Small Skipper - Favourite Photo of 2011

[Vince Massimo]

This is a thread in which to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2011........................or the last time you saw one!

This is part of a series which will hopefully grow throughout the winter until all 58 British species have been covered. Three new threads will be introduced per week. Our overseas friends are welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to our rare migrants, but please try to observe the alphabetical listing

Details of places, dates, times and circumstances would be appreciated and please feel free to contribute obsrevations of behaviour, personal encounters, anecdotes and other interesting points.

Vince

[Nick Broomer]

The photo below was taken in the evening sun, with built in flash, at 6,28pm.

23, 6, 2011 small skipper.jpg

The next photo was taken at Oaken Wood at 14.30pm.

23. 7. 2011 small skipper.jpg

Nick.

[Wurzel]

This was taken back in June at Bentley Wood and led to the first recorded use of the word "Smessex". The subsequent discussion allowed me to get my eye in and I got a lot better at identifying male Smessexes as Small or Essex. The females are still tricky if you can't get under their heads so this year I'll hope to work on them. This little blighter had obviously heard about their reputation for fiery behaviour and was trying to live up to the hype. It reminded my of a little ball of rage, buzzing anything that came within an inch of it.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

great little butterflies these.

[millerd]

This was the best photo of last year, from Harmondsworth Moor near Heathrow on 15th July. This site has both these and Essex Skippers, so there's a lot of getting down in the grass to to get good identifying shots.

Dave

[Goldie M]

I didn't take many Small Skippers last year, I tend to get things wrong with the differant species, I hope i'm right with this one .It was taken at Sea Salter Kent on the 4th July, it was a very hot day.Goldie M

[MikeOxon]

Feisty creatures, these, and hard both to follow and to catch sitting still! At the time, I was looking for Lulworth's but it's always nice to see these too and I managed to find my target later (posted in the appropriate thread)

Durlston CP, Dorset - 4th July 2011
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR - 1/500s@f/11 ISO400

Mike

[Neil Freeman]

I remember spending a couple of weekends last summer around some of my local spots and checking every small golden skipper to see if it was an Essex or Small.
At three out of the four spots where I looked I managed to get head on shots to prove that both species were present but these photos were mostly just reference shots to get the antennae but one or two turned out reasonable.

Small Skipper - Elmdon Park nature reserve, Solihull

I also like the one below taken at Oversley Wood.

Small Skipper - Oversly Wood

Cheers,

Neil F.