www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Week 7.

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2013 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter, eventually covering all 59 species which are regularly found in the British Isles. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

Grizzled Skipper

This was my favourite Grizzled shot for a number of reasons. Firstly it was taken at Five Rivers suggesting that when I saw them here last year it wasn’t just a pair of wanderers but part of a tiny colony. Secondly it fits nicely into my stained glass collection as I like the way that the light reveals a little of the purplish hue of the butterfly. My final reason is that I like the posture and the look of its pose – more curious than concerned. It was possibly trying to work out what the hell the human it was watching was doing, crawling down in the long grass and nettles; “These humans are crazy” it must have been thinking! Have a goodun

Wurzel

This is my only photo of a Grizzled Skipper (at least I think it is one - tell me if it is not).
It was taken in the Alpes de Haute Provence last summer.
Chris

This is 98% a Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami), with a slight possibility of being Yellow-banded (P. sidae). If it was at altitude, as the location suggests, I would be 100%. It isn't malvae/malvoides.

Thanks Roger, that's great. These skippers are all so alike to unexperienced eyes.
Chris.

I like the pose of the grizzlie on the Bluebell, makes it feel springlike!! This one was from Abbotts Wood on a Pearl hunt. The mating pair was on Frog Firle.
http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

I didn't see that many Grizzled Skippers during 2013, not sure if that was because they didn't have such a good year or if I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I did see them at most of the sites that I would have expected to but usually just one or two each time.

My favourite is probably this one, the first one that I saw this year, taken at Bishops Hill in early May. This was the only one seen on that day although I did see a couple more when I went back a couple of weeks later.
I also saw a few more over the next few weeks at a couple of other Warwickshire sites including Harbury Spoilbank where the photos below were taken,
Cheers,

Neil.

Didn't spend any time at all with this species in 2013, except for the earlier Bank Holiday Monday in May, when we had our first truly warm day of the year.

Merthyr Mawr near Porthcawl is the best location in Wales to see this species, and there were double figure numbers zipping about:

I like these two. The first because it was my first of the year on 6th May, and because of the pose against the chalky scree at Aldbury Nowers... ...and the second because I was surprised to find one on 4th July at Botany Bay (when normally something much bigger and more Purple would have been in my sights). Dave