Silver-spotted Skipper - Favourite Photo of 2012

[Vince Massimo]

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2012 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter until all 59 UK species have been covered. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas friends are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

[Wurzel]

Silver-spotted Skipper

This was taken at Stockbridge Down during the second week of August. It’s my favourite because it was the easiest shot I’ve ever got of Silver Spotted Skipper. I spent a lot of time last year looking for them at Ham Hill at Martin Down having found a couple there the previous year. Last year I couldn’t find any there and this year shaped up to be the same with a few S.S.Skipperless trips. However when I went to Stockbridge there were almost laying out the carpet for me as it were. I passed through the gates to the reserve and within 3 minutes I’d seen and photographed both male and females basking on the path! I then had numerous run-ins with them throughout the course of the day although I kept getting distracted by Chalkhill Blues which were everywhere.
This is my favourite shot as it’s quite a fresh individual and it made me notice how long their legs are, almost like they’re standing on stilts. This year they seem much more golden/limey compared to the first year I saw and photographed them (2010) when they were almost grey. A cracking little butterfly; which is just pipped to the post as my favourite skipper by the Lulworth Skipper!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Nigel Kiteley]

Several trips to Aston Rowant produced plenty of Silver Spotted Skippers last year. The first of my favourites was taken on July 28th (i think it's friend is some sort of mirid bug). The second image was also taken on the same day, as was the third.

Another of my favourites was from a visit on August 19th when i also managed an open wing shot too. I never managed to find a copulating pair so that will be the target for this year.

[badgerbob]

Fabulous pics again Nigel. Here are a couple of offerings from Cradle Hill at the back of Seaford.

[badgerbob]

Fabulous pics again Nigel. Here are a couple of offerings from Cradle Hill at the back of Seaford.

[MikeOxon]

I liked this shot for the casual way the foreleg is resting on the grass stem - very cool! I'm also impressed by the array of tools on the centre leg - presumably for antenna cleaning.

Aston Rowant NNR - 19th August 2012
Nikon D300s with 300f4+1.4X TC - 1/250s@f/8 ISO400

Mike

[CFB]

My favourite shot from the end of August last year:

Taken with a Canon PowerShot S100, 1/200s., f/4.5, ISO 80 in the Parc de la Brague.
--
Colin

[Neil Freeman]

I had just the one visit to Aston Rowant last year in mid August when the photos below were taken. There were loads of Silver-spotted Skippers on the slopes on the north side of the M40.

Silver-spotted Skipper - Aston Rowant 16.08.2012

Silver-spotted Skipper - Aston Rowant 16.08.2012

Silver-spotted Skipper - Aston Rowant 16.08.2012

Cheers,

Neil.

[millerd]

I always seek this species out at Aston Rowant. Though I see it at Denbies and at Box Hill every year too, there are just so many more on this wonderful flowery Chiltern hillside. The butterflies below were seen on 28th July, a characteristically breezy and only intermittently sunny day. Typical poses, both of them - the first down on the bare chalky soil absorbing radiated warmth between sunny intervals, and the second nectaring on scabious.

Dave

[Maximus]

Marjoram Larder!

[essexbuzzard]

Well,silver-spotted skippers are smashing little butterflies,full of character,and have to be one of my absolute favorites. I actively search for them at several sites,every year,adding new sites if possible. However,i found numbers of adults to be lower last year,perhaps owing to the run of poor summers-i failed to find any at Denbies hillside,for example. After recent expansion,perhaps they are retreating back to traditional,well-maintained sites.
The adult below,taken from my diary,was photographed at Lydden Temple Ewell Downs,near Dover,where i see them every year,and reasonable numbers emerged. 5 September.

[Rosalyn]

I knew I had one somewhere. Nr Storrington W Sussex