Four years after my last butterflying trip to the Alps, I headed back there again last weekend for a very short break. This time, I decided to try Modane, the last train station in France on the Paris to Turin line, since it seemed the most easily accessible high place, being located at 1000m altitude and just 4.5 hours from Paris. It was rather a 'blind' decision, however, without really knowing whether or not it would be good for butterflies, but it was only after I'd booked my tickets that I discovered the area is one of the best in the whole of France for butterflies, with 173 species recorded. Another reason for keeping it so short was the unpredictable weather in the mountains at this time of year, so I decided to have just two full days there, seeing the trip more as a try-out for future holidays as well as an excuse to finally get out of Belgium again and see some nice scenery. Indeed, with just a week to go, the weather forecast was not looking at all promising and I almost cancelled, but I decided to go ahead anyway and at least enjoy the journey, even if I ended up watching the rain from my hotel most of the time. Arriving late in the evening, I was pleased to see Crag Martins wheeling around outside my window and, during a short walk along the river Arc to expore the surroundings, a beautiful male Rock Thrush flew out of a tree and landed in full view, so the trip got off to an auspicious start. It ended up being the only Rock Thrush I saw during my stay!
