Tag Archives: Bindon Hill

View of a resting golden brown butterfly

Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Harold Gillen

Harold sent us this photo he took yesterday, 18/05/2020 with the following comments:

Out of lockdown I took my first trip of the season to Bindon Hill, West Lulworth, where I usually help the Rangers with the Butterfly Walks. I saw 11 species including Adonis Blue and the attached Lulworth Skipper.

Editor’s Note:  The date of the first sighting of a Lulworth Skipper notified to us this year was 07/05/2020 but this is the first photo of one sent to us this year.

Adonis Blue, Photo: Harold Gillen

On Bindon Hill on 3/07/19 Harold spotted an early or late Adonis Blue.

This species first brood is normally over by the third week of June, and the second brood does not appear until early August.

Maybe the up and down temperatures this summer have confused some insects.

Three black and white butterflies mating

Marbled Whites mating. Photo: Harold Gillen

showing Marbled whites on may flower heads

Marbled Whites. Photo: Harold Gillen

Harold was rather surprised to see three Marbled Whites attempting to mateon when he visited Bindon Hill on 3/07/19 .

Have they not hear that two’s company and three’s a crowd?

He tells us there were butterflies on many flowers as his picture shows.

Despite its name, the Marbled White is more closely related to the subfamily known as the “browns” than the “whites”, and can be found from mid June to the end of July.

view of a Lulworth Skipper on a grass showing the paw print on its fore-wing

Lulworth Skipper.Photo: Charles Thompson

Charles found this little Lulworth Skipper on Bindon Hill in June.

He has managed to capture the diagnostic paw print or some say sun-ray pattern on the fore-wings which makes for an interesting photo.

This is a female and is quite recognisable from the pale orange crescent on her forewings, which is either lacking or very feint in the male. The male is darker in colour, and has a sex brand on each forewing made up of a very fine line of scent scales.

There is one generation each year with an extremely protracted flight period that extends from the end of May through to early September and is very site-dependent.

Lulworth Skipper – Bindon Hill

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Lulworth Skipper

Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Malcolm Wemyss

A Lulworth Skipper photographed on the recent guided walk to Bindon Hill near Lulworth on the 15/07/2015, led by Butterfly Conservation and the Lulworth Rangers. In this image the butterfly blends in beautifully with the Gorse seed pod alongside, seemingly a good place to shelter from the oncoming weather that struck not long after! Despite the turn in the weather, a good number of species were recorded, including; numerous Dark Green Fritillary and Lulworth Skippers but also a nice Clouded Yellow, which added a little sunshine to the day.