Brighton Races and Southwater Skippers

Large Skipper

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On Sunday I spent the morning with SusSAR colleagues marshalling the car park for the Stanmer Park Races, which included fun runs for kids and elite races for top athletes.

Afterwards I headed for Southwater Woods where Neil had conducted a morning butterfly walk for Butterfly Conservation members. I managed to see a Purple Emperor flying high above the tall master oak. I met Steve and Maggie who I had last seen during the adder season at Mill Hill. I joined them for a walk to the Small Skipper thistle meadow. On the way back Steve told us we had nearly stepped on a mating pair of Ringlets! I also walked through the Marbled White meadow which Neil had told me about two days before. There were plenty of them about. It was too hot for them to settle, but it was great to watch them flying around. I also caught sight of a Common Blue. Another highlight of the day was observing the courtship of a pair of Green-veined Whites.

Bug

Comma

Meadow Brown

male Silver-washed Fritillary

Swallow-tailed Moth Ourapteryx sambucaria

Courtship of Green-veined Whites

Green-veined White afterwards

Ringlets mating

Essex Skipper

 A visible difference between the Essex Skipper and the Small Skipper is that the undersides of the antennae of the Essex are black and the Small Skipper has orange undersides

Essex skipper

White admiral in tree top

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Skipper taking off

Bug

Small Skipper