Found Friday

When I was wittering on about my white orchid (which turned out to be an 'albino' Early Purple rather than a Lesser Butterfly Orchid), I also mentioned spotting what I thought was a Dingy Skipper butterfly. Well, I was right about that, at least, because I spotted another one this week at a different location, and the obliging wee beastie staid very still while I crawled about on my belly, macro lens poised, to photograph it. It seems very odd that I've never seen one before but have now seen two in two weeks. My guess is that I have seen it but assumed it was some kind of daylight moth (the differences between moths and butterflies aren't hugely convincing).

I'd got the impression Dingy Skippers were quite rare but that seems to be overstating the case. Googling it I learn that there is concern about it because numbers have been falling dramatically: down 26% between 1995 and 2004. It is now listed as 'vulnerable'. Another reason I may not have noticed one before -despite being fond of butterflies - is that the clear markings seen on this example are only apparent when newly hatched. The scales start to fall off and it goes very dingy indeed by all accounts, hence its name. I'm glad I've started to play with my Macro lens at last and pleased this flutterbee was good enough to stay still for so long.