Essex Skipper - 1st Carmarthenshire photos

  Last summer, at the very end of July 2025, I received a report - via intermediaries - of an Essex Skipper sighting on rough grassland immediately south of Burry Port railway station but, by the time I`d investigated a few days later, there was no sign of this butterfly. The 2025 sighting was by Dominic Davidson, a well-respected birdwatcher with good knowledge of butterflies and dragonflies.

As with moths, it is desirable to obtain confirmation by photograph (or specimen) to ensure the validity of a sighting and to that aim I circulated identification notes on this species and the need to search for it along the coastline of SE Carmarthenshire. These were sent to potentially interested individuals so that optimum effort could be made during 2026. I also decided to search myself for this skipper which resembles the Small Skipper, but which has various i/d differences. In the event it was prudent to make a personal search as there was no response from any other potential helpers. My photos were confirmed by George Tordoff who stated:  "Yes, no doubt about it. It`s refreshing to be sent good photos showing the diagnostic feature [the black-tipped antennae] rather than the usual blurry phone pics taken from above that I usually get sent".  

My first sighting (on 9/7) was at the North Dock, Llanelli, where several were seen in rank but flower-rich grassland on a brownfield site (SS49987 99697) located to the immediate NE of the dock basin and adjacent to the restaurant which occupies an old castellated building known as the `Pump House`. Soon afterwards, I found some more at a nearby brownfield area at the NW of the dock (at SS49554 99919) and subsequently this species was also seen at Pentre Awel, Machynys (SS 50972 98534). Here it was seen on mature brownfield grassland to the immediate E of the new Pentre Awel main building.

During July Jon Baker was in touch to tell me of sightings he`d made on 2/7 of White-letter Hairstreaks just W of Castle Hill Cottage near Llansteffan Castle at SN 348102 and that he was undertaking a mini-project to try to photograph all of the county`s butterflies, so I informed him of the location of the North Dock Essex Skippers. He seemingly misunderstood my directions (and grid reference) and he instead visited the area near the Millennium Coastal Park restaurant (near the car park to the SE of the dock) on 10/7 and not the one I`d identified. Nevertheless he reported a sighting of a female Essex Skipper and noted that he`d obtained a `record shot` photo.

Incidentally, on 13/7 Jon also confirmed the presence of the Brown Hairstreak at Green Castle Woods on the road between Johnstown and Llansteffan. There are historical records of this butterfly from the Llansteffan area but it`s really good to confirm the survival of this rare butterfly in the south of the county.

Finally, I also had a couple of White-letter Hairstreak sightings in my west Llanelli garden this July (on 19/7 & 20/7). Earlier in the month (4/7), Emily Ivens saw and photo`d one at Sandfields, Llanllwch, W of Carmarthen.