Skipper

A free Saturday gave a chance to get up onto the moor and unwind from the week. 

A strong breeze and only intermittent sunshine was keeping the butterfly and dragonfly activity down, but there were Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Large Skipper (pictured), Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Speckled Wood about.  

A couple of other nice encounters were with the distinctive little hoverfly Chrysotoxum bicinctum (extra) and what I think is a Northern Eggar caterpillar (extra).

Returning home I rummaged around in the orchid patch. I really don’t have the expertise to confidently work out what’s what given all the hybrid possibilities and the general variability of the Common Spotted-orchid, but I did see a couple which might be Heath Spotted (e.g. in extra) and also one or other of the marsh orchids.