A Most Exciting Day

I was delighted to find this small skipper (female), Thymelicus sylvestris, in Fife this afternoon.  According to iRecord, there have only been four confirmed sightings in Fife, the first in 2019 at Carlingnose Point Nature Reserve.
I visit that site every year, mainly for the Dark Green Fritillaries, ever hopeful of finding a skipper, and today was my lucky day.

Just minutes after arrival, I spotted one but cursed when, just as I was zooming in on it, a meadow brown flew over and the skipper took off, only to disappear over some hawthorn.

I patrolled the site for just over 2 hours and had just decided to call it a day, when, as I headed towards the exit, there was one parked up on some grass seedhead!  My lucky day.