Solar power: Sunny April weather sees butterflies take flight

Whether on the farm, in the garden, or the council-owned and managed open spaces, every patch of green space can play a role in helping butterflies and biodiversity, mainly by facilitating native flowering plants

The shape and pattern of the brimstone butterfly’s wings look uncannily like a leaf, and their sulphur yellow colouring is excellent camouflage among freshly emerging, spring green leaves where they like to linger. Brimstone as a name is thought to come from the association of sulphur with the fires of hell. Picture: Nick Edge/PA

Watching butterflies is one of life’s little joys. Colourful wing patterns and intriguing life cycles are a recurring source of wonder. This past week of warm, sunny weather has brought lots of different butterflies out, for butterflies need the heat of the sun to warm up their bodies and be able to fly. This is why we often see butterflies lingering in the sunshine — charging up on solar power.

A few days ago, I caught a glimpse of a big yellow butterfly, flying with unhurried ease over the sunny limestone-clad landscape of the Burren in County Clare. It’s the first time I’ve seen a brimstone butterfly, a bright yellowish green beauty that is not widespread in Ireland, though plentiful in the west and in the Burren in particular. Knowing it as the only yellow butterfly here, I was instantly enamoured.