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Silver-spotted Skipper - Favourite Photo of 2023

Week 15

This time last year I wrote about incessant rain and freezing temperatures…sounds a little like déjà vu…(cue Monty Python sketch). Also a little like déjà vu is that fact that a hard storm is due to/has started to slam us again . So batten down the hatches and select your Favourites in the comfort and safety of your home.

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos as then it will be easier to keep track of things? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As in previous years details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Silver-spotted Skipper

Having reached one of my targets for the year (photographing all 5 Hairstreaks) I took a break from staring at hedgerows, Creeping Thistle and Wild Parsnip and instead turned my view downwards in the hunt for Silver-spots. On the drive over to Perham I wondered what the chances of finding them easily were? I got my answer exceedingly quickly as I’d barely set foot on the bottom of the Down when I spotted a golden blur down in amongst the turf. It must have just emerged as the wings seemed smaller than the very rotund abdomen. I helped it up onto a shrub so it didn’t get squashed underfoot and clicked away. I don’t normally ‘move’ butterflies but in this case the end result produced an image I was more than happy with.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

This species sees to have had a poor season at its usual stronghold up at Aston Rowant, though from what I saw numbers at Denbies appeared to have held up reasonably well. One from each site: Dave

Far fewer Silver Spots on the wing locally in 23' with numbers certainly down on 22' but still a few around !............. a mating pair still eludes me ..........with more time on my hands this year i,m determined to rectify that !
Anyway of the very few pics taken this was my favourite .
Allan.W.

I saw the Silver Spotted Kipper at Temple Ewell on the 10th of August, I was lucky because a group of people arrived later and didn't see any, I was stood on the slope when I saw the Skipper fly onto the flower in the photo and I managed just a couple of quick shots from a distance Goldie

Not the best season for them this year but this boldly marked female from Malling Down is my standout from last years crop.

A couple of visits to Old Winchester Hill in late August produced my Silver-spotted Skippers for 2023. The first visit was when we stopped off for an hour on our way down to see our daughter in Emsworth when, despite the cloudy conditions, I saw around a dozen which included two pairs in cop.
During a second visit a couple of days later I saw a few more flying but numbers were down compared with what I have seen here previously.
Cheers,

Neil.

bugboy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2024 6:02 pmNot the best season for them this year but this boldly marked female from Malling Down is my standout from last years crop.Silver-spotted Skipper

Stunner!

Didn't see them in the UK last year, but as usual there were hundreds of them about in Montes Universales in Spain at the beginning of August:

On a rather cloudy afternoon on Denbies Hillside in August, a few sunny intervals brought out some skippers, including this male.
They are often to be found basking on the warm bare chalk of the paths later in the afternoon. This one chose almost the same spot as a rather worn Chalkhill Blue.
Later in August there were many skippers to be seen along the path at the foot of the hill, including this female which was clearly enjoying the scabious.