Clouded Yellow - Favourite Photo of 2018

[Wurzel]

Clouded Yellow - Favourite Photo of 2018

Week 3

Things have been a fair bit cooler this weekend but luckily the Favorite Photo Thread is up and running so you can maintain your butterfly fix Don't panic if you post your favourite for this species only to find another in the coming days/weeks which surpassed your original choice, feel free to post one now and another later.

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

The one and only time I saw a Clouded Yellow so not a lot of choice, was at Sea Salter Kent on the 18th July Goldie

[millerd]

The latter part of the season has been (as it most often is) the best time for Clouded Yellows. In fact, they are probably still flying down along the sheltered south coast. Though I have seen quite a few from that part of the world, they did stray inland a bit, and I saw my first one at Noar Hill in early August. My favourite shots also come from an inland site, the familiar slopes of Denbies Hillside. These are probably all the same butterfly, and include my best attempt yet at capturing the upperside.

Dave

[CallumMac]

Like Goldie, I only saw one Cloudie this year. That was at RSPB Arne in Dorset, on 27th June (as far as I've been able to establish, one of the earliest records nationally this year). Having already been to Durlston that morning, I very fortunately felt the need for coffee and cake at the visitor centre before beginning to walk round the reserve. The butterfly was nectaring on lavender in the garden outside the cafe, which created a stunning colour contrast!

[Vince Massimo]

On the final week of the Gatwick Airport transect the one and only Clouded Yellow seen all year on the site brought the species total to 29. The fact that it was a helice female was an added bonus. Despite photographing many others (including mating pairs) on the south coast, this still remains my favourite.

Clouded Yellow - Gatwick Airport 26-Sept-2018

Vince

[David M]

Sadly, I didn't see a single Cloudie on UK soil in 2018.

There were plenty on my travels though; it's often the commonest roadside butterfly whilst I'm driving along.

This one is from the French Alps in July:

[Chris Jackson]

I'm happy for you for all your sightings of CY in the UK this year.
Down here I am the spoilt one and have no excuse for not posting something.
"Yellows" are prime candidates for backlit photos (see Millerd above) - here a female:

Chris

[Wurzel]

Clouded Yellow

This was taken in October on my final visit to Southbourne. I’d already seen and photographed a Cloudy at Laverstock as well as in the Dordogne but this offered stiff competition for my favourite shot as I’d been meaning to check out this site for this species for a number of seasons. I’m still trying to get 50 species in a year you see but when I find Wood Whites and the extra Fritillary needed (Glanville or Heath) it’s often then the Cloudy that keeps me from my target. So to have a reliable/regular site for them is a great bonus. This shot of the particular individual that I found was my favourite of the bunch as it was a real close up showing the contrasting pink/peachy head and the ‘stuck on’ green bead of an eye.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[dilettante]

Likewise no UK clouded yellows for me, but lots in Northern Spain in July.

Clouded Yellow. Castro Urdiales, Spain, 29-Jul-2018

[Medard]

La Réserve Naturelle du Marais de Moëze-Oléron, Charente-Maritime.19-09-2018.
Not as many seen as in previous years, only two seen at this location.

[bugboy]

Well it's safe to say I had quite a good season with these guys and ended the year with more pictures than all previous years combined, even after deleting a good 95% of everything I took!. Even so it was relatively easy to pick a favourite, my best effort yet at getting an upperside

and a few others that I really like, showing how the bright upperside works to camouflage them when resting amongst yellowing leaves. I like how the body hairs glow in the evening sun in these two as well

and then there was the courting pair which allowed me to get a good handful more upperside shots

[David M]

I just love that first image, BB. It belongs in a book to be honest.

[dave,b,james]

My favourite Clouded Yellow photo of the year has to be one of the photos taken during and impressive showing of the species at Sywell Country Park this year. We don't very often have double figure Clouded Yellows in Northants so to see 24 in one was quite something! It was made even more special with the discovery of no less than 3 form helice too! Here is a pic of one of them