helge 16th June 2010

Our colorful butterflies are popular photo opportunities on vacation, hiking and walking - but for how long?

Flügelt a small blue
Butterflies blown by the wind,
A pearly showers
Glitters flickers, goes by.

So, with eyes flashing glance,
So in Vorüberweh'n,
I saw the good fortune beckon me,
Glint flicker vergeh'n, ...

- Hermann Hesse -

Butterflies are everywhere there, where nature is still reasonably intact. So, mainly at the weekends or on holidays , walking or taking a walk outside in the fresh air, looking for where the modern man rest and relaxation, where you may be better than switching off in the wild, in an unspoilt, lovely landscape?

When traveling in the South, they are everywhere, sometimes even in the Mediterranean all year round. At the villa holiday in Tuscany or Provence, in Spain or Greece, anyone who wanders through the countryside with open eyes, an opportunity to observe butterflies and to photograph with a little patience, too.

Pronounced butterfly enthusiasts therefore prefer the Mediterranean countries, our hot tip for lovers of entomology is the Sierra de Cazorla in Andalusia . Here you have all your fashion models in front of the door, and expert advice and guidance (by the author of this paper) on top of that.

But even in Germany, we find them still, even in the far north, for example, with our friends on the Baltic Sea in the ancient cultural landscape between Kiel and Lübeck, in the Holstein Switzerland Nature Park with its lakes and extensive forests. For here the world is still in order and the gentle, undulating landscape invites hikers too many a relaxing getaway.

Often they are quite simply overlooked this small, lively butterflies, tiny spots of color in the colorful summer grass. They sparkle in the sun with the morning dew to the last bet, beautifully colorful iridescent colors in her dress.

Butterflies have fascinated people since time immemorial. Who could resist as well as the magic that her grace and beauty exerts on us, their seemingly infinite variety in form and color, fluttering, seemingly weightless flight over the flower-filled spring lawn?

But are our butterflies not only those shifty, fickle fellow, we know of hikes and walks through the very nature, symbols of a carefree life in the bright sunshine - a life seemingly free of all obligations and constraints, to the envy we so often . Rather, the colorful butterflies, like every animal and every plant, every grain of sand and every drop of water, so small and insignificant they may be, in the wonderful system of nature, its place and I'm almost tempted to say firmly defined, task.

Because her secret life as a caterpillar consists mainly eat - and they ensure that certain plant species are not on hand. Just like us humans is grown for or against anything any herb, it is for almost every plant and an animal that feeds on her, and thus correspondingly decimated its part contributes to a balanced budget in nature.

Some of our butterflies are real Allerwelt-folder, you can still find just about anywhere. The caterpillars, for example by Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady or admiral and live mainly on the nettle, and because there is truly no shortage even now.

Others survive, because they have a pretty extensive menu to choose from. If they no longer find the ancestral food plant, they are, within certain limits, be able to switch to similar, usually closely related species of herbs, shrubs or trees.

Extremely difficult, however, there are the so-called food experts who are dependent on specific food plants found in a cleaned-up by human cultural landscape anymore. Hence the butterflies disappear from the scene - and so many kind goodbye and never seen again. The legal protection of endangered species benefits our butterflies, unfortunately very little, as long as the animals will continue, deprived of knowledge and acquiescence of public authorities, the basis of life.

Causes of the rapid decline of some species are: in agriculture and forestry sector, the over-fertilization and the immoderate use of "pesticide" and creating ever larger sterile monocultures, the straightening of streams and rivers, draining wetlands and clearing " disruptive scrub "of forest and Ackkerrändern. Add to that the expansion of cities and industrial plants, road and highway construction, and general reckless pollution. In other words, by the large-scale destruction of their traditional, natural habitats, our butterflies are becoming rare. And at an alarming pace.

Even the life of butterflies is very different from species to species. Some are closely tied to a particular site, while others live in a sometimes very large area. Still others put even thousands of miles each year from southern climes and walk with us, some even high up in Scandinavia.

Some prefer open areas such as meadows bordered by bushes, others are pure forest dwellers. So many butterflies are only found in deeper layers to medium, the Apollo butterfly (Parnassius species), however, exclusively populate higher mountains, alpine meadows and valleys, sometimes up to just below the snow line.

Holiday for hikers and nature lovers

Technical knowledge to animal and plant life in the Natural Park Sierras de Cazorla Segura and Las Villas , we offer our guests as well as a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere for rest and relaxation on our farm in the middle of the mountain wilderness of Andalusia. On request, guided tours and excursions in the surrounding area. Butterfly-hunters should note that final note:

Catching and collecting of butterflies, which was once a popular sport for young boys is already, in our time when so many species struggling for survival, yet represented only for purely scientific purposes. And even then only under reservation. In order to satisfy the passion for collecting that lies so well in one way or another in each of us, the responsible nature lover does better with the camera today. With such hectic fellows as the butterflies, but requires patience and rewards a bit of practice, but a successful image in all its vitality for us the stamina - and makes us far more than the sad sight set spies most butterflies behind glass.

Rolf Möhring, cottage eagle nest, Sierra de Las Villas / Andalusia

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