100th Video: Closest Apollo butterfly for 25 years! 20 July 2025 скачать в хорошем качестве

100th Video: Closest Apollo butterfly for 25 years! 20 July 2025

Almost exactly 25 years ago, in the Italian Dolomites, Helen and I were happily taking photos of butterflies. I by chance noticed a Large Apollo (Parnassius Apollo) just after pupal emergence and chose to take some still photos before filming a video. Unfortunately, my still (celluloid) camera jammed and, before I could use the video camera, the butterfly finally warmed up and shot off over my wife's head so that, even with her expert photograhpic skills, neither of us got a shot. I have found Apollos to be very active during the middle of the day and I had not got within 200 metres of one since that fateful day in 2000. However, one suddenly came right down in front of me at the Barium mine where I had just filmed the Spanish Argus (99th video). No sooner had I told the guide about the incident with Helen (I mean the moment the words had left my mouth!) but half a dozen more Apollos appeared: whirling around us for a minute or two. Then they were gone. The guide was amazed too. I was grateful that my friend and Spanish guide (Victor) was there to witness this, so it wasn't a dream! Make of this what you will readers. It was certainly special and emotional to me, so I dedicate this Hundredth video to Helen and our happy times together. Ps. liking rather than disliking this video shows the respect my lovely late wife deserves. She was kind to so many people.