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Post by artisans on Oct 15, 2015 10:05:01 GMT 2
This little beauty seems to be quite rarely seen in Corfu, but it’s here at the moment and we see it daily. To give it’s official name, it’s the 'danaus chrysippus', or ‘Plain Tiger’ butterfly, and it’s more commonly seen in Asia.
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Post by daveyh on Oct 15, 2015 10:58:27 GMT 2
Nice photo; I bought a book on Butterflies and Moths of Corfu from the garden centre just the other side of Acharavi and it is amazing how many varieties there are on Corfu but in different areas; flat arable areas, mountains, pastures etc. when I've been walking you do see a lot and a times groups in there hundreds.
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Post by artisans on Oct 15, 2015 18:19:50 GMT 2
I’d bet your book never said there were Tigers in Corfu, Dave! I must look out for that book as the two European books I have are hopeless. There were at least eight of these butterflies today, possibly around a variety of milkweed. I spent a bit more time getting this photo.
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kaz
Roda Anorak
Posts: 3,961
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Post by kaz on Oct 15, 2015 19:58:27 GMT 2
Great pics steve...hope you get the book
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Post by daveyh on Oct 16, 2015 12:20:31 GMT 2
I cannot give you details of the book as it is in my house on Corfu; I will bring it to a meeting next year when I'm over.
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Post by janiemou on Oct 20, 2015 18:06:47 GMT 2
We have been amazed at how much interest has been shown by the wildlife experts on the island in our photo of this butterfly. There have been several trips up from the south, with even one enthusiast thinking about booking flights back from the UK! We are monitoring the numbers for them and more photos are being taken. The experts are finding more unusual butterflies there, and we are learning about habitat and flora. Whilst we were doing our butterfly count we came across a very large Balkan wall lizard, but didn't have our camera ready. We enjoy our walks as we love seeing the wild flowers, the plants that are shooting up now, even the ant nests. I think we must have a trace of Gerald Durrell in us. I still haven't seen a tortoise yet though!
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Post by artisans on Oct 20, 2015 18:12:52 GMT 2
This is one of today’s ‘Plain Tigers’, feeding on the yellow flowers that it seems to prefer.
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Post by janiemou on Oct 24, 2015 20:15:38 GMT 2
Our butterfly seems to have caused a stir. The discovery has been discussed all over Europe in the butterfly community. The photos show the flower the butterflies feed on, the plant they lay their eggs on, a butterfly in the process of laying, and the eggs they have laid. Even the plant they lay their eggs on seems to be unique to Almyros.
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Post by lisydaly on Oct 25, 2015 16:21:17 GMT 2
two of the best books I've found to date are Collins Complete Mediterranean Wildlife photo guide by Paul Sterry and Flowers of Greece by George Sfikas. Both still available on amazon uk (the flowers of Greece for 1 pence used!!) although they were published in 2000 and 1976 respectively. My copies are falling apart so I might renew them both. I was told by a Greek who owned a book shop in Corfu town many years ago that the flora and fauna of the islands is just too much to photographed and published and nobody had ever really tried to do it.
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Post by daveyh on Oct 26, 2015 12:27:44 GMT 2
Janiemou; re seeing a tortoise; just visit the British Cemetary and you are guaranteed to see them.
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Post by janiemou on Oct 27, 2015 10:41:26 GMT 2
Janiemou; re seeing a tortoise; just visit the British Cemetary and you are guaranteed to see them. You are kidding me. We spent a good hour wandering around the beautiful cemetery, did I see one of these numerous tortoises, did I heck as like. I have come to the conclusion that they are deliberately avoiding me, people are only here for days and see them. Me, 15 years not even seen a hint. It is my new year's resolution to go on a tortoise hunt and end this virginity once and for all
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