Clouded Yellow Influx (or Dribs and Drabs)

[Perseus]

Hello,

16 July 2009
My first Clouded Yellow Butterfly since 2007 flew over Frampton's Field, Old Shoreham, and disappeared from sight amongst the Creeping Thistles. On Mill Hill in the early afternoon the count of male Chalkhill Blue Butterflies was 30. As expected at this time of the year, Large Whites, Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers were all frequently seen. At least five Small Blues, most in good condition were seen on the southern bank of Buckingham Cutting and this must be a second brood. The fifteen butterfly species was the most in a single day this year.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2009.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2009.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: July 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/July2009.html

[Mark Senior]

Between 8 and 11 Clouded Yellows today at Ouse Estuary Nature Reserve . I am sure these are all UK born .

[Perseus]

Between 8 and 11 Clouded Yellows today at Ouse Estuary Nature Reserve . I am sure these are all UK born .

In 2007, I saw a Clouded Yellow emerge in the Adur valley at Upper Beeding. However, I think the one I saw was most likely an immigrant.

[pearsoda]

Two, maybe three Clouded Yellows at Magdalen Hill Down (Winchester) on Sunday 9 August.

Dave.

[Perseus]

Hello,

5 August 2009
Two Clouded Yellow Butterflies flew strongly over the short grass immediately to the east of the main clump of trees on Lancing Ring.
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/LancingRing2009.htm

6 August 2009
On a humid sunny morning the Chalkhill Blue Butterfly count in a 15 minute transect on the lower slopes of Mill Hill was a paltry 37 with just one female seen. There were frequent Common Blues including males courting with very small females. The first male second brood Adonis Blues were recognised when they settled, as in flight they could not separated reliably from Common Blues. There could have been up to a dozen of them. Four Clouded Yellows were notable, with one on the lower slopes and at least three on the upper slopes with two either sparring or courting.

Mill Hill Reports 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/MillHill2009.html


First Adur Butterfly Dates 2003 to 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/ButterfliesFFT.htm

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2009.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2009.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: August 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/August2009.html

[Perseus]

Hello,

Duplicate Post



On Mill Hill, two Clouded Yellows courted and then mated and this was also the first time that this has been seen locally.

Addenda:

The Clouded Yellow Butterflies usually appear with their wings closed, but it has been reported that the wings actually open and close faster than the human eye can observe, and in the photograph above, I surmise pre-mating sequence of about a second, that the wings open and close at a slower rate.


Is this correct? Do Clouded Yellows actually open and close their wings so fast that we cannot see them? Or is this a fallacy ?

Not sure myself.

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Clouded Yellows never seem to rest with their wings open. In fact they flick them open so quickly you can't actually see it. I put the new camera's ability to shoot 3 frames per second in continuous bursts of up to 27 to the test to see if I could capture the wings open and was surprised to find I'd managed it on one of the first frames.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93372558@N00/1623261944/

Dave Appleton

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Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2009.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2009.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: November 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Nov2009.html