Proliferation of Clouded Yellows?
- Andrew Cunningham
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 1:56 pm
- Location: Devon
Proliferation of Clouded Yellows?
Hi all,
I am a birder first and foremost so I get into butterflies (and dragonflies) keenly each summer but the rarity doldrums have been so profound this summer in Devon that my butterfly passion has blossomed into more or less a prominent hobby for me.
Lately, I seem to be bumping into Clouded Yellows everywhere I go in the Tiverton and Exeter area including two in our garden. All in singles but I have now seen in excess of ten in the last two weeks.
Is there a good immigration going on due to the recent heatwave or am I just more clued up and noticing them?
Regards,
Andrew.
I am a birder first and foremost so I get into butterflies (and dragonflies) keenly each summer but the rarity doldrums have been so profound this summer in Devon that my butterfly passion has blossomed into more or less a prominent hobby for me.
Lately, I seem to be bumping into Clouded Yellows everywhere I go in the Tiverton and Exeter area including two in our garden. All in singles but I have now seen in excess of ten in the last two weeks.
Is there a good immigration going on due to the recent heatwave or am I just more clued up and noticing them?
Regards,
Andrew.
-
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:16 am
- Location: Harrogate
Hi Andrew,
I think it's a good year for migrants - as discussed elsewhere in this forum, there are lots of painted ladies and silver y's about. As for clouded yellows, it's difficult for me to comment because they rarely reach Yorkshire in any numbers. I've only ever seen 2 up here (though I have seen others further south), and they were both in the bumper year of 1983.
Dave.
I think it's a good year for migrants - as discussed elsewhere in this forum, there are lots of painted ladies and silver y's about. As for clouded yellows, it's difficult for me to comment because they rarely reach Yorkshire in any numbers. I've only ever seen 2 up here (though I have seen others further south), and they were both in the bumper year of 1983.
Dave.
DJT
Clouded Yellows
I saw two Clouded Yellows today ~2pm at Blackpool airport, while the LDBWS site reports four at Warton Crag yesterday http://www.lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk ... hp?8,10908
- Pete Eeles
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- Andrew Cunningham
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 1:56 pm
- Location: Devon
Clouded Yellows
Seems to have been a small influx into the coastal areas up here in the northwest over the weekend. The local birders website today reported 7+ around Middleton / Overton nature reserves, 7 on Warton Crag, 12+ on the north Fylde coast near Pilling/Cockerham while the two I saw at Blackpool airport are still there. Same link as above gives more details. First I've ever seen in the 20+ years since I moved to Lancashire
- Andrew Cunningham
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 1:56 pm
- Location: Devon
-
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:16 am
- Location: Harrogate
I found one flying south at Blackpool airport last friday, a couple of weeks after seeing the last one there. It was the middle of the day, and it seemed to be heading south with some urgency. Is there any historic record of a reverse migration southward (as with Red Admirals) when auturm arrives?
Or do they tend to just stay and die?
The local birders in the lancaster/morecambe area are still reporting them on an almost daily basis in ones and twos
jon
Or do they tend to just stay and die?
The local birders in the lancaster/morecambe area are still reporting them on an almost daily basis in ones and twos
jon
I have also seen several Clouded Yellows this year. I was just searching to find out if it was a good year for them, as I don't recall ever seeing one before, but have only been living in South Wales for 2 years.
I saw 2 in late June in Pembrokeshire, and several in the Swansea and Gower area during the last month. I even saw one in my garden a few weeks ago.
They are very active and hard to photograph, and never seem to land with their wings open, I managed to get a reasonable photo of one today.
![Image](http://upload4.postimage.org/1221794/clouded_yellow.jpg)
![Image](http://upload4.postimage.org/1221859/clouded_yellow.jpg)
I saw 2 in late June in Pembrokeshire, and several in the Swansea and Gower area during the last month. I even saw one in my garden a few weeks ago.
They are very active and hard to photograph, and never seem to land with their wings open, I managed to get a reasonable photo of one today.
![Image](http://upload4.postimage.org/1221794/clouded_yellow.jpg)
![Image](http://upload4.postimage.org/1221859/clouded_yellow.jpg)