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Clouded Yellow - Favourite Photo of 2023

Week 3

Another week on and despite there still being some butterflies about hopefully these Favourite threads are brightening the evenings!

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

Clouded Yellow

I felt slightly disappointed that I still couldn’t put anything in the Chequered Skipper thread so instead I selected two for this one. Both shots came from the same visit to Portland at the tail end of the season back in September. I’d tried various places and been keeping my eyes peeled for Cloudies all year as I knew that they were the key species to getting to my personal target of the year; reaching 50 species. I’d tried Martin Down, Perham Down, Sidbury, Alners Gorse and The Devenish –all places where I’ve encountered them in the past as well as their purported stronghold and overwintering site of Southbourne but alas no joy!

Then The-evil-book-of-Face came into its own and I got the low down from some very kind people over Social Media who didn’t just tell me where they were but advised on parking and gave me directions almost to the metre of where they’d be.

The first I chose as it is a ‘classic’ pose and I love the way the veins stand out, the glorious canary yellow shows through and the hairs on the head are lightly dusted in white/pink pollen. The second is a less typical view of the butterfly which I like as it shows the reverse Mohawk patterning on the top of the head with the central yellow stripe hemmed in by the pinkish hair on either side…I bet this butterfly would love the Pistols! Have a goodun

Wurzel

I went even longer than you without a Clouded Yellow sighting, Wurzel, and was resigning myself to either the long drive down to Boscombe or to a tricky spot in Sussex with the real possibility that the weather would make either trip a washout. Then a miracle happened, and I was out yesterday on my local patch in a brief spell of sunshine and a female Cloudie flew past me. She was on a mission, but I managed to catch up with her just long enough for my only encounter of the year. By default, this becomes my favourite photo of the species for 2023. Talk about leaving things till the latest possible moment!

Dave

That’s the best kinda sighting Dave
Have a good in
Wurzel

2023 wasn’t a vintage year and like many others I had a long wait for my first sighting, let alone a photograph. My first sighting was whilst dog walking at Gwithian beach on 7 October when two flew past with no intention of stopping, still very nice to see. The following day I went to a relatively sheltered section of cliffs on the south coast swapping the dogs for a camera. Two females were feeding and apart from the gradient it was easy to approach them Apologies for not a single favourite, but I really can’t choose from several.

Great stuff, Wolfson! Love the first image particularly.

The first half of September was a bonanza for this migrant species round my way, no doubt due to the long run of south easterlies and abnormally warm temperatures.

This individual provided a nice colour contrast with the flower it was nectaring from on 8th Sept at Port Eynon dunes:
A week later, at Aberthaw Beach, there were sufficient numbers flying for me to practice a few air shots:

All I was missing in mid October was a mating pair.