CLOUDED YELLOW BUTTERFLY MIGRATION

By DAN FORDER WILDLIFE (@DanFWildlife)

Whist 'Vis-migging' (observing the visible migration of) autumn migrant birds on my lunch break at Watermead, I spotted a CLOUDED YELLOW Butterfly quite high over the water at Large Lake - it was battling the strong winds of an incoming storm & I was impressed with the control & determination of such a delicate & lightweight creature in such adverse conditions. Nature will always continue to amaze us.

CLOUDED YELLOW Butterfly battling strong winds of an incoming storm whilst migrating
- seen over Watermead Lake whilst 'Vis-migging' for passerines, 06/10/2020.

Despite being such a small subject at a fair distance, & in windy conditions, I was able to get a few shots as it passed through, though not leaving many pixels when cropped. I liked the punch of sun-bathed yellow against the darkening background of threatening sky, so I put together a composite image this small part of its journey.

The Clouded Yellow is a migratory species, originating from north Africa & southern Europe, with varying numbers each year straying as far as Britain, nost notably in the Autumn between mid-July & end of September.

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