1st:  Another fairly strenuous walk today (a 700 m climb) up to the summit of Monte Finonchio, stopping for a while in the lower meadows (photo) to look in the usual sites for Geranium Arguses (photo), Heath Fritillaries (photo) and Woodland Ringlets (photo). I might as well have saved myself the extra effort of getting to the top, because everything is very late this year and there was virtually nothing flying at all  in the higher meadows at 1,600m. 
2nd:  Much nearer home, I was pleased to find a female Iolas Blue on the same bush where I discovered 4 or 5 butterflies last year. Here are 2 photos showing the underside (photo) and upperside (photo). I will investigate again in a few days' time. In the meantime, here is a Sooty Copper (photo), photographed in this meadow (photo).
6th: At last, butterflies are out in numbers with 7 new species for the year:  Pearly Heaths (photo), Marbled Fritillaries (photo), High Brown Fritillaries (photo), one Silver-washed Fritillary,  Meadow Browns, Twin-spot Fritillaries (photo, photo) and some Black-veined Whites (photo). Here is a photo of one of the other species flying today - a Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)(photo).
    Note: I have had problems with my computer and have not kept these excursion notes up-to-date recently. I apologise. I will add photos to the notes as soon as possible.
16th: Today was a day of Cleopatras and Two-tailed Pashas. Where? Not in Trentino! We are in Lazio on the coast and I decided to climb to the top of Monte Circeo (541m asl) - something which I last did 10 years ago. Already on parking my car near the beach of Torre Paola, there were a handful of Cleopatras (photo) flying among the dunes but as I made my way slowly up the difficult rocky footpath, they became more and more numerous and I must have seen over 100 adults during my ascent, both males and females, as well as scores of Wall Browns and several Ilex Hairstreaks (photo). (Here is a photo of the view on the way up). But the real pleasure came in finding Two-tailed Pashas flying in exactly the same spot as 10 years previously (photo)- not particulary fresh specimens, as you can see from the photo, but with the same pattern of behaviour as I remembered, frequently coming back to the same branch or leaf (photo) and settling readily on an extended hand without any problems. Further up, the 4 or 5 other adults that I saw were engaged in territorial battles, swooping around the bushes with their wings noisily beating against each other. On the summit (photo looking south-east), there were Swallowtails and Scarce Swallowtails and this single Lulworth Skipper (photo). After the steep descent I took a well-earned swim in the sea.
17th: Still in Lazio and a walk in the hills near Sonnino revealed some Italian Marbled Whites (photo, photo), this Large Wall Brown (photo) and this Small Skipper (photo)
25th: Back in Trentino in the north of Italy. Time to do a quick excursion to a road where I have found Poplar Admirals in this period in previous years. Just before reaching the spot, one flew up from the road surface. I immediately stopped the car, got my camera and watched for several minutes as the butterfly flitted backwards and forwards across the tarmac, resting for just a couple of seconds before taking off again. Unfortunately, several times when it did stop a car or lorry came past and disturbed it. The only shots I got were when it perched on a tree about 4m up from where I was (photo).  Also spotted was this Chequered Skipper (photo), this Ringlet (photo) and this Woodland Brown (photo)
25th-27th: Three days in the mountains, not near home this time but in Friuli. In the meadows near the campsite at about 900 m asl there were these small Fritillaries which I am having difficulty in identifying.(photo upperside, photo underside) Are they Assmann's Fritillaries or False Heath Fritillaries, both of which have been recorded in the area, or simply Heath Fritillaries? I am betting that they are M. britomartis because of their rapid wing movement in flight and their straight-line flight path, something which I haven't ever seen with M. diamina or M. athalia. There was also this lovely Arran Brown (with no white eyes in the spots)(photo, photo), this Mazarine Blue (photo) and this White Admiral (photo) - which I was pleased to get a decent photo of. The 2nd day - our hopes of getting to a high altitude easily were dashed when we discovered that the chair lift up the mountain was only open at weekends (and today was Monday!). A 900 metre-climb in temperatures of 30+ degrees was quite tough-going (photo of view on way up) but I was rewarded at about 1800m asl with seeing some Marsh fritillaries (photo), some Alpine Heaths, a single Asian Fritillary (photo), some Apollos (photo), a couple of Alpine Graylings (photo) and lots of Clouded Apollos (photo). I would have liked to have gone the extra 300m up to the mountain top, but it was getting late and had started to cloud over and I had a long way to walk down to the village and then to the camp-site.
I have spent a good part of July in Croatia (but with limited time for looking for butterflies.) However, it's always nice to see species flying commonly that I don't often see in my part of Italy, notably Map Butterflies (photo), Large Chequered Skippers (photo), Large Coppers (photo) and Common Gliders. (photo) (See 2021 Year List for other species not seen earlier this year). As usual, the beauty of the rural Croatian countryside never ceases to amaze me with its hills, lakes, rivers, and spectacular waterfalls. Here are some photos: (photo near Samobor, photo in Maximir park, photo on the Meznica river, photo in Rastoke, photo of the Slunjcica river near Rastoke: On the banks of the last river mentioned, there were hundreds of Blues, obviously feeding on something tasty. Here is one of the groups of them (photo), basically, I believe, consisting of 2 species: Short-tailed Blues and Silver-studded Blues. (Please let me know if you can identify others...) However, the highlight, butterfly-wise, was at the end of the month when I spent a hot day in the meadows bordering a wood near Zagreb (photo) and I came across this female Brown Haistreak (photo). I got a couple of good shots of it as it crawled through the low vegetation, but just as it was about to open its wings fully (photo), a Knapweed Fritillary came along and disturbed it and they both flew off in different directions. Despite spending another 90 minutes scouring the surrounding meadows and bushes (and also returning to the same spot later in the afternoon), I didn't find another Brown Hairstreak. In fact, my efforts to find the species resulted in me missing an opportunity for getting good photos of another species that I have rarely found -  the Meleager's Blue. Although I took some photos of the underside (photo), I didn't look carefully at what I was taking and consequently didn't recognise the species there and then (it was obvious when I looked at the photos later on my computer.) I could possibly have got some upperside shots had I been more awake and less focused on T. betulae. However, I enjoyed my few hours of hunting. Here is a photo of one of the several Knapweeds around and one of a Southern White Admiral (photo).
4th - 10th. My missed opportunities of photographing Meleager's Blue in Croatia have now been forgotten. The reason...? I have seen and photographed the butterfly in Italy. It took several attempts and 3 fairly long walks in the hot sun to get what I wanted but... mission accomplished! I spotted 3 males at the end of a 2km-long track on the side of the hill at the back of the village of Sonnino in Lazio (photo of location) and took a few photos (photo of male underside). However, the butterflies would not open their wings for an upperside shot probably due to the fact that the sun had already been on the path at that point for about 30 minutes . I therefore decided to get up even earlier the next day to see if I could catch the butterflies warming up in first rays of the sun. Success! (photo of male upperside)... but, still not completely satisfied I wanted to see a female. Of course, there were none around! My 3rd attempt was a few days later in the full sun at about 10.30 when it was extremely hot.... and .. yes ... there was one female with its wings more or less open, allowing me to get this photo. Just a few minutes earlier I had had a (fairly) close encounter with a single Cardinal (photo) ... a butterfly which I had never seen in the area before. Double satisfaction!
26th: The extremely hot weather which has lasted for over half of August has now given way to cooler, stormier weather. Finally, I now have the opportunity to do what would have been difficult to do earlier in the month because of the intense heat - head towards the Appenines and climb a mountain (Monte Monna). After a 90-minute drive I arrived at 7am at my starting point of 850m asl in cool, windy conditions (maybe I could have got up later!).  I didn't see any butterflies until I had climbed to just over 1000m when there were a few blues (Chalkhill, Common and Adonis) sunning themselves on thistles in a clearing and some Large Wall Browns. After a long hard climb through thick woods, the terrain opened up about 200m from the summit (photo). The first find there was a Ringlet (an Erebia), which I later confirmed as being an Autumn Ringlet (photo), one of the very few Erebia species that are present in central Italy. The only other butterflies flying on this part of the mountain were Chalkhill Blues (photo of a mating pair), of which there were many. As I approached the summit (photo 1,950m asl) the mist was rising from the plains below and it was getting colder and darker. (This is my last photo of the mountains before I was enveloped in clouds.) I ate my sandwich and decided not to wait for any possible improvement in the weather but start my descent. Down again at about 1,100m I started looking closely at any pale underside blue butterflies, hoping to find some Furry Blues in amongst the many Chalkhill Blues. What I did spot was a blue with a pale underside which took to flight when I disturbed it, revealing a darker, Common Blue-like upperside. Luckily it settled and I recognised it from the heart-shaped underside markings as a Turquoise Blue - a totally new species for me. Here is a photo. Unfortunately, being quite cold and damp, I could not persuade it to open its wings to get any upperside photos and it soon flew off.
Returning to my car, I drove a short distance to a stream I had passed earlier to see if there was anything interesting there. Good decision! I came across a butterfly which I personally had only ever seen in Croatia - a Southern Comma (photo, photo). A few minutes later the rain and thunderstorm started! I returned home tired but content.
4th: Back on the hill in my local area, Trentino (photo), I was pleased to see lots of species still on the wing. The most common was the Scotch Argus, photographed here in this meadow. Here is a photo of another one. Also still fairly fresh-looking was this Dryad butterfly (photo). Sorry not to have got any photos of the other species: it was a warm day and all the butterflies were very active. Instead, here is a photo of a Swallowtail that visited our garden the next day.
12th-14th: Finally a chance to spend two-and-a-half days in the high mountains (around Madonna di Campiglio) and to look for high-altitude species which, given the continuing warm weather, may still be flying.
    The first afternoon at about 2000m asl in fairly warm sunshine there were Marbled Ringlets flying by the side of the track where I parked my car (photo). Encouraged by this, I ventured on foot up the valley, hoping to find more butterflies of interest higher up (photo of track). Unfortunately, as I climbed, the clouds got thicker and it got colder and I ended up being disappointed by seeing nothing else. Here is a view from the higher part of the valley (photo). As I was descending (and gradually warming up) I came across this Oak Eggar caterpillar (photo) and just before I got back to my car, the sun came out. This was good timing because at that moment I was walking along a path through some longer grass near a stream (photo) and the location was obviously a sheltering place for several butterfly species. Here is a photo of a Water Ringlet (photo) and what I believe is a  Lesser Mountain Ringlet (photo upperside, photo underside)[On re-examination, it is more likely to be an Almond Eyed Ringlet. Thanks to Jason Sargerson for suggesting this to me.] Returning to a lower altitude there was this solitary Dark Green Fritillary nectaring in a meadow (photo).
    My wife and I decided to start the second day again at high altituide, this time at the top of the ski slopes on the other side of the main valley, which was more exposed to the sun. Immediately on arrival at 2,400m asl, I went towards the only flowery part of the mountain (photo) and was rewarded by seeing a number of Common Brassy Ringlets flying in the warm sunshine! Great...? No .... it proved very difficult to get any good photos as the butterflies never stopped in one place for more than a few seconds - a common problem for butterfly hunters,! With patience, however, most things are possible. Here is one with its wings open (photo). And here is another with its wings closed (photo), taken just over the ridge about 50m away from the first (photo of view). I should say that the temperature was 20+ degrees C, much hotter than I would have expected at this altitude at this time of the year. After spending 2 or 3 hours there, we descended to a lower altitude (2,100m) as on the previous day and started exploring. Here is a view of the scenery (photo) and one of a sentry marmot (photo).  Butterfly-wise, I came across several Dark Green Fritillaries (photo), lots of Common Brassy Ringlets, some Water Ringlets and in one particular area several Scarce Coppers (photo).
    The third day we spend 2-3 hours in the beautiful Vallesinella. The scenery was absolutely wonderful (photo, photo), but I found little else of interest in terms of butterflies. ......Wait! Sorry. I had forgotten!!! Driving through the woods into the valley, I spotted a Camberwell Beauty gliding by the side of the car. I immediately stopped, grabbed my camera and approached the spot where I thought the butterfly had landed. It was there, but as I tried to get into a position to take a photo, a van drove past and disturbed it! Despite waiting for a while, it didn't come back.
4th: A good start to the month, weather-wise, but nothing special in terms of butterflies on the few occasions I had to go looking. Here is one of my favourite local places (photo) and here is a photo of a beetle.
10th: A walk in another area in the main valley (photo) brought only one sighting .... a Red Admiral (photo).
14th: - For most of the rest of the month, I was in Lazio again . (Photo of the path where I went walking). A little disappointing with regard to the number of different species still flying. The most interesting was probably the several fresh-looking Cleopatras on the wing as well as 1 or 2 Southern White Admirals, but, unfortunately, none of them gave me any photo opportunity. The only butterflies I got a photo of were this old-looking Lang's Short-tailed Blue (photo) and this very worn Woodland Grayling (photo) (or is it a Grayling???)
1st - 11th: It's cold and wet with some snow on the tops of the mountains!
21st: After the bad weather at the start of the month, the last few days have been generally warm and sunny, although it's been nippy early morning (Today: min temp: 5 degrees C, max: 15 degrees C). A surprising number of species were flying at about 1.30 today: Red Admirals, Small Whites, Clouded Yellows, a Wall Brown, this Small Copper (photo) and several Geranium Bronzes. Here are a couple of autumnal photos of the vineyards where I saw the butterflies today and which were the backdrop for many photos of butterflies taken in early spring this year (photo, photo).
27th - 28th: Cold weather and snow  - but it didn't quite reach our village on the valley bottom. Here are a couple of photos 5-6 hours after it had stopped snowing and the clouds had started to clear (photo, photo).
29th: Here are some photos taken the day after the snowfalls with the usual vinyard shots but showing a good covereing of white on the nearby mountains (photo, photo, photo)
1st - 5th: The weather has remained very cold with temperatures getting down to -3° C during the night amd remaining only just above freezing for most of the days. However, today the sun was warm and with the 9°C temperatures I went out for a walk at about 1pm to see if any butterflies had survived the cold spell. Success! 2 Clouded Yellows (photo, photo) and a Small Copper (photo), in exactly the same spot as the one I photographed on 21st November, so probably the same butterfly.
8th - 9th: We have about 15cm of snow on the ground in the valley.
17th: With night-time temperatures consistently below zero and snow still on the ground  in the shade at low altitudes, are the butterflies I saw today going to be the last of the season? I wonder...? Three, or was it four, Red Admirals flying together on a small hill, not in my local area, but by the side of the Lago d'Iseo, not far from Brescia. Here is the position (photo, photo) and here is one the Red Admirals (photo), nicely warming itself near a red mark on a rock.