Find what you're looking for...
Essex Skipper. Photo: Brian Arnold
Brian sent in this photo telling us:
Today, 8th July, we saw our first Essex Skipper of 2025 in our garden at Harman’s Cross. It was nectaring on our patch of Marjoram. The Marjoram flowers were also attracting several Peacocks, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Gatekeepers, Silver-washed Fritillaries, and a single Small Skipper.
Essex Skipper. Photo: Paul Harris
Essex Skipper. Photo: Paul Harris
Paul sent in these photos of an Essex Skipper he found in his conservatory in Weymouth yesterday, 03/07/2025 telling us that it is first ever record of this species in his garden. The photos clearly show the diagnostic black undersides to the antennae.
Essex Skipper. Photo: Mark Pike
Essex Skipper. Photo: Mark Pike
Mark saw this very fresh Essex Skipper on 26 June in Motcombe Meadows, which is a 10.5 hectare site near Shaftesbury. You can find details of this lovely little site on our Places page.
Essex Skipper. Photo: Rod Jenkins
Essex Skipper. Photo: Rod Jenkins
Two photos from Rod sent in telling us:
In the Spring of this year we decided to convert a patch of gravel in our Mudeford front garden to a wild flower patch, sown with a dry sandy loam seed mixture and some cornfield annuals. So far we have seen several varieties of bees but today, 16/07/2024 we saw our first butterfly visitor – an Essex Skipper.
Essex Skipper. Photo: Mark Hardaker
Essex Skipper. Photo: Mark Hardaker
Two photos from Mark sent in with the following comments:
During my Wimborne St. Giles transect walk yesterday, 11/07/2024 I managed to see a number of Essex Skippers as well as, at the same site, several Small Skippers. While the Essex allowed me to happily snap away with my iPhone, the Smalls were a little more jittery and I didn’t get any images of them. At least the Essex Skipper can be positively identified by the black antennae tips in these images, the shape of the wing and the scent line which is parallel to the forewing leading edge.
Essex Skipper. Photo: Kevin Denham
Essex Skipper. Photo: Kevin Denham
Kevin sent in these two photos with the following comments:
I observed this Essex Skipper in my garden near Broadmayne yesterday 10/07/2024. This is the first record of this species in the garden and brings the total number of species identified to 26 over the past three years.
Editor’s Note: The Essex Skipper is virtually identical in appearance to the Small Skipper apart from the distinctive glossy black tips to the underside of the antennae (those of the Small Skipper being dull brown or orange). This one has been confirmed as an Essex Skipper by one of our “verifiers” and the black tips are clearly visible in these photos.
Essex Skippers. Photo: Shona Refoy
Essex Skippers. Photo: Shona Refoy
Two photos from Shona sent in telling us:
There were plenty of Small/Essex Skippers at Badbury Rings this morning, 05/07/2023. I positively identified five of them as Essex Skippers, including this, my first ever mating pair. It was tricky taking photos, as they were on top of a wobbly flower amongst other vegetation, in a wind tunnel between the Rings – everything was being blown sideways! The pair separated soon after the bottom photo was taken, the male then sat nearby.
Essex Skipper. Photo: Rob Morrison
Rob sent in this photo with the following comments:
I took this photo of an Essex Skipper in Sixpenny Handley on 27/06/2023 on my WCBS butterfly count. Although the day was overcast, it was a warm afternoon and butterflies were active. I did note that Small and Essex Skippers were largely grounded or confined to short flights only, which enabled accurate identification of sitting individuals. I also noted that in the same manner in which Green Veined Whites and Small Whites have minimal interaction, the Skippers likewise kept carefully to their own species in the same local environment.
Essex Skipper. Photo: Michael Lewis
Essex Skipper. Photo: Michael Lewis
Mike sent in these two photos with the following comments:
Skippers have started appearing in my Dorchester garden today, 23/06/2023. I’ve been using an app to help identify wildflowers and I thought I’d try it out on these butterflies but I sort of wish I hadn’t because it’s telling me with high confidence that they are either Essex or Lulworth Skippers and I thought they were Small. Despite being familiar with some of the defining characteristics I still find it difficult to tell them apart, but whatever they are, I love their orange gorgeousness!
Editor’s Note: To get a definitive ID for these two butterflies, I referred both photos to one of our “verifiers” who confirmed that they are both Essex Skippers. He said that fortunately they are both male so the short straight sex brand on the forewing is diagnostic. The often quoted black antennae tips – dipped in ink – less clear (unlike in Shona Refoy’s photos posted a few days ago). Females always much harder to be sure about unless photo is from the front and underneath to show antennae tips.
Essex Skipper. Photo: Shona Refoy
Essex Skipper. Photo: Shona Refoy
Shona sent in these two interesting photos with the following comments:
I went to the edge of a field near Badbury Rings this morning, 15/06/2023 hoping to see a Small Skipper. I saw one Skipper which was small, but, much to my surprise, was actually an Essex Skipper. The short, straight sex brand and black tipped antennae leave me in no doubt about his identity.
Editor’s Note: Just to reinforce what Shona has said, these photos clearly show the two key diagnostic features of an Essex Skipper – short straight sex brand (male only of course) in the top photo and the neat black tips to the antennae always best viewed from below in the lower photo .