Holly Blue. Photo: Brian Arnold
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Brian Arnold
Two photos from Brian sent in with the following comments:
On our Durlston transect today, 20/08/2020 we saw what will probably be our last Lulworth Skipper of the season, but there were several Holly Blues counted whereas we usually only count the odd 1 or 2.
Lulworth Skippers. Photo: Shona Refoy
Shona was very fortunate to get this photo as you can see from her comments:
During a visit to Tout Quarry on Monday, 20/07/20, I spotted this pair of mating Lulworth Skippers on a Buddleia leaf, thanks to a Grayling nectaring nearby. The leaf was being blown around by the wind, but it didn’t seem to bother them!
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Georgie Laing
Georgie sent us this photo with details of her remarkable Lulworth Skipper encounter:
There were six Lulworth Skippers nectaring on this teasel head. This one stayed whilst I took its photo and then I was surprised to see the red spot on its eye. Seen at East Man on on the coast path below Worth Matravers yesterday, 21/07/2020
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Rob Morrison
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Rob Morrison
Two photos from Rob taken on 08/06/2020 which he sent in with the following comments:
After slow results in finding good numbers of Lulworth Skippers to the east of Lulworth yesterday, counts today were in the tens of individuals to the east of White Nothe on the SE facing sections of coast path below Chaldon Herring in variable sunlight. Also found were both Large and a few Small Skippers as well as a Dingy Skipper. Numerous Burnet moths were also seen.
Editors Note: The Lulworth Skipper in the top photo has a red mite (trombidium breei) on it just behind the right eye – some species are more prone to these than others but they do not seem to harm the butterflies.
Marion lives in Preston and is very used to seeing Lulworth Skippers nectaring on Valerian in her garden but since 2016 she has noticed a large number of them regularly settling on the white painted back wall of her house and wonders why there? Continue reading
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Brian Arnold
Large Skipper. Photo: Brian Arnold
Brian sent us this Tale of Two Skippers with these photos:
We did our Durlston East transect count today, 14/06/2020 and were seeing Large, Small and Lulworth Skippers. After counting all 3 close to Tilly Whim on the coast path, we continued to the meadows and I saw a Skipper that I was convinced was a Lulworth – not somewhere we usually find them. On a closer look and taking a photo, it was the smallest dark coloured Large Skipper I think I have ever seen. I have attached photos of a Lulworth Skipper we saw today near Tilly Whim, and the Large Skipper in the meadows – both are female. Unfortunately from the photo you cannot see just how small the Large Skipper is.
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Shona Refoy
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Shona Refoy
Two more photos from Shona sent to us with the following commentary:
I went to Ballard Down on 28/05/2020 hoping to get some photos of a female Lulworth Skipper showing the golden crescents on her upperwings. The Skippers were all very active that day, hardly settling at all, apart from the female in the second photo who was nectaring. She was quite a dark butterfly, so her crescents weren’t exactly golden.
I returned on 09/06/2020 and it clouded over while I was at Ulwell, so the second female sat still for quite a while, enabling me to take the photos I had been hoping for – one happy butterflyer!
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Brian Arnold
Small Skipper. Photo: Brian Arnold
Two very useful photos for comparison sent to us by Brian with the following comments:
We did our Durlston East transect today, 07/06/2020 and saw 11 Lulworth Skippers and just 1 Small Skipper. Photo attached of a Lulworth Skipper at Durlston, and then a Small Skipper on Tree Germander in our garden at Harman’s Cross when we got back home today. The photos clearly show the difference in colour between the 2 Skippers.
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: John Woodruff
Lulworth Skipper. Photo: John Woodruff
John sent us these photos of Lulworth Skippers basking in the early morning sunlight at Corfe Castle on 25/05/2020. This is the smallest and darkest of the golden Skippers and as its name suggests, is a speciality of south-east Dorset.
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.