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Week 9

Another week comes and goes soon be Christmas! Here continues the sequence of posts giving one and all the opportunity to showcase their favourite shots of 2014 (or the last time you saw one)!

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As like last year details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I'm ashamed to admit it but the only time I ever seem to take an image of Large Skippers is when I first see them in any given year.

2014 was no exception, as I captured my first of the season at Alun Valley in Glamorgan on 31st May (and subsequently very little else):

I saw my first Large Skipper of 2014 on the last day of May up in Holmfirth in Yorkshire - it was quite unexpected, and found initially nectaring on chives in a herb garden. I managed a photo when it moved to perch characteristically on some mint.
The greatest number I saw in any one place was at Whitecross Green on 17th June. The ride along to the Black Hairstreak hotspot was teeming with them - there must have been hundreds. However, I feel loyal to my local population for my favourites of the year - these two from 5th June. Dave

Another shot taken on a very memorable mid-summer's day at Old Castle Down, near Bridgend, South Wales:
Mike

My favourite photo was taken at Bently Wood on the 6th of July, I was amazed to see so many of them they were all a long the grass verges, quite a day to remember Goldie

A nice couple of females from Crowle Moor in Lincolnshire, taken at the end of June. I went mainly to see the tail-end of the Large Heath flight season and found the site absolutely teeming with Large Skippers, with three or four often seen bustling together on a single flower. And since I didn't post last year I can maybe get away with this one from Glapthorn Cow Pastures in 2013, which recently scooped me seventy-five quid in M&S vouchers for coming second in the Big Butterfly Count competition thingy.

Now here's a surprise, I've actually got a photo of a Large Skipper taken in the UK.
I was on a short trip back home to Leicester in June and spotted this one at Bradgate park: I don't think the Large Skippers make it as far south as chez moi in Marseilles.
Chris

On a dragonfly hunt I came across this beautiful male Large Skipper. Being a coolish day I was able to get some shots without him moving off too much.

Large Skippers were in good numbers at all my local spots and I took quite a few photos of this species in the second half of June and into July.

A few favourites taken around Solihull...
and one of many seen during my week in Weymouth in early July,
Cheers,

Neil

Large Skipper 12-06 Larkhill

This was my favourite Large Skipper shot as it was the culmination of some patient waiting. I’d seen this Large Skipper fly across the path on a morning visit to Larkhill but as I approached the spot where it had been I couldn’t find it. I shifted my gaze lower to check the tangle of foliage and grass stems only to catch a glimpse of orange. It was the Large Skipper and it slowly climbed up the stem millimetre by millimetre, pausing occasionally until it reached this part of the plant. It must have decided that this was the sweet spot and so it settled down t bask, peering round the stem at me. Have a goodun

Wurzel

I'm not the best at skipper identification. Skippers usually fall into two categories for me
"they are either Large Skippers or other skippers"
This Large Skipper picture was taken on 21st July at Bookham Common (which was also on my hunt for the elusive Brown Hairstreak that ended in a Smiley )
I love the really long tongue in comparison with overall body size,
regards,

Philip