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Wednesday 29 April 2015

A - Z Challenge - Butterflies 'Y'

Y - Yellow butterflies - Clouded Yellows

I introduced a yellow butterfly, the Brimstone, under the letter 'B' so that we knew early on where the term 'butterfly' originated.

Apart from the Brimstone there are three species of yellow butterflies seen in Britain; all are migrants from the warmer parts of Europe. As immigration is a hot topic in the current election campaign I just hope the Clouded Yellows continue to be welcomed on our shores.

The Common Clouded Yellow is a deep orange-yellow although you would not think so looking at its underside.


Common Clouded Yellow
This specimen however shows its 'orange' colour. You might be forgiven for saying this isn't a yellow butterfly at all.

Common Clouded Yellow
It's sometimes called  the Dark Clouded Yellow instead.

As its name implies the Pale Clouded Yellow, together with Berger's Clouded Yellow is much paler.

Berger's Clouded Yellow - specimen
Berger's Clouded Yellow
The green caterpillars of all three feed on clover and lucerne. The adults emerge in autumn, If any new caterpillars are produced they rarely survive the British winter.

Love is like a butterfly
As soft and gentle as a sigh
The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings
Love makes your heart feel strange inside
It flutters like soft wings in flight
Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing

I feel it when you're with me
It happens when you kiss me
That rare and gentle feeling that I feel inside
Your touch is soft and gentle
Your kiss is warm and tender
Whenever I am with you I think of butterflies

Love is like a butterfly
The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings
Love makes your heart feel strange inside
It flutters like soft wings in flight
Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing

Your laughter brings me sunshine
Every day is spring time
And I am only happy when you are by my side
How precious is this love we share
How very precious, sweet and rare
Together we belong like daffodils and butterflies

Love is like a butterfly
As soft and gentle as a sigh
The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings
Love makes your heart feel strange inside
It flutters like soft wings in flight
Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing

Photo attributions:

  • Common Clouded Yellow (on thistle), by Katya, 2 June 2014 - CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Common Clouded Yellow specimen, upload by Sareto, 19 September 2007 - CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Berger's Clouded Yellow specimen, 26 July 2014, by Durni - CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Berger's Clouded Yellow, by Zeynei Cebeci (Turkey) - CC BY-SA 4.0

9 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob - they are amazing how many varieties and how the colours are 'coded' as such ...

Love seeing them ... brimstone from sulfur ... so yellow ...

This will be a great reference resource ... cheers and congratulations on your range of butterflies you've given us - Hilary

Billy Blue Eyes said...

Reminds me of the Cabage White. Woder if any will migrate here

21 Wits said...

Great poem! Your first photo is such a lovely capture, of plant as well.

Bish Denham said...

So pretty. You're right the orange one could hardly be called yellow...

The yellow butterflies we have here in Texas (and probably the rest of the U. S.) are referred to as Sulfurs.

Maria said...

I grew up seeing mostly yellow butterflies. This post makes me nostalgic with childhood memories.

Kern Windwraith said...

So lovely and cheerful--there's just something about a yellow butterfly that makes my heart lift.

Kristin said...

I never knew there were so many butterflies that were different colors on the top and bottom. I think those I see flying around here are the same top and bottom. I also think I should look at them more carefully in the future.

Jo said...

I`ve always loved seeing butterflies but I never realised there were so many. These yellow butterflies are lovely as most of them have been. Is there another line for the song for you Z postÉ

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

I've often seen the yellow/orange butterflies around but hadn't realised they were migrants. Nor did I know the name.