www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Essex Skipper - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 5

So we’re an 12th of the way through…feels like we’ve hardly started ! Mind you the recent days have all passed by feeling the same; a blanket of grey…

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

Saw my Essex Skippers on the 29th of June and the 17th July at Seasalter , I didn't realise at the time that they were ESkippers

Still can't believe it Goldie

The Essex Skipper was by far the most recorded Skipper for me in my corner of North East Essex and my visits to South Suffolk this year. A beautiful little butterfly who is quite often happy to have there photo taken.
This being one of my favourite butterfly photos of the year taken at Upper Hollesley Common on July 4th

Julian

In terms of date of first appearance, Essex Skippers have been slowly but surely catching up the Small Skippers on my local patch. They used to emerge about ten days later, but in 2024 they were on the wing just 24 hours after their close cousins. Numbers were down a bit, but as with every year now the annual grass cut in mid-July tends to knock them back so it can be difficult to estimate trends.

Anyway, there were plenty to choose from, and the less than spectacularly sunny weather during their flight season made them easier to photograph. Here are a couple from early on (late June) when they were fresh and richly coloured.On 2nd July, I checked an unlikely road verge right at the southwest corner of Heathrow Airport where I had found the species before, though not for a few years. They were back (if they had ever really gone away... ).A bit of context.If you ever happen to be driving from Terminal Four to the M25 in July, you'll be on that bit of road...

Dave

Butterfly_Julian wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2024 8:44 pm...This being one of my favourite butterfly photos of the year taken at Upper Hollesley Common on July 4th

That's a real good one, Julian.

David M wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2024 8:50 am

Butterfly_Julian wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2024 8:44 pm...This being one of my favourite butterfly photos of the year taken at Upper Hollesley Common on July 4th

That's a real good one, Julian.

Thanks David,

The Essex Skipper emerged on the 21st of June at my local meadow, one day before the Small Skipper which has become usual - it is a stronghold for the species with 30+ within the space of around two tennis courts. It is something I look forward to every year. They seemed to do no more than okay with just over 100 recorded sightings which is probably around 125 individuals within sites around Essex may be. Perhaps less than might be expected. The last one seen was on the 5th August. My main memory of the season was having my confidence in telling the difference between Essex and Small Skipper a little dented - probably an ego thing - so still feeling a little fragile I decided to play it safe:

Something a little different even if it is not in perfect focus:
And on the morning I put my identification skills to the test while they were still waking up in my little meadow at Meadgate Fields Open Space - I am a sucker for a cutie Essex Skipper photograph:

None of the golden skippers had a particularly good year around my patch in 2024 with all three species being down in numbers as well as seeming to come and go quite quickly.
Between the Small and Essex Skippers, the Essex seemed to be the least numerous with some days being a struggle to find a few Essex amongst the more numerous Small Skippers.
As ever, the males were easier to identify if I could get a clear view of the sex brand but this years rank grass growth made getting a clear head on shot difficult.
Cheers,

Neil.

David Lazarus wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2024 3:38 pm...And on the morning I put my identification skills to the test while they were still waking up in my little meadow at Meadgate Fields Open Space - I am a sucker for a cutie Essex Skipper photograph..

Very nice, David. I didn't take a single shot of them this year (shame on me) so it's nice to see those black-tipped antennae courtesy of others.

Essex Skipper

This came from one of several trips to Shipton Bellinger in search of Brostreaks.I chose this one for a couple of reasons. Firstly it was from one of my final trips with Philzoid before he emigrated ‘opp North’. Secondly I was chuffed to get the clearly diagnostic inkpads in shot as well as the luscious eyelashes. It was actually one of a pair in cop so I liked the way it was kinda peering over the petals in a slightly coy and slightly embarrassed fashion.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

On one of my transects at work a flush of Thymelicus Skippers emerged one week. Upon returning the next day to do a proper ID of as many as I could, I found every single one was a male Essex (I didn't record a single Small on either of my transects this year). The females began appearing the following week. here's a male showing there was no need to get down on all fours to look at the antennae.

Not too many Essex Skippers for me in 24' .Of all the "Small" Skippers that I looked through .......very few Essex .Had an early morning trip to Rye Harbour NNR.....just over the border (Bandit country !) and a short distance along the path from the visitor centre ,I stumbled across an area of around 20 metres that seemed to hold just Essex......very pleased ,this is where my shots were taken.

I like this one as my favourite. It is a front view, and I also like the way that it has been captured by its surroundings.