It comes as a relief that weather conditions are now ‘back to normal’ after the furnace heat of earlier this week – it makes me realise that I couldn’t live the dream of spending May to September in conditions like that in the Mediterranean region of Europe.
Pleasingly the expected appearance of the second brood of the Wall Brown butterfly occurred this week here in Derbyshire with sightings of 2 fresh individuals on the 20th of July 2022 at the ‘hotspot’ of Longstone Edge (Dave Mallon) – earlier an individual was seen on the 16th of July 2022 but over the County border in Staffs with a sighting at Alton by Steve Plant & Bill Grange, so the extreme weather of the 18th & 19th of July 2022 must have held back the appearance of the species here in Derbyshire. It certainly was too hot for both our butterflies and recorders to get out in those conditions! What has been noticeable is the change in the lifestyle of our summer hairstreaks during the last week – many coming down to ground level looking for moisture and sustenance with the tops of both oak and elm proving too hot for them, together with a lack of honey dew there so as to provide them with fuel. Martin Timms experienced a strange event whilst walking along the top reservoir at Redmires just over the border in South Yorkshire – a Purple Hairstreak landed on his shoe and got a lift – maybe it was looking for some sweat to get its fill of salts! (see the attached great photo!). Other sightings of this species have come from oak woodlands at Hardwick Park (Ian Hunt) and at Kedleston Park (Kevin Morris) together with individuals noted at the vast Markham North Pit site ( Colin Morris), at Wyver Lane, Belper (Dave Evans), at a new site at Midway Sand Hills (Tom Cockburn) and at Long Close Wood, Linton (Chris Leverington). The White Letter Hairstreak has appeared at Markham Pit North (Colin Morris), in Hardwick Hall gardens (Ian Hunt), on elms near Calver Crossroads (Andy Deighton per Dan Martin), on thistles at Kedleston Park, a rare sighting at the site,(Kevin Morris), and in his garden at Stanton in the Peak (Steve Tompkins).
Other sightings of interest include :-
Brown Argus Migrating :- Just 1 more sighting this week, this time at Drakelow NR (Andy Large).
Holly Blue :- A further 8 records received with the maximum count of 11 at Manor Farm, Long Eaton (Marion Bryce).
Comma :- Now that the daylight hours are diminishing, some of this species that are appearing now are the dark form rather than the golden summer form – highest counts have come from Wyver Lane, Belper (16 – Dave Evans), at Kedleston Park (18 – Kevin Morris) and at Long Close Wood, Linton (15 – Chris Leverington)
Marbled White :- Always good to report a natural spreading individual in the County with one seen on the 16th of July 2022 at Stoney Wood, Wirksworth (Ellie Rickman)
The Silver Washed Fritillary is still making the headlines locally with sightings coming from Hilton Gravel Pits NR (Helen Bauer), on buddleias in the village of Ironville (Pete Clark) and in Hopton Quarry NR (Graham Durbin) who also saw a Valezina version which is a special female with bronze colouring as it usually skulks around in semi shaded woodland (see the attached photos by Graham for comparison).
Interesting, a number of Painted Lady butterflies have appeared this week in mint condition which suggests a new brood following on from the earlier migration – sightings of the species have come from Wessington (Eric Easom), Kedleston Park (Kevin Morris),
Belper Lane Ends (Emma Bungay), Ryder Point (Ray Badger Walker), Stoney Wood, Wirksworth (Ellie Rickman), and the Wirksworth garden of Jonathan Page.
I will be pleased to receive reports any further sightings of the Wall Brown as this butterfly is now an Endangered Species in the UK.
