Silver-spotted Skippers at Chantry Hill

Silver-spotted Skipper, female, Hesperia comma

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Yesterday I started my field trip at Kithurst Hill in case the recently sighted Painted Lady was still around. The meadow looked lovely with plenty of nectaring flowers. There were two old male Silver-washed Fritillaries patrolling the woodland edge and a Small Tortoiseshell and a Marbled White flew across the meadow. A female Brimstone and a Peacock nectared on the Hemp Agrimony on the bank. The were still Chalkhill Blues around, though most were worn, plus many Meadow Browns, and a few Gatekeepers, Common Blues and Small Whites. 

  I then walked the mile to Chantry Hill to try to find Silver-spotted Skippers. This time I found about 20, including 4 females, one of which laid eggs on the sward of a path. Neil arrived and reported a Painted Lady had flown down the hill. There were Common Blues at the bottom of the hill, plenty of Brown Argus, Small Skippers, Meadow Browns mating and Small Heaths.

Silver-spotted Skipper, male, Hesperia comma

Kithurst Hill:

Brimstone, female, Gonepteryx rhamni

Brimstone, female, Gonepteryx rhamni

Common Blue, male, Polyommatus icarus

Gatekeeper, female, Pyronia tithonus

Peacock &  Meadow Brown

Peacock, Inachis io

Small White, male, Pieris rapae

Chantry Hill:

Brown Argus, female, Aricia agestis

Brown Argus, female, Aricia agestis

This female wandered over an anthill which was covered by Rock rose

Brown Argus,  female, Aricia agestis

Brown Argus, Aricia agestis

Brown Argus, female, Aricia agestis

Cinnabar larva, Tyria jacobaeae

Hoverfly, Eristalis interruptus

Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina

Meadow Browns mating, Maniola jurtina

Pyrausta purpuralis

Silver-spotted Skipper, female laying egg, Hesperia comma

Silver-spotted Skipper, female

Silver-spotted Skipper, female

Silver-spotted Skipper, female

Silver-spotted Skipper, female

Silver-spotted Skipper, female

Silver-spotted Skipper, female

Silver-spotted Skipper, female

Silver-spotted Skipper, male with sex brand on hind wing

Silver-spotted Skippers, female on left, male on right

The male spent a few minutes working out his strategy then tried his luck. There was some flying about and wing beating on the ground by the female before the male got the message that this was a  mated female and went elsewhere.

old Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus

normal  Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus

Small Skipper, female, Thymelicus sylvestris

Small Skipper, male, Thymelicus sylvestris

glider being towed

there were other flying things around

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