This morning I went over to RSPB Otmoor, not to see birds this time, but to look for clouded yellow butterflies. These migrants are on the wing into the autumn and I have been checking the local butterfly blogs recently to see where I might find some. This week a report was made of at least five clouded yellow butterflies having been seen at Julys meadow at RSPB Otmoor, so as there seemed a good chance that they would be still be present I headed over there today.
I wasn't sure exactly sure where Julys meadow was, so did a bit of research on the internet and found there is a track leading to it from the Wetland Hide, which is a track I haven't followed before. It was quite easy to find, once I had walked along the bridleway, although as I reached one of the kissing gates , I saw someone coming back, so checked that I was in the right place. He indicated that the field in question was just a short distance along the path and said that the clouded yellows were definitely around, if I just waited a while for them to appear.
Sure enough the first golden yellow butterfly appeared within a couple of minutes, followed by a second. They flew fast over the tops of the flowers in the meadow, and I enjoyed watching them, several more appeared and I saw at least half a dozen at once, though there were probably more than that. Every so often one would settle for a few seconds on a flower, and eventually I managed to get close enough to take some photos of some of them before they whizzed off once more.
As it was lunch time, I sat down on the grass to eat my picnic at the edge of the meadow. It was peaceful with no one else in sight, and just occasionally a yellow butterfly would fly past.. There were few other butterflies around, although I did spot a small heath.
After considering I had enough photos for the day, I walked back along the track and bridleway, this time passing through the Roman road, a good spot for butterflies and dragonflies. There were a few speckled woods and a comma around, and good numbers of ruddy darters. I also had a good view of a southern hawker which clung to a piece of vegetation right by the path.
I started chatting to another visitor who was also searching the path. He told me had just been visiting with a group of 6 birders but hadn't known about the clouded yellows otherwise he would have shown them as they had been as far as the Wetland hide but then turned back! I wondered if the Julys meadow was a common area for the clouded yellows but he didn't think so as Otmoor is known for its brown hairstreaks more with only the occasionally clouded yellow reported. We had an brief discussion about some of the other butterflies seen in the locality before it was time for me to return home.
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