Work Well Done

When I moved to Sewanee, I thought a skipper piloted a boat or bounced down the sidewalk.  Only about four years ago did I hear the word in connection with the little butterflies (family Hesperiidae) found so frequently on summer flowers.

Then a couple of years ago, I started photographing Lepidoptera, but while I learned the names of all the butterflies I snapped, I mastered only the Common Checkered and Duskywing skippers.  There are so many of them, and they are so small. 

Just recently, two Sewanee students (with the advice and counsel of their professor David Haskell), published Guide to Sewanee's Butterflies, a delightful, well-researched, and beautifully illustrated book.  Already, it has become one of my favorite guides.  Today, photographing again in Lydia's garden, I spotted a brilliant skipper on a flower of complementary color.  I managed two shots before it darted off.  At home, I opened the book online and immediately found my insect (I think): a Zabulon Skipper.

Thanks again to work well done, I am navigating my way into a new stream.