Dolomites (part one)

The Dolomites workshop was back in late June, but with other commitments I have not been able to post any images from it until now. The weather was reasonably good throughout our stay. The meadows were at the peak of their flowering cycle, but many of the insects groups were late. This was particularly evident with the butterflies, but we still managed to see quite a number of species. Below are a small selection of images from the trip. All of the images were photographed using a D810 and D800 bodies. The lenses were all Nikon, ranging from 16-35mm to 300mm.

 

It was great to see the Apollo again. I went for many years without ever seeing this butterfly. But in recent times I have managed to find it on every single trip. Its flight pattern is so distinctive that it is not easily confused with other, similar species.

 

This attractive orchid is pretty common throughout much of the area. Its pattern on the lip and the colour are quite variable. We found this group close by a stream which added an attractive backdrop to the image.

 

This is a butterfly that I had not seen before. Like many Erebia’s they all can be difficult to identify on the wing, especially when the are very active. This species has pretty distinctive features on the underside of the hind wings, which confirms its identification.

 

Our base was just a few miles from this picturesque little town, which had exceptional views across the lake.

 

This was a species that I had not managed to see in any of the locations I had been to over the years. I initially thought this was the only adult, and I was extremely careful when stalking it. We later stopped for lunch at a damp meadow further along and to my delight there were dozens of them resting on the foliage.

 

It was not unusual for the mountain villages in early morning to be hidden in a veil of mist. This quickly dispersed during the morning as the temperature increased.