Challenge

We’re at that point in the year where Small Skipper and Large Skipper butterflies are out at the same time. This one is a Small.

When I first started getting a bit more seriously interested in butterflies I really struggled to tell the two apart but I’ve got my eye in now and a quick glance is usually enough. Small Skipper are a lot plainer in markings and are indeed a bit smaller. I don’t yet have Essex Skipper in my part of the world, although they are spreading along the Aire so it’s probably only a matter of time - telling Essex apart from Small is a real id challenge.

Also on the wing: Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Comma, Large Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral. 

Later, I headed up to Silsden for another pre-season friendly, with Farsley Celtic the visitors. This one had more of the feel of a training game and no goals were scored. Silsden always a pleasant spot to spend a summer’s evening though, with Oystercatcher frequently peeping away as they flew above the ground.