On a number of occasions I've seen Clouded Yellows in the UK following main roads or lanes non stop. When I was much younger and very much fitter, I chased one for around a mile barely able to keep up with it in its incessant pressing on mode...I did net it though and became an exhausted perspiring heap in so doing ....No chance keeping up with one now...
. Observed this non stop pressing on behaviour many times now.
Even more remarkable, until he died in the 1980s, we frequently visited my Father-in-Law at his house right on the coast at Budleigh Salterton in South Devon. Hummingbird Hawk Moths were frequent in his back garden which overlooked the sea and even the occasional Kingfisher would cruise by, just above the water surface over a water course at the bottom of his very long garden. He placed a garden seat there and I spent many happy times just watching the wildlife. One August I observed a steady stream of Clouded Yellows coming in from the sea and continuing to fly strongly inland straight up his long garden and up over the house and out of sight. They did not stop for refreshment from any of the many suitable flowers in the garden. This is a very strong flying butterfly and can easily cover big distances when non-stop pressing on that way.
Conversely, the relatively frail and weak flying Wood White also uses lane and roadsides to move around well removed from their usual Woodland habitats in a non-stop fashion. Observed this several times over the years. Up until about the mid-1980s when my two sons were born, I had much more time and always carried a net in the boot of my car as my occupation meant I travelled over much of central England at that time. I always kept an eye on things ~ as well as the road. Thus when I observed anything worth further investigation I would stop and check to make certain of what I think I saw and a quick net provided the positive answer.
I know of two or three woods where the Wood White was certainly not present a few decades ago but has a good populations there now ~ fortunately two woods in my favourite county and less than twelve miles from my home.
. But when it gets cold in the winter, too cold, the follow the climate back. So they follow the warm weather!
