I've just seen a Clouded Yellow butterfly!

[Nicola Main]

Hello all. I am really excited I have just come back from my afternoon walk with the dog and I seen what I definitely believe to be a Clouded Yellow butterfly! It flew right past me very fast but I did see yellowish wings with a dark border, it flew past me at about head height. There were also quite a lot of Ringlets, a couple of Small Coppers and the odd Large White. This morning's walk was also very rewarding with my first ever view of a Painted Lady!

There were also quite a lot of moth species. The largest being a Silver Y. With their being so many species of moth I don't know the precise names of the other moths I observed but there were quite a few from the carpet family (I think) and a smallish yellow moth which I think may have been a Speckled Yellow.

All of these moths were seen in a grassy field in GS NO 546 347. The field is full of a variety of grass species and the south side has got a tangle of brambles and a few small trees; the north side has some large scots pine trees and broadleaved trees. I hope the sun stays out so that I can go back again later this evening and see if I can see anything else.

Regards, Nicola.

[Alan]

Good for you Nicola, hope you see many more

[jezlee]

I'm jealous, Nicola! Here I am stuck indoors at work, and there's you in the fresh air, seeing any number of wonderful things around you .... shame you didn't have your camera ....

Seriously, it sounds like you had a really interesting walk - I hope this evening's walk will be just as productive!

[Willow]

Wow! That's fantastic, Nicola! I've yet to see a Clouded Yellow - big congratulations on seeing that - and on seeing your first Painted Lady! You must be having much better weather up in Scotland than we're having here in Bristol today - it's been pouring down almost constantly, and the butterflies are all in hiding!

Good luck for this evening....Let us know if you spot any more Clouded Yellows!

[rlchew]

I remember seeing about 12 or 15 Clouded Yellows at one small site in south Essex a few years ago (amazing!) but have never seen one since.

I think that they are migrants to the UK with varying numbers occuring each year .... but then I may be totally wrong and will stand corrected by the butterfly experts on WAB.

Richard

[DL]

Great find. I have been doing counts at Arbroath and Elliot and have not seen one yet.

Silver Y were abundant over the last couple of weeks but I saw only one very ragged looking one today.

I could well be wrong but if you get a better look at the large White you may find its a Green-veined White.