Holiday Highlights

In Gent (Belgium), noted Great-crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus) and their chicks near the city centre. In the Chartreuse region of SE France, recorded Alpine gentium (Gentiana nivalis), Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), Crown vetch (Securigera varia), Yellow alpine milk vetch (Astragalus frigidus), Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris), Cornflower (Centaurea cyanaus) and Mountain everlasting (Antennaria dioica). There were also lots of bugs including Graphosoma italicum, moths namely the Hummingbird hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum), butterflies with the White letter hairstreak (Strymonidia w-album) and the Duke of Burgundy fritillary (Hamearis lucina), long-horn beetles (Strangalia maculata) and the Bee beetle (Trichius fasciatus) and grasshoppers (Aiolopus thalassinus).