Clouded Yellow - Favourite Photo of 2014

[Wurzel]

Week 3

So continues sequence of posts giving one and all the opportunity to showcase their favourite shots of 2014!

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As like last year 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

[David M]

I've seen 4 Clouded Yellows this year.

The first was, amazingly, on Good Friday a couple of miles from where I live. Two more were seen on 14th June at Collard Hill and the last was whilst Brown hairstreak spotting, at West Williamston in Pembrokeshire, on 31st August:

[millerd]

I was really pleased to find Clouded Yellows on my local patch again for the second year running. The first ones were back during the first couple of weeks of August when the weather took a bit of a dip, and then I found another in the same area on 11th October, also not in ideal weather. I saw others at Noar Hill in early August, but none elsewhere. The October sighting remains my favourite because it was so unexpected, and because the butterfly remained still for a long while, allowing me to experiment somewhat with the camera and not worry about disturbing the insect as all too often happens.

Only a fortnight ago!

Dave

[Wurzel]

Clouded Yellow

I had a relatively good year for Cloudies this year – not as many as last year but a lot earlier and generally without really trying. My favourite was taken at The Devenish in late August and is my fave for two reasons...

First because it fitted into one of my ‘collections’; “butterfly on my finger” (I also have ‘in cop’, ‘stained glass window’ and ‘on poo’) and was a species I wasn’t sure I’d be able to add to aforementioned collection.

Secondly it was taken on a blissful day with my younger daughter so every time I see it I’m reminded of the day; learning to climb gates, picnicking with the whole valley at our feet and then lying back on the warm grass in the summer rain while she read ‘The Three Little Pigs’.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

A Clouded Yellow on your hand is a noteworthy achievement, Wurzel!

I must try it some day.

[Chris Jackson]

Good open-wing shot David, I appreciate the trickiness.
I've seen so many Clouded Yellows down in the South of France this year that I'm spoilt for choice. However this pair posed nicely, and the female on the right is form helice.

And here's an upperside shot of a female

Chris

[Neil Freeman]

Cracking open wing shots by David and Chris

I saw something like 20 Clouded Yellows this year, about half as many as I saw in 2013 but still good going for me. My first ones were three or four seen on my first family break in Dorset this year, followed by a couple of fast flying examples around Solihull and finally about fifteen when I was back in Dorset on another family break in early September.

My favourite CY photo this year is the nice fresh looking individual below, seen on the path up to white Horse Hill at Osmington in Dorset on my first visit there this year at the end of June.

Clouded Yellow - Osmington 30.06.2014

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

And here's an upperside shot of a female

Have to say your image easily trumps mine, Chris!

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Neil,
And as you can appreciate David, for every one shot worth keeping, more than 100 ( 200 ? ) shots erased. We all experience that I think.
Chris

[David M]

And as you can appreciate David, for every one shot worth keeping, more than 100 ( 200 ? ) shots erased. We all experience that I think.

Indeed we do.

My personal record is 133 images of a single Purple Emperor and I wasn't truly happy with any of them!!

[MikeOxon]

Usually, there's plenty of time to consider, before choosing photos for this thread but, in this case, I only took my Clouded Yellow photos a couple of days ago. I have already described in my diary viewtopic.php?t=7459&start=240#p92364 how fortuitous it was that I decided to squeeze in a short walk on what was a rather busy day!

On looking through my photos again, I have selected this one, as it shows the upper wing surfaces of both male and female butterflies - something I've only managed to get very fleeting glimpses of before. On this occasion, the pair were fluttering around each other for long enough for me to remember to select a fast shutter speed and choose a good place from which to view the 'action'. With hindsight, I could have chosen a higher ISO, to give a little more 'speed', since I was working with my zoom lens at full aperture. Will I ever have such an opportunity again?

Radley Gravel Pits, Oxon - 28th October 2014
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR lens - 1/750s@f/5.6 ISO400

Mike

[Chris Jackson]

Good shot Mike,
Looks like you've trumped both David and me with that one.
That is just another example of why I should upgrade to a reflex. I can't get this clarity of shot with a FZ150 (FZ200 I don't know ?) - shutter speed is limited to 1/2000th of a second, although I suppose shutter speed might not be everything.
Clouded Yellows beat their wings faster than Cleopatras (and possibly Brimstones), and Cleopatras are already at the upper limit of the FZ150 for in-flight upperside shots.
Chris

[MikeOxon]

Thank you Chris, though I don't view these photos competitively! I was glad I had chosen to take the Nikon, in which I have great confidence. I don't know how my FZ200 would have coped with the conditions - no reason, in principle, why it should not have done a good job.

Mike