Small skipper on thistle The arrival of small skipper takes me by surprise. No longer a pioneer patrolling territory, looking for females, but a fresh brood visiting a specific clump of flowering thistles, nectaring and mating. Surprised, since the weather seemed inauspicious for butterflies, the afternoon was cloudy, with showers forecast and a breeze stirred the vegetation. But the new brood was lively about these chosen thistles in tall seeding grasses. Small skipper were abroad, numbers of them..
For everything a season. Today, it’s small skipper. A rush of small skipper. The first time I came upon a brood was five years ago on knapweed at Simpson Ground, south-east of Windermere.
For everything a season. Today, it’s small skipper. A rush of small skipper. The first time I came upon a brood was five years ago on knapweed at Simpson Ground, south-east of Windermere.
In last summer's heat-wave I discovered small skipper nectaring on scabious and knapweed in a different Scout Scar location, this same week of 15-19 July. Finding them on my local patch gives the opportunity to study their behaviour over time. And to come home again and again with fresh experience and a cache of images. Swallows and swifts skim low about me, snatching insects on the wing. Butterflies were nectaring and mating in the few thistles amongst flowering grasses- the food-plant of their caterpillars. A butterfly so small a casual passer-by would scarcely notice it. Its under-wings the colour of seeding grasses. All hues of honey as sunlight pours through its wings. Agile and swift in flight, amongst long grasses and flowers of thistles. What's wrong with the thistles over the wall, they're facing south and their flowers look good to me. But no. It's this restricted territory.
Small skipper settle with fore-wings angled above hind-wings. As the small butterflies forage amongst thistle flowers they balance and tilt, presenting striking poses. An infinite variety of postures not shown in traditional field- guides. Look at the seeming folds in the wing, and how textures change from scales to hair. The brood is intent on nectaring and mating, so today there’s ample time to contemplate their behaviour and to photograph them, to compose a shot. Focusing on what the camera sees, I glance up to consider the wider action. Mating is quick , unlike the lingering six-spot burnet and common blue. Today, I scan my images to find a butterfly with four antennae and twelve legs. I saw it, the camera did not.
Small skipper settle with fore-wings angled above hind-wings. As the small butterflies forage amongst thistle flowers they balance and tilt, presenting striking poses. An infinite variety of postures not shown in traditional field- guides. Look at the seeming folds in the wing, and how textures change from scales to hair. The brood is intent on nectaring and mating, so today there’s ample time to contemplate their behaviour and to photograph them, to compose a shot. Focusing on what the camera sees, I glance up to consider the wider action. Mating is quick , unlike the lingering six-spot burnet and common blue. Today, I scan my images to find a butterfly with four antennae and twelve legs. I saw it, the camera did not.
A runner startles me and apologises ‘ I’m disturbing the wildlife.’ But the butterflies quickly settle again. Someone stops to ask what I’m photographing but the small skipper demands a closer look, unlike the spectacular dark green fritillary which comes to the thistles. It's so tiny I can see she isn't impressed.
In presenting small skipper images I want to show anatomical detail of the butterfly. And the unusual disposition of their bodies as they interact with thistle flowers. So I crop close. Sometimes too close and the butterfly is no longer delicate and ethereal, but a monster insect, forbidding.
I draw back, to show the wider picture, the pasture of long seeding grasses, vital to feed its caterpillars. This is the day of small skipper but the thistles attract other butterflies: dark green fritillary, small blue, meadow brown.
In presenting small skipper images I want to show anatomical detail of the butterfly. And the unusual disposition of their bodies as they interact with thistle flowers. So I crop close. Sometimes too close and the butterfly is no longer delicate and ethereal, but a monster insect, forbidding.
I draw back, to show the wider picture, the pasture of long seeding grasses, vital to feed its caterpillars. This is the day of small skipper but the thistles attract other butterflies: dark green fritillary, small blue, meadow brown.
14 days after my first small skipper sighting. The same small territory: flowering thistles in a pasture of tall seeding grasses. By 19 July the weather has become unsettled, light rain and wind enough to set vegetation swaying. There were four small skipper on thistle flowers, inactive, too cold to fly, clinging to the flower as a gust of wind tugs at it. Sometimes they appeared to be nectaring. One shows its proboscis being withdrawn, coiled, to a resting position beside its head. This is their territory so yesterday’s brood must be hunkered down in the grasses.
A warm night, with rain. Next morning, 20th July, a downpour with thunder in the forecast so it's warm and humid. Small skipper are site-specific, I know exactly where to find them so the moment the rain eases I head out for the thistles to discover how they respond. I expected they'd have sought shelter, if only within the clumps of thistles. Seeding grasses are drenched with raindrops but there on the thistle heads are meadow brown and small skipper, sharing flowers with soldier beetles and a common blue. They're nectaring, but not flying. As I contemplate the butterflies it begins to rain and they simply stay put on their exposed flower heads.
A fortnight with small skipper. And perhaps it's over. On Sunday morning there's no sign of them and there's heavy rain all night long.
Reading- up on butterfly anatomy, I discover that the skipper genus is unique in having greater resolution and sensitivity of vision because of the disposition of rods and cones in its compound eyes. So micro-navigation about those thistles and grasses is precise.
A painted lady summer, a once in a decade phenomenon, is heading our way.
A fortnight with small skipper. And perhaps it's over. On Sunday morning there's no sign of them and there's heavy rain all night long.
Reading- up on butterfly anatomy, I discover that the skipper genus is unique in having greater resolution and sensitivity of vision because of the disposition of rods and cones in its compound eyes. So micro-navigation about those thistles and grasses is precise.
A painted lady summer, a once in a decade phenomenon, is heading our way.
Small skipper from the blog archive
18 July 2018 Butterfly hot spot with small skipper
4 August 2014 Simpson ground small skipper with flora
18 July 2018 Butterfly hot spot with small skipper
4 August 2014 Simpson ground small skipper with flora
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