Skippers are amongst my favourite butterflies. They are inquisitive, fast fliers, and males like to perch prominently in their territory, and then allow close approximation. I took a zoomed shot of this male with the macro option, which effectively blurred the background, and shows off the details of the butterfly, including the dark sex brand on the forewings. The following shot, in contrast, captures its surrounding environment, and illustrates how the tall Red Clover allows the male to obtain a broad view of the little meadow in a local wildlife garden where it lives, and to quickly spot and chase rival males. Golden skippers rest with the forewings held well above the hindwings at an angle, instead of resting the forewings over the edge of the hindwings, both on the same plane as in other butterflies. The meadow, with tall grasses, and dotted with Birds Foot trefoil, red clover and geraniums, is a typical habitat for this species.
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