BUTTERFLY: Skippers at Wrexham

[Large Skipper]

June 3, 2010:
The continuing sunny weather is ideal for butterflies. One species which should be flying now and which reaches its northern British limit in Denbighshire is the Grizzled Skipper. Known to occur in that county only in small numbers, it nevertheless seemed worth taking the chance to try to find it in the present good conditions. Loggerheads Country Park near Mold is a known locality and was checked first but today none could be found although one had been reported 'last week'. So, a move to a second known locality near Wrexham (Wrecsam) was called for. This was a 'brown field' site on an industrial estate with suitable habitat covering only a very small area. Again, no Grizzled Skippers were found on what is a very flower-rich piece of grassland but Dingy Skippers and Large Skippers were present as well as Small Heaths and Common Blues.


[Dingy Skipper]


[Dingy Skipper]


[Common Blue]


[Small Heath]

This site at Wrexham is becoming rather overgrown and there was little evidence of the presence of the Grizzled Skipper's food plant (Wild Strawberry). A disused quarry nearby at Marford was also checked. Here there was abundant food plant but again no Grizzled Skippers could be found.