Despite almost a week of continual sunshine, the cold and frosty nights have kept most butterflies in their winter slumber with just 3 butterfly sightings in the County during this time comprising individual Small Tortoiseshells noted at Mickleover (Max & Christine Maughan) and alongside the River Rother at Brimington (Sid Morris), together with a Peacock in the garden of Marilyn Horner at Aston on Trent on the 6th of February 2023. Then on the same day just over the County boundary at Millhouses in Sheffield, John Hall saw a mint Red Admiral sunning itself on a bench near a children’s playground.

Meanwhile some 10,000 km away from the UK, Pete Clark is still managing to see and photograph some exotic butterflies in the Philippines and I have attached his latest offerings! Even the Cabbage Whites look exotic over there with their multiple markings in comparison to our Large Whites!

2023 is also a special year for the British Dragonfly Society which was formed 40 years ago this Spring by Bob Merritt and Rod Dunn, who has kindly supplied me with some notes and also a  copy of the front page of the very first Newsletter back in April 1983.

It is interesting to note that back in 1978 a Derbyshire miner unearthed a 500 million year old dragonfly fossil 3,000 feet underground at Bolsover Colliery so the species has been around for some time!. Also in recent times Nick Brown of the DWT helped raise the profile of dragonflies by means of interesting talks on the subject, so perhaps recipients of this Update might want to note their sightings in 2023 and submit them to the Notts and Derbyshire Recorder who currently is Chris Bradbury :- BDS@chrisbradbury.com

Finally the interest in steam engines knows no boundaries with the recipients of these Updates as I have received many favourable comments on the subject – indeed Bryan Barnacle has emailed me some photos taken by both himself and the late Trevor Feltham of Rotherham – see the great collage of steam engine photos attached together with double headed Black 5’s (Mickeys) on the Tin Bath special flying through Grindleford Station in the High Peak – enjoy the atmosphere!