Dingy Skipper

This is always an anxious time for naturalists and nature reserve managers as we wish for the reappearance of key plant and animal species after another winter. The recent spell of poor weather has increased the levels of anxiety, especially in relation to some of our butterflies, so it was an enormous relief this afternoon, during a brief spell of weak sunshine, to see a couple of Dingy Skippers on the wing. As its name suggests, this is not an exotic looker, but it is much loved by butterfly watchers and is an important indicator of habitat quality for insects generally. Welcome back for the summer!