Tag Archives: essex skipper

A brownish butterfly

Essex Skipper. Photo: Paul Harris

The black tipped antenna of butterfly

Essex Skipper Antenna. Photo: Paul Harris

Two photos from Paul taken 06/07/2026 and sent in by him saying:

For the second year running I’ve found an Essex Skipper in my Weymouth Conservatory. I potted it and took some photos before I released it in the garden. You can clearly see the diagnostic black underside to the tip of the antennae. This species is found at the nearby Lorton Meadows NR, so has no doubt wandered up from there.

EDITOR’S NOTE: My apologies, this post was originally sent out under the incorrect heading of “Peacock and Peacock Antenna”.  The original incorrect post has now been deleted.

A golden brown butterfly with a white fringe to the wings on a pink flower

Small Skipper. Photo: Mark Pike

A golden brown butterfly on a pink flower

Essex Skipper. Photo: Mark Pike

Mark experienced something akin to a “Skipperfest” when he went to Motcombe Meadows on 29/06/2026 and these are just two of the photos he sent in telling us:

The Meadows were awash with Skippers this morning, mostly of the Small variety, but amongst all of these, a tricky 3 hour search finally produced an Essex in perfect pose on a thistle flower. 

The single Small Skipper was rather deformed, but despite this it darted away like its many perfectly formed brothers and sisters.

A golden brown butterfly on a pink flower

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.

An orange butterfly showing the black tips to the Antennae

Essex Skipper. Photo: Paul Harris

Photo shows the diagnostic black tips to the antennae of this orange butterfly

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.

A golden Brown butterfly on some green vegetation

Essex Skipper. Photo: Rod Jenkins

A brown butterfly on a blue flower

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.

A golden brown butterfly on a purple flower

Essex Skipper. Photo: Mark Hardaker

A golden brown butterfly on a purple flower

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.

A brown butterfly with some orange markings on a purple flower

Essex Skipper. Photo: Kevin Denham

A brown butterfly with some paler and orange markings on a purple flower

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.

A golden brown butterfly on a pink flower

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.

A golden brown butterfly with some darker markings on a green leaf

Essex Skipper. Photo: Michael Lewis

A golden brown butterfly on a pinkish colour flower

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.