A very unusual phenomenon occurred last weekend when a spell of sunny and warm weather coincided with the Easter Bank Holiday and fortunately the sunny weather has continued into Week 3 of the transect season – that is not to say that large numbers of butterflies have been seen County wide but a total of 60 individuals in 6 species on the 15th of April 2022 in Lathkill Dale NNR (Debbie Worland) is very encouraging – this was followed by 45 in 6 species seen at Norbriggs on the same day (Sid Morris), then 42 at both Doe Lea on the 17th of April 2022 (6 species – Mike & Mavis Allen) and at Toyota Ponds (5 species – John Malpas) on the 20th of April 2022.
Pleasingly a couple of new species appeared this week when a Small Copper was noted on the 20th of April 2022 at Creswell Crags (Jim Anderson – see attached photo), the County record being the 12th of April (2003), and this was followed by another Small Copper in Monsal Dale on the 21st of April 2022 (Ian & Joy White), who also saw a couple of Dingy Skippers there on the same day. Then a couple of Dingy Skippers were seen by Anita Aked at Pleasley Pit on the 21st of April 2022, the County record being the 14th of April (2007). Recently the Holly Blue has been doing well with at least 100 individuals noted from 60 sites across Derbyshire including sightings in the dales at Tideswell Dale (Esther Weir and Ian & Joy White) and in Lathkill Dale NNR (Dave & Sue Evans) and further north at Taxal (Sheila Stubbs) and Furness Vale (Patrick Anderson), with up to 7 individuals noted in Draycott village on the 20th of April 2022 and 7 in Long Eaton on the 21st of April 2022 (both Roger Martin). At last, the Speckled Wood is becoming slightly more common with sightings from 50 sites including 11 noted in Goseley Cutting, Overseal on the 18th of April 2022 (Ruth Frudd).
Other recent sightings of note include :-
Brimstone :- Highest recent counts of 14 from Lathkill Dale NNR (Debbie Worland) and 11 at Scarcliffe Park (Roy Frost).
Orange Tip :- Quite widespread across the County now with the highest counts coming from Lathkill Dale NNR (63 No – Dave & Sue Evans), Clowne Linear Park Line (40 No – Neil & Lorraine Jones) and at Markham Pit South (33 No – Sid Morris)
Green Hairstreak :- Only a few sightings of this Peak District speciality species recently with at least 20 on gorse at Whaley Moor on the 15th of April 2022 (Christine Bowen), 10 in the Hall Dale/Dovedale area (Ian & Joy White and Derek Brownlee), 4 noted high on Longstone Edge on the 16th of April 2022 (Angela Bird) and a singleton on bilberry at Highoredish on the 17th of April 2022 (Peter Kidd).
Red Admiral :- Very scarce at the moment with just a couple of records – an individual noted at Northwood on the 15th of April 2022
(Christine Gregory) and 2 seen at Rosliston Forestry Centre on the 19th of April 2022 (Andrew Gumb)
Small Tortoiseshell :- Still showing at a number of sites in the County with the highest count of 12 coming from Scarcliffe Park on the 17th of April 2022 (Roy Frost).
Peacock :- Again still showing across the County with the highest count of 20 coming from Scarcliffe Park on the 17th of April 2022
(Roy Frost).
Comma :- Less common than the last 2 species but the maximum recent count of 10 came from Cinderhill, Shipley Country Park
(George & Tamsin Cox) on the 16th of April 2022.
Wall Brown :- This iconic Derbyshire butterfly has failed to respond to the recent warm and sunny spell with just one sighting of an individual noted on Alport Heights above the Ecclesbourne Valley on the 15th of April 2022 (Dave & Sue Evans) – still no sightings of the species from the ‘hot spots’ of Hoe Grange Quarry and Longstone Edge.
With the Dingy Skipper season now in progress, I have recently received a copy of a Report for the species for 2021 in Lowland Derbyshire – if you would like a copy then please send me an email.
