MeadowBrown/Gatekeeper or Small Heath ?

[PaulJBN]

I took this last summer and was never convinced as to which it was.



thanks

[Trev Sawyer]

Your first instinct is the one to go for Paul...

It's a meadow brown.

Trev

[Lynn]

Tips for those new to watching butterflies ( or sorting out old photos).

To sort out the Gatekeeepers from the MBs - look at the black spot on the wing - GK have two white dots in theirs - ( remember gates have two posts) MBs have just one as do SH's

Meadow Browns are bigger but beware oddities do occur that flout these rules!

As for Small Heaths well they uually perch in a slanting position and don't open their wings when settled.

[PaulJBN]

I thought perhaps one of the two dots of the Gatekeeper might have been obscured by the wing underside in this shot - hence my question.

I also thought the very distinct change in shades along the band on the underside wing, looked a bit like that on the Small heath.

Looking at the underside wing, I see on closer inspection that it certainly isnt Gatekeeper, as they have an extra, smaller band.