Alperen Yayla

Field Notes

Field Notes

Observations, field trips, photography notes, and stories from time spent looking for butterflies and moths across Turkey and Europe.

Field Trip

A Morning Among the Taurus Slopes

Three hours of climbing rewarded with a fresh Apollo sighting near the treeline, wings still damp from the morning mist.

Taurus Mountains, Turkey

June 14, 2024

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Species Note

Notes on the Scarce Swallowtail

Observations on courtship behavior and preferred nectar sources for Iphiclides podalirius along orchard edges.

Muğla, Turkey

May 2, 2024

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Photography

Chasing Light for Macro Shots

Early morning light and patient waiting produced some of the sharpest wing-scale detail I've captured this season.

Datça Peninsula, Turkey

April 19, 2024

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Conservation

Disappearing Meadows, Disappearing Blues

A short reflection on habitat fragmentation and what it means for small Lycaenid populations near agricultural land.

Central Anatolia, Turkey

March 30, 2024

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Habitat

Reading a Meadow Like a Map

How host plants, slope, and sun exposure shape which species you'll find, and where to look next.

Cappadocia, Turkey

March 8, 2024

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Moth Night

Lights On: A Night of Moth Trapping

A mercury-vapor lamp and a white sheet brought in dozens of species overnight, including a striking Giant Peacock Moth.

Izmir, Turkey

July 21, 2024

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