a guest on our Butterflies of the Montes Universales tour. While we don't promise the Holy Grail* on the tour, we certainly think Montes IS a Terrestrial Paradise! *well, Southern Hermit... that may qualify? 😉

Picture postcards from our recently completed butterfly holiday in Slovenia. Upland Erebia’s were a main goal & we saw 14-15 species, including the endemic Lorkovic’s Brassy Ringlet (Erebia calcaria), Stygian Ringlet (Erebia styx), and Styrian Ringlet (Erebia stirius). @europebutterfly.bsky.social

Happy birthday to Tracy Tracy. Here are The Primitives blasting out Really Stupid at the Cricketers pub in Kennington 40 years ago youtu.be/Cl6jmusUSUw

The Primitives - Really Stupid, Kennington Cricketers, London, 11th Sept 1986

YouTube video by Soundsville International

youtu.be

And on the subject of Erebia ringlets seen on that perfectly timed Butterflies of the Hohe Tauern tour in Austria lately, here are a couple more hot off the press from one of our happy guests. Thanks, Harry!

Southern Hermit (Chazara prieuri) photos taken this year in the Montes Universales, Spain. One of the key species we look for on our summer butterfly tour there, which you can of course join next year. Find out more on our website: greenwings.co/our-holidays... @europebutterfly.bsky.social

An exciting day with the Solar Eclipse ☀️🌑 Spain is the place to be to witness this incredible event, making it the perfect moment to announce 2 new holidays in Spain! 🇪🇸 Butterflies of Montes Universales greenwings.co/our-holidays... Spanish Moon Moths & More! greenwings.co/our-holidays...

Here's a few more images from our unique butterfly watching holiday, where we explore the beautiful Kaçkar Mountains in Türkiye. The butterflies featured are: Erebia hewitsonii (Hewitson's Ringlet) by Ben G Polyommatus eros (Eros Blue) by Dave G @europebutterfly.bsky.social

EBG in Romania Day 7 Our first Hairstreaks, Blue-spot and Sloe, Iolas and Large Blue, Black and Woodland Ringlets, Balkan Green-veined White, Scarce and Sooty Coppers @europebutterfly.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Our portfolio of butterfly tours continues to expand, all of them generating donations to support the vital, science-led work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social. Watch this space for imminent announcements of new tours to see some of Europe's rarest butterflies. www.mariposanature.com/about/news/o...

If you like it you shoulda put a ringlet on it... We're home after our successful first Butterflies of the Hohe Tauern - Austria's Mountain Heartland tour. Over 90 species recorded, 15 of those being Erebia ringlets. The 2027 edition is long ago fully booked. 2028 dates to follow... #butterflies

Good afternoon from the Kaçkar Mountains in Türkiye. Two beauties on our butterfly tour - Bosnian Blue (Agriades dardanus / Plebejus dardanus) on the left & Loew's Blue (Plebejus loewii) on the right. @europebutterfly.bsky.social

Final full day of the Butterflies of the Hohe Tauern tour I'm co-leading for @mariposanature.bsky.social, and while I could post an 'obscure rarity', let's simply share this lovely pair of Dryad. Today was dripping with Dryad, bringing much joy to our group.

@matthewberry.bsky.social Anatolian Zephyr Blue (Kretania modica / Plebejus modica). A fairly extreme aberrant individual photographed by tour leader Ben Greenaway. One of countless butterfly highlights on our summer tour of the wonderful Kaçkar Mountains in Türkiye. @europebutterfly.bsky.social

Postcard from the field, from leader @dunnjons.bsky.social in Austria: We've spent today at altitude, around 2,500masl. The weather, and the butterfly gods, were kind to us - big targets seen included Little Fritillary & De Lesse's Brassy Ringlet. But many more alpine species enjoyed!