With rain at night and sun during the day we have had a taste of the perfect conditions for plant growth and with a mainly southerly air flow, this has allowed a mini invasion of the Painted Lady butterfly to arrive on our shores from the area south of the Sahara in North Africa. There tends to be two arms to their migration from Africa – an eastern one that goes through Tunisia, Italy and then into eastern Europe and also a western one which comes into the Iberian peninsula, France, the UK and eventually the species reaches the Arctic Circle in Norway. Let’s hope that 2022 becomes a Painted Lady year! During the last week there have been sightings of the Painted Lady from 17 locations in Derbyshire, mainly singletons, showing some wear and tear as a result of their journey, with half coming from the Peak District including 2 seen on Combs Moss on the 18th of May 2022 (Steve & Lin Orridge) together with 2 seen in Mayfield just over the border in Staffs (Graham Prince) on the 19th of May 2022. Unfortunately there have been no sightings in the County of the migrant Clouded Yellow butterfly caught up in this weather pattern but however there was a spectacular sighting of a Striped Hawk moth in the garden trap of Bill Grange in Allestree on the night of the 19th/20th of May 2022 – this is the first sighting of this rare migrant moth since 1947, which I do not remember as I was probably in nappies at the time! Also recorded this last week was a Humming Bird Hawk moth in Priestcliffe village by Peter Faulkner which again is a scarce migrant hawk moth. So if you see a fast flying largish light brown/sandy coloured butterfly on a mission then it is probably a Painted Lady!
There have also been some interesting sightings of resident butterflies in the County recently with the iconic Wall Brown being seen at 40 locations mainly in the Peak District but interestingly there appears to be a movement down the Cordwell Valley towards the Chesterfield area with sightings from Newbold (Andrew Woodhouse), the Avenue Country Park (Kev Nadin) and at West Handley (Peter Walker). Interestingly, the Wall Brown was seen above the Ecclesbourne Valley at Alport Heights (India Milward) and lower down at Firestone Hill, near Hazelwood (Steve Plant). Further north 4 individuals were noted at Leam Corner (Craig Ridgeway) and at Scratta Wood above Monsal Dale where Chris Thirtle recorded 3 of the species on his private NR where he intends creating more south facing limestone walls to help with the conservation of this endangered species – well done that man! The highest recent counts for the Wall Brown have come from the Cressbrook/Tansley Dale area with a massive 28 seen on the 19th of May 2022 (Rod Dunn) and 10 seen in Horseshoe Dale, Eyam on the same day (Joanna & Peter Mackey and Frank Gallagher). Another successful count but this time for the Green Hairstreak occurred in Deep Dale, Sheldon on the 14th of May 2022 when Steve & Lin Orridge noted 123 of the species on the transect there – it is thought that a change in the grazing regime by the Owners of the site (Plantlife) Is the reason for the butterfly to proliferate – well done to them. Sightings at new sites for this species have come from the garden at Northwood, Darley Dale of Christine Gregory together with a couple seen at Ashover Rock (Steve Plant) Further south a couple of Green Hairstreaks were seen at the Loscoe Tip site by Lucy Benniston and Jim Steele.
Pleasingly the Holly Blue is still being seen on the wing but in less numbers now but it does bode for a good second brood in July and August of this year – not so good is the performance of the Common Blue which is struggling to get to double figures at the few sites that it has been seen but the exception was the 49 seen on the 19th of May 2022 at the former Arkwright Tip site (Sid Morris).
Again the Small Heath has yet to increase in any numbers with the highest count of 27 coming again from the former Arkwright Tip site (Sid Morris) where the Dingy Skipper was also seen there in a good number of 55 individuals. Again this is another species that has had a good Spring with 86 noted in Hoe Grange Quarry on the 14th of May 2022 (Max & Christine Maughan) and a maximum count of 92 seen in Intake Quarry, High Peak Trail on the same day (Andrew Woodhouse and Dave & Sue Evans).
However according to the Met Office, the Spring of 2022 will finish on the 31st of May, so with that in mind it comes as no surprise that the first of the ‘summer’ skippers has emerged in the County – the Large Skipper was first seen on the 17th of May 2022 at Markham Pit North by Sid Morris (see attached photo – note the hooked antennae and the chequered pattern on the wings)
Finally thanks once again to the fantastic photos that I have been sent by a number of volunteers and I have attached some of them for your enjoyment – please keep them coming along with your excellent coverage of butterfly sightings in the County!
