Mmm, mmm, good

 

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) probing for nectar on Bull Thistle flowers on 15 September.  It didn't seem to care that its head and face were covered in pollen!  I couldn't help smiling, thinking that the nectar must be tasty enough to make the butterfly ignore the pollen grains as it burrowed deeply among the flowers.

 

The next picture provides a good view of the long, arching proboscis.  The proboscis is similar to a straw, reaching for nectar at the bottom of the flowers.

 

Here's one more view, showing the underside of the wings and the small dark spots on the pale background which are helpful for identifying this small butterfly.