Hello Everyone, With the flowering fronds of the buddleia bushes coming to an end in most gardens, Nick Brown of the D W T has over recent years managed to attract some butterfly species to his garden as a result of his concoction of mashed fruit on a dish on a table with some amazing results. Have a look at the attached photos of Red Admirals and Commas including the odd Speckled Wood – impressive! Next month fruit will be falling from trees naturally so please leave some for our butterflies to enjoy in your gardens and so prolong the butterfly season!
Interesting that on the 20th of August 2022 whilst Peter Faulkner was carrying out his transect at Clough Wood he saw and photographed another Clouded Yellow (no 10 in the County this year) – see the attached photograph, and Helen Perkins saw another (no 11) in her Hope garden on the 25th of August 2022 whilst John Harris who lives in the Nuneaton area of Warwickshire tells me that yet more of the species are heading north –so keep those eyes peeled!
Numbers of the Speckled Wood are on the increase at a number of sites now with the maximum count of 70 coming from Pleasley Pit LNR on the 24th of August 2022 (Willy Lane) together with 22 noted at Doe Lea on the 27th of August 2022 (Mike & Mavis Allen) 19 coming from Craft Wood Wessington (Eric & Fiona Easom) and from Whitwell Wood on the 22nd of August 2022 (Dot Alderton) and 19 seen at Thornhill Carrs NR on the 26th of August 2022 (Joanna & Peter Mackey).. Slightly more sightings of the Wall Brown this week with 119 no recorded at 41 sites including 8 seen at Ible on the 21st of August 2022 (Dave and Sue Evans), 8 seen in Hoe Grange Quarry on the 25th of August 2022 (Alan Walker), 9 seen on the 26th of August 2022 at Horseshoe Quarry (Joanna & Peter Mackey) and 10 seen on the 26th of August 2022 at Harborough Rocks (Dave & Sue Evans) but what is interesting is that now we have had some rain, the species is showing well at its usual hot spots of Longstone Edge and Hoe Grange Quarry where it has been relatively scarce recently. Unexpected sightings of the species have come from Holmebrook Valley Park, Chesterfield on the 20th of August 2022 (Kieron Huston),in Sheepwash Car Park, Carsington Water on the 18th of August 2022 (Cath Young), in Cavedale near Castleton on the 26th of August 2022 (Christine Crawford), and at West Handley on the 27th of August 2022 (Peter Walker).
Other recent sightings of interest include :-
Small Copper :- Sightings from just 24 locations this week with the highest count of 22 coming from Woo Dale on the 20th of August 2022 (Ian & Joy White).
Brown Argus Migrating :- Records from 8 sites this week including Belper (Nigel Davidson), Markham Pit (Aline & John Roberts), Clover Close Elvaston (Robin & Sally Bryce), Aston Brickyards (Ken & Pat Orpe) and on the 24th of August 2022 from both Pleasley Pit (Willy Lane) and the Avenue Country Park, near Wingerworth (Phil Gilbert). Then on the 27th of August 2022 sightings of the species came from Doe Lea (Mike & Mavis Allen) and at West Hallam Ash Tip (Ken & Pat Orpe).
Brown Argus (Peak District Race) :- Sightings from just 5 sites this week with records from the National Stone Centre (Jan Hall & Andy Wilkes), Lathkill Dale (Al & John Roberts) and on the 21st of August 2022 from both Hay Dale (Ian & Joy White) and Coombs Dale (Andrew Woodhouse) and Tansley Dale (Gordon & Alison Rooke) on the 26th of August 2022.
Common Blue :- Highest count of 53 came from Markham South Tip on the 19th of August 2022 (Sid Morris) followed by 48 from Woodside NR on the same day (Rob Waldron)
Holly Blue :- Still present in parks and gardens, mainly ones and twos, with sightings from 18 locations in the County up to and including the 26th of August 2022.
Dark Green Fritillary :- Records from just 3 sites this week – Coombs Dale (Andrew Woodhouse) and from Deep Dale, Sheldon (Simon Roddis) with the latest sighting from Tansley Dale on the 26th of August 2022 (Gordon & Alison Rooke).
Silver Washed Fritillary – Sightings were received from Thornhill NR (Christine Crawford and Joanna & Peter Mackey)) and also from the Wakebridge, Crich garden of Fred & Gill Dyson where their late flowering buddleia was the main attraction. Also 5 were seen in Tansley Dale on the 26th of August 2022 (Gordon & Alison Rooke)
Small Tortoiseshell :- A count of 20 was made by Dave & Sue Evans on the 21st of August 2022 on buddleias that were still flowering in the village of Bonsall, and 25 were seen on the 24th of August 2022 in the Bradwell garden of Sally Pereira & Steve Byers.
Red Admiral :- The highest count this week came from the woodland glades at Grin Low, Buxton where Liz Speed saw 38 no individuals there on the 25th of August 2022 – are they gathering there ready to over–winter in the woods?
Peacock :- Despite all the caterpillar nests seen earlier in the summer it has not been a very good year for this species and sightings on many buddleias have been limited to ones and twos but 4 were seen on the 24th of August 2022 in the Bradwell garden of Sally Pereira & Steve Byers and 4 were noted in Tansley Dale on the 26th of August 2022 (Gordon & Alison Rooke) with the highest count of 5 coming from Grin Low, Buxton on the 25th of August 2022 (Liz Speed).
Migrant wise, fresh specimens of the Painted Lady are still being seen across the County – in fact 91 individuals seen at 64 number locations make the species slightly more widespread than the Wall Brown! – although they are mainly recorded in ones and twos but 4 were noted on the 20th of August 2022 in Intake Quarry, High Peak Trail (Dave & Sue Evans) and 4 were seen in the Glapwell garden of David Elliott on the 26th of August 2022, The Humming Bird Hawk moth is still being seen in the County with 14 number individuals seen as singletons up to and including the 27th of August 2022.
What is noticeable this week is the disappearance of a number of species including the summer Skippers, the summer Hairstreaks and the Ringlet although the Gatekeeper is hanging on and new specimens of the Meadow Brown are now being seen. However the transect carried out by Gordon & Alison Rooke at Tansley Dale this week still produced 17 species!