This afternoon, on my way to work in Oxfordshire, I took advantage of the continuing sunny weather to stop off at Thrupp, near Abingdon. Members of the local butterfly conservation group had shared a collage of Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) sightings from the area on the UK Butterflies Facebook page, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to try and see them for myself.
I quickly located the clover field where the butterflies had been reported. It did not take long to spot my first individual, though photographing it proved far from straightforward. Over the next couple of hours, I counted seven Clouded Yellows, all skimming across the field and heading toward its centre, none venturing close enough for a clear shot. Eventually, walking along the field’s edge, I managed to find one that allowed a better view.
The Clouded Yellow is a migratory species from southern Europe and North Africa, which can arrive in Britain in substantial numbers during favourable conditions. Its appearance in Thrupp is a vivid example of this remarkable migratory phenomenon.