Small Skipper - Favourite Photo of 2024

[Wurzel]

Small Skipper - Favourite Photo of 2024

Week 17

We’re still rootling around in the underwear drawer of the butterfly world – the ‘smalls’…I’ll get my coat…which is just as well as the weather is pretty miserable at the moment. Oh for a bit more blue sky! Still not long to go now, fingers crossed.
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

[David T]

Even when having a bad year, there alway's seems to be plenty of Small Skipper's to be found.

Female Small Skipper - Houghton Regis 4th July @ 15:38pm

Male Small Skipper - Houghton Regis 4th July @ 17:49pm

Small Skipper Pair - Houghton Regis 10th July @ 15:08pm

Small Skipper - Houghton Regis @ 12th July 18:26pm

Small Skipper - Houghton Regis 16th July @ 17:06pm

[Goldie M]

I always have trouble identifying the Small Skipper and the Essex Skipper, I know what to look for but still get it wrong at times

Hope fully this time i'm right I saw this Skipper in East Blean Woods on the 7th of July Goldie

[David M]

26th July, at Rhossili Head on the Gower, was the only time I photographed one:

[David Lazarus]

My favourites are a male and female from a visit to Little Baddow Heath on the 14th of July - nothing special, I just like the photos and memories of the visit.

Small Skipper male
Little Baddow Heath 14/07/2024

Small Skipper female
Little Baddow Heath 14/07/2024

[bugboy]

Seemed quite late last year, I saw my first Essex before them. This freshly emerged male was found in the second half of July. It's holding an unusual 'all wings flat' pose as it flexes its new muscles before leaping into the air to find an equally fresh female.

[Neil Freeman]

Along with their Large and Essex cousins, Small Skipper did not have a good year around my patch in 2024. They were the most numerous of the three but still down on the numbers that I should see around here. I also found them difficult to photograph this year with very long grass growth usually intruding into the frame.

Small Skipper - Wagon Lane 05.07.2024

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Small Skipper

Back at the start of July I took a trip to Alners Gorse in the hope of catching up with the first two of the three Hairstreaks that fly at the site. It was one of those mornings when the weather doesn’t follow of the script as written by the Weather People and much of the first hours were spent traipsing around, getting dew soaked trouser legs seeking butterflies…well anything to photograph actually. Two of those things that ‘turned up’ (or more likely caught out by the cloud that had rolled in as I’d rolled down the hill) were a pair of Small Skippers caught in the act. They instantly became of the ‘stars of the trip’ and swiftly entered the top spot in my Fave Selection poll, a position from which they didn’t stray. The same couldn’t be said about their ‘stars of the trip’ status due to a smattering of Whitters and White Admirals but then you can’t win everything.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Allan.W.]

Small Skippers were down in numbers at most Kent (and East Sussex )sites I visited in 24' ,heres a pair from Orlestone.