Now that we are coming out of the latest cold spell, will we be getting more butterfly sightings soon in the County? Since the start of the New Millennium, the first sightings in the County have varied from the 1st of January to the 1st of March (2010).

Meanwhile if you are prepared to go much further afield like Al & John Roberts, who visited Goa in India late in 2022 then you should come across some exotic species – have a look at their attached photos for you to enjoy.

Let’s stop and think what we in the East Midlands achieved in 2022 – Butterfly Conservation in association with UKBMS have just announced the Branch totals for transects walked last year – yes, yet again the East Midlands comes top of the table as below:-

East Midlands – 184 transects

Hants & I of W –  176 transects

Surrey              –  139 transects

West Midlands –  97 transects

Upper Thames –  94 transects

Yet another great performance by all the very committed volunteers who carry out this important survey work during these times of great changes – some of which are good and some of which are not so good! Well done and thanks to everyone involved! If you would like to enter the transect data for your site on line at UKBMS this year, then please send me an email – already a further 50 sites will be covered this way by volunteers in Derbyshire so any extra help will be greatly appreciated by both B C and myself!

If you are thinking of setting up a new transect this year or just want a reminder of the procedure involved then why not come to our next transect training and butterfly I D course that Pat and I will be holding on Sunday 19th of March 2023 at the Evergreen Club in Allestree from Noon to 2.30 pm  – just send me an email to book your place there. Then on the following weekend, I will be giving a Presentation on Hoe Grange Quarry at the National Recorders Meeting at the Birmingham & Midland Institute in Birmingham on Saturday 25th March 2023 – if you have not yet visited our first Butterfly NR here in Derbyshire then you can have a look at it on line on a 3 minute video that we have had produced – simply go to YouTube and type in Hoe Grange Quarry – enjoy the warm days of the summer sunshine and wildlife on the video!