After yet another week of mixed weather conditions, it is hardly surprising that the numbers of butterflies have yet to increase with the Meadow Brown being a typical example of a poor start to their season with sightings from just 30 sites mainly in ones and twos with the highest counts of 8 coming from Staunton Harold Reservoir wildflower meadow (Lesley & Phil Gretton) on the 7th of June 2022 and 16 on the Green Grids around the huge Toyota Factory at Burnaston on the 12th of June 2022 (Trevor Taylor)..The Ringlet has just managed to put in an appearance at 6 sites in Lowland Derbyshire, these being Poolsbrook Country Park on the 7th of June 2022 (Sid Morris) and subsequently at West Hallam Ash Tip (Ken & Pat Orpe), the BASF factory site at Alfreton (Diane Rodger), Willington Gravel Pits NR (per Chris Perry), Toyota Green Grids, Burnaston (Trevor Taylor) and at Doe Lea ( Mike & Mavis Allen). Similarly the Large Skipper has shown itself in low numbers at 35 sites this week, with the highest number seen being just 4 at Hartshorne Wood (Brian & Jean Hallam) on the 7th of June 2022. Although the Dingy Skipper is coming to the end of its flight season, there have been some late interesting sightings – none more than an individual that showed up on the house wall of Dan Martin’s Belper house on the 9th of June 2022 (see attached photo). Pleasingly the small colony on the edge of Ashbourne Airfield appears to be hanging on as Derek Brownlee noted an individual there on the 7th of June 2022. It is also worth reporting that another small colony of this species appears to be getting established on the wildflower meadow at Staunton Harold Reservoir where up to 4 individuals were seen on the 7th of June 2022 by Lesley & Phil Gretton as well as another one noted by John Schofield on the 10th of June 2022 – this is unusual as the Dingy Skipper does not like to experience the cold winds than can blow off a large expanse of water such as a reservoir.
Other recent sightings of interest of the species that are on the increase now include :-
Common Blue :- 49 individuals were noted on the 7th of June 2022 at Markham Pit South (Mark Radford)
Speckled Wood :- 21 individuals were seen at Pleasley Pit on the 9th of June 2022 (Willy Lane) and 20 individuals were noted in Whitwell Wood on the 7th of June 2022 (Paul Townsend).
Small Heath:- 22 individuals noted on the 7th of June 2022 at Markham Pit South (Mark Radford).
The iconic Endangered Derbyshire butterfly, the Wall Brown, looks to be coming to the end of its first brood flight period with just 18 noted at 11 sites during the last week including individuals at Coombs Dale (James Bradbury), Sunart Fields, Whaley Bridge (Sally Pereira), Chee Dale (Robert & Margaret Davies), Bradwell garden (Sally Pereira), Clough Wood (Peter Faulkner), Ryder Point Quarry (Bridget Edwards) with 2 seen at Dene Quarry, Cromford Hill (Gary Atkins), 2 seen at Grin Low above Buxton on the 9th of June 2022 (Ian & Joy White), 2 noted at Taddington on the 10th of June 2022 (Steve & Lin Orridge) and 3 seen on limestone walls at Ible on the 7th of June 2022 (Sue Quick) and 3 seen on Longstone Edge on the 2nd of June 2022 (Brian & Jean Hallam).
Meanwhile there are still a reasonable number of Painted Lady butterflies on the wing in the County with sightings this last week up to and including the 12th of June 2022 coming from 24 locations in mainly singletons but 2 were seen on chive flowers in the small herb garden of Maggie Percival at Ednaston on the 8th of June 2022, and 3 were seen along a farmers track at nearby Shirley on the 11th of June 2022 (Jane Rogers).The main nectar plant that the species is usually seen on being red valerian which also happens to be a favourite plant for the migrant Humming Bird Hawk moth, two of which have been seen last week on this plant with individuals noted at Parwich on the 7th of June 2022 (Saskia Tallis) and Allestree (Chris Perry) on the 10th of June 2022..
It is tempting at this time of the year to clear up some areas of the garden whereby early flowers have now finished but BEWARE you might be destroying both caterpillars and/or the chrysalis of butterflies which could emerge either later this Summer or even next Spring, such as the Orange Tip which Christine Maughan managed to get a great photo of a fresh chrysalis after it had just changed from a caterpillar after using honesty as the food plant in their Mickleover garden.
