The weather may be all over the place at the moment, making it difficult to tell from one day to the next whether it is late autumn or early summer, but the butterfly calendar marches inexorably on. Already, well over half of our butterfly species have emerged in 2015 and most of the rest will put in an appearance before the end of June.

Indeed, the first flush of butterfly bounty is already drawing to an end. Few of the hardy hibernators, the Peacocks, Brimstones, Commas and Small Tortoiseshells that spent the winter hidden in attic, shed and ivy thicket are still on the wing.

The Holly Blue, earliest of all our blue butterflies, seems to have had a good spring, but is now on the wane. The same is true for other early emerging species, the vanguard of our butterfly fauna, such as the vibrant Small Copper and ubiquitous Green-veined White.

All of these will come again during 2015, with second or even third broods for us to look forward to in the warm days of summer and autumn. However, we’ll soon be saying goodbye to other spring butterflies for another year. I’m sad to think that I’ve probably seen my last Orange-tip of 2015 already, and that Green Hairstreaks won’t be far behind. It is such a joy to see them each spring, but they are gone all too soon.

Still, this is also a time of excitement; the changing of the guard. New species are emerging, butterflies that mark the arrival of summer.

The Large Skipper is one of the first of these new recruits that signal the changing of the seasons. It is the first of the widespread orange skippers to appear each year, from late May onwards, and has a good two or three week head start on the similar-looking Small and Essex Skippers. So early June is a great time to get to grips with this endearing and approachable butterfly before its lookalike species start to emerge.

Large Skippers can be found almost anywhere in England and Wales where grass grows long, from woodland rides to urban churchyards. They perch in the typical skipper posture, with forewings held up at a 45 degree angle to their hindwings, and can be separated from the Small and Essex Skippers by the dark mottling on their orange wings.

Richard Fox

Head of Recording

Follow me on Twitter: @RichardFoxBC