Lulworth Skipper

[Lawts]

Is it still a bit early for rthis species? There was the very early record in April, but no-one has mentioned any sightings since. I'm trying to gauge when best to go to Durlston Country park for them. The Durlston "daily diary" is not making any reference to them.

Thanks.

[Wurzel]

You beat me to the question...I've been wondering the same thing. All I can offer is that you could try phoning Portland Bird Obs as there is apparently a small colony behind the Pulpit Pub there and the people at the Obs let you know if they've been sighted and where the best palce to see them is - although thier website hasn't mentioned them yet...
Good luck and if you find out anything can you let me know?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Hoggers]

Hi - if it's any help I saw them on 27th May 2011. I walked from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door ( early afternoon on a sunny day ) and found a small group of them on the cliff top right In front of the Ice Cream Van which was parked very near to Durdle Door itself. I bought myself a ' 99 ' to celebrate...!

[MikeOxon]

It's worth watching the Durlston Coutry Park daily diary at http://www.durlston.co.uk/index.php I've not seen Lulworths mentioned yet but it's usually a good place for them.

Mike

[Stufus]

There are plenty of Lulworth skippers out now and you don't have to venture too far from Lulworth Cove to see them. If you follow the coast path above the cove (going east) and check the long tor-grass on the other side of the fence you see loads. You can climb the fence at a sty with a Lulworth skipper marker on it. I saw about 30 in 5 minutes last Thursday (16th June), many nectaring on all sorts of flower, males and females, some of them quite tatty too (so they've been out a while), and you get the lovely view of the cove below as a bonus, plus other butterflies too. I have checked other places along the coast - including Portland but they seem a bit patchy, and they don't seem to be out yet further inland (they appear later at inland sites anyway). I haven't checked Durlston this year for them. Their flight times have appeared to become more elongated spanning several months, and they seem to emerge earlier these days than they used to, but you can see them now, and I expect to see the odd one up until late August.