WILLIAMSON'S WEEKLY NATURE NOTES

The Clouded Yellow. Yes, Trevor Howard as an entomologist: a butterfly collector. Now there's a funny thought. Needless to say, he is as competent in that unlikely role as he is in any of his roles, such as that of Air Vice Marshal Keith Park in Battle of Britain.

So every time I see a clouded yellow on my butterfly counts I make a sideways jump to the silver screen. The clouded yellow is, somehow, special anyway.

First, you hardly ever see one if you are a casual watcher, so any sighting is special. Then secondly it does have this rather wonderful saffron yellow colour.

Indeed, the earliest English authors called the male 'the Saffron' and the female 'the Spotted Saffron'. The Latin name Colias croceus further establishes the special rich yellow.

Both sexes have black tips to their wings (not visible in my photo), which contrast magnificently with their crocus yellow.

Both also have pale lilac spots on the underside of the hindwings. The whole show is unforgettable. Thirdly, these pretty little butterflies are great travellers.

They have flown in from as far away as north Africa or Mediterranean countries, sometimes in swarms. Thus the 1947 immigration was of large proportions, with 36,000 specimens recorded. That event gave rise to the original novel or thriller before being made into a film.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette October 31.