The Trouble with Skippers - Part 2

On Monday I blipped a skipper - an Essex skipper where there should only have been Small Skippers. The difference between the two comes down to the colour of the underside of the tips of the antennae or, in the male,the shape of the sex brand on the forewings . That of course assumes you can see either of these things. This morning I walked my other butterfly transect - which is mostly deciduous woodland with open glades - and found several Small Skippers although I had to take this photograph to convince myself. Much more exciting - but unfortunately eluding my camera - was my first ever sighting at this site of a Purple Hairstreak and my first recording this year of the magnificent Purple Emperor (in fact two, male and female). If conditions are right then tomorrow I'm off in search of the Silver-studded blue.