The current warm and sunny conditions have certainly helped the Silver Washed Fritillary to emerge at additional locations in the County with sightings coming from Rose End Meadows, Cromford ( Martin Cobham), Lathkill Dale (Peter Faulkner) at Thornhills Carrs NR (Helen Perkins) and in the Thorpe garden of Barbara Wager – with buddleias now coming into flower it is worth checking them for this bright orange big butterfly.. Marbled Whites have also been recorded at new sites including Goseley Cutting near Woodville (Ruth Frudd & Kate Allies) and Denby Pottery NR (Nigel Downes) as well as the Forge, Ironville (Sally Fisher and Maggie Campbell). Bill Cove tells me that the population on Breedon Hillside below the church is doing well this year, the site being just in N W Leics of course.
New brood individuals of the Holly Blue have appeared in S E Derbyshire recently with 2 seen at Manor Farm, Long Eaton on the 3rd of July 2022 (Brenda & Mick Meakin) and another 2 seen in Draycott on the 8th of July 2022 (Roger Martin). Another new brood species to appear is the Peacock with an individual noted in the Sawley Garden of Bryan & Jennifer Sewell on the 7th of July 2022
The Gatekeeper has finally reached the Buxton area with an individual seen at Grin Low above the town on the 5th of July 2022
(Clare Chable).
Pleasingly the summer hairstreaks are now taking advantage of the warmer weather with sightings on elm of the rare White Letter Hairstreak coming from Broomfield College Grounds ( Paul Foskett), Nottingham Road Bridge, Long Eaton (Marion Bryce), Loundsley Green Road, Chesterfield (Andrew Woodhouse), Tansley Dale (Gordon & Alison Rooke) and on his farm in Wessington (Eric Easom) who also has some oak trees which have Purple Hairstreaks present. Other sightings of this species have come from Kedleston Park (Ken Orpe), the Fisherman’s Car Park, Ogston Reservoir (Nikki Mahadevan) and in Holmebrook Valley Park, Chesterfield (Andrew Woodhouse).
Without doubt the recent surge in numbers of the migrant Humming Bird Hawk moth has created a great deal of interest and recent sightings have come from another 20 locations in the County including Peak Forest (Shane Bates) and at Crowden (Pete Feetham)
This week’s photos include that of a Red Squirrel with a kit in its mouth – seen and photographed by Ian and Joy White whilst on holiday in Cumbria – a great photo indeed!
