Abbeybirder
Well-known member
I live in cradley but not that long ago it was part of worcestehire and the fields directly behing my house are on the boarder of worcestershire
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Garden photos (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Stone Snapper
- Start date
Stone Snapper
Warrener till i snuff it
Stone Snapper
Warrener till i snuff it
keithr
Relapsus resurgam
Stone Snapper
Warrener till i snuff it
Thanks keith :t:
Woodchat
Cogito ergo sum
I think Large Skipper would have hooked antennae - which this doesn't seem to have. I think it is probably a Small Skipper but there is a chance it could be an Essex Skipper - you have to see the undersides of the antennae to tell these latter two apart (with any certainty).
UW82
Well-known member
I am pretty confident that the skipper is an Essex. In addition to looking for the black antennae, the scent line on the forewings should be short and straight, parallel with the forewing edge, which the image shows. On a Small Skipper the scent line is longer and curved and therefore not parallel with the forewing. Any Essex Skippers that I have identified using the scent line for an initial ID, have always been confirmed as Essex if I have seen the antennae later.
Des.
Woodchat
Cogito ergo sum
OK - good tips there Des - very useful info as trying to see the underside of the antennae isn't always very easy / practical with these little jobs.
keithr
Relapsus resurgam
Yes great "tips"......I presume we COULD get the Essex around here.
Even having pictorial evidencd does not stop me confusing them. ....why cant they sing like Chiffchafs....lol
Stone Snapper
Warrener till i snuff it
Woodchat
Cogito ergo sum
I think that confirms it as an Essex Skipper - the (top) antenna has an inky black tip which appears to extend to the underside - as well as the other features Des alluded to. An increasing species in Worcestershire these days - I believe they only colonised these parts in the last few decades. :t:
keithr
Relapsus resurgam
O.K. we a re going with an Essex...this is exciting ...and confusing as I have to try and I.D. 3 different ones now...and with M and F's that 6....LOL
I am going to look at previous pics I have got to do a reassessment of them....
SO...Large...Hooked
Small...brown/orangey
Essex...Black tips.
Thanks
Keith :t:
p.s....is this one M or F...he he
I am going to look at previous pics I have got to do a reassessment of them....
SO...Large...Hooked
Small...brown/orangey
Essex...Black tips.
Thanks
Keith :t:
p.s....is this one M or F...he he
UW82
Well-known member
It's a male because it has the smal line I mentioned earlier: the female does not.
Des.
Jason K
Well-known member
It's an Essex Skipper Vern. There is a healthy population along Butts Lane at Stone with about a 50:50 split between Essex and Small Skipper
I first discovered them there about 5 years ago and they seem to be spreading to other areas in the Stone, Summerfield and Shenstone area
Jase
Last edited:
Stone Snapper
Warrener till i snuff it
just uploaded a couple of pics to my flickr of a very young female Kestrel that has strained her wing (bless her) anyways ive took the little beauty to a falconry centre when shes fully fit they will return her to be released from my garden where she was found.
ps thanks for answering your phone at 6 this morning mr jtb
ps thanks for answering your phone at 6 this morning mr jtb
