That is good news Wurzel. I hope every UKBer gets to see this wonderful butterfly. As for me, I'm getting far more than my fair share of Clouded Yellows!
I took the hounds out at 7 this morning, to the usual field, and there I was astonished to see two Clouded Yellows, a male and a female, slowly flitting around in the warming sunshine. I didn't have my camera with me as it hadn't crossed my mind that I might see butterflies so early on. After the walk I took the dog home, fetched my camera and went back. The butterflies were still there
The male was the more active of the two and I saw him nectar several times.
The female either roosted on the ground or in the grass
The male twice found the female for me: I'd be watching him flying around when he'd suddenly duck down onto the ground and up would come the female, brushing him off
then settling down again
So that's five Clouded Yellows that I've seen in this one field alone so far this year, in the heart of Concrete Ashford.
I also saw this little Brown Argus
By 10am I'd arrived at Samphire Hoe, near Dover,with Brother Hoggles. We were on the lookout for second brood Wall.
I've rarely seen so much Buddleia: the path alongside of the railway is lined with beautiful big Buddleia bushes, all in full flower. There we counted 8 Painted Ladies
And would you believe, yet another Clouded Yellow
A couple of tattered Marbled Whites were still on the wing, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers, Large and Small Skippers
Numerous Large and Small Whites too.
Then we saw our first Wall
The sky had clouded and it had grown quite cool by this time so we had a wait while all the butterflies went to ground until the cloud had passed and it was once more warm and sunny. Common Blues appeared first and then more Wall
We saw 8 of them in total
Another rewarding and enjoyable day chasing butterflies.