Well the promised warm and sunny conditions never really materialised this week mainly due to the cold easterly wind that prevailed although Tuesday the 18th and Thursday the 20th were mostly sunny all day which enabled many recorders to get outside and complete their transect for Week 3 of the new season. However at least 14 sites failed to produce a single sighting during the last week and unfortunately it looks like Week 4 is going to be another difficult week weather wise with a northerly wind and night frosts to look forward to (I don’t think), but the forecasters have been known to get it wrong in the past!
Despite the conditions, there have been sightings of 3 new species in the County recently :-
Green Hairstreak :- Dave Mallon took to the hills above Glossop and was finally rewarded with the view of a singleton of this species on a south facing bank of bilberry along a sheltered lane on the 18th of April 2023 at Matley Moor.
Large White :- Confirmed sightings of this species were noted on the 18th of April 2023 at Midway Sandhills (Tom Cockburn) and at Markham Vale North ( Colin Morris) together with a further sightings on the 20th of April 2023 at Norbriggs Flash (Sid Morris) and at Drakelow NR (Andy Large)
Green Veined White :- Again confirmed sightings of this species occurred on the 18th of April 2023 at Pleasley Pit (Willy Lane and David Elliott) and at Brook Park, Shirebrook (Anita Aked) together with further sightings at the New Workings in Long Eaton GP on the 19th of April 2023 (Roger Martin), at Norbriggs Flash and Poolsbrook C P on the 20th of April 2023 (both Sid Morris), at Haddon Hall Parkland (Christine Gregory), Woodside NR (Brian & Margaret Hobby), and along the Cromford Canal (Steve & Andrea Plant) with a maximum count of 10 at Creswell Crags on the 20th of April 2023 (Paul Townsend)
Other species noted during the last week include :-
Brimstone :-This species has had another good week in Week 3 with a total of 199 individuals noted at 68 sites across the County with the highest count of 23 coming from Chee Dale on the 18th of April 2023 (Cate Beck & Sue Mitchell)
Small White :- This species should be common now in both gardens and the general countryside but the sighting of an individual is quite an occasion – sightings have only been received from 29 locations in the County this week – so it is now a relative rarity!
Orange Tip ;- If it wasn’t for this species on the wing you would never guess it is Spring but pleasingly if has appeared at over 78 locations across the County this week with counts of 10 coming from Rosliston Forestry Centre (Bryce Newton & Kate Allies), Manor Farm, Long Eaton (Joan Breakwell & Jen Smith), New Workings, Long Eaton (Roger Martin), Doe Lea (Peter Manship) and at Creswell Crags (Neil & Lorraine Jones) with the highest counts of 13 number coming from Poolsbrook C P on the 20th of April 2023 (Sid Morris) together with 16 seen on the same day at Drakelow NR (Andy Large)
Holly Blue :- Another Spring species although it does of course have a second brood in late Summer as well – not sure how the species will fare then though as this week it has been seen at only Manor Farm, Long Eaton (Joan Breakwell & Jen Smith), in Chee Dale (Cate Beck & Sue Mitchell), New Workings, Long Eaton (Roger Martin), Staveley (Sid Morris), Aston on Trent (Rob Waldron), Godfreyhole (Jean Hurdle), Belper (Dave Evans), Barlborough (Neil & Lorraine Jones), Creswell Crags ( Paul Townsend), along the Cromford Canal (Steve & Andrea Plant), with 2 seen in the Clowne garden of Jim Russell and 3 seen in Willington village on the 20th of April 2023 (Chris Burnett).
Red Admiral :- Just 3 sightings of this species recently – one at Hilton G P (Dominic Dean) and another seen at Pleasley Pit (David Elliott) and one at Creswell Crags on the 20th of April 2023 (Paul Townsend).
Small Tortoiseshell :- An increase in the numbers of this species this week with records of 125 individuals from 50 localities in the County with the highest count of 10 coming from Norbriggs Flash on the 20th of April 2023 (Sid Morris).
Peacock :- Again an increase in sightings of this species this week with records of 158 individuals noted at 63 sites in Derbyshire the highest count being 9 seen on the 18th of April 2023 in Lathkill Dale NNR (Peter Faulkner)
Comma :- A large reduction in numbers seen this week with just 76 individuals noted at 36 sites in the County with the highest count of 9 coming from Belper Parks (Adrian & Rebecca Rochford).
Speckled Wood :- This time last year records had been received from at least 50 sites in the County but during the last week the total number of sites that the species was seen was just 17 sites :- Hartshorne Wood (Brian & Jean Hallam), Elvaston C P (John Schofield), Pleasley Pit (Willy Lane), Clowne Linear Park ( Jim Russell), Mickleover Meadows LNR (Malcolm Neal), New Workings, Long Eaton (Roger Martin), St Chads Water, Draycott (Rob Waldron), Wyver Lane (Dave Evans), Doe Lea (Peter Manship), Coton Park (Graham Atkins & Carol Charles), Drakelow NR (Andy Large), Northwood, Darley Dale (Christine Gregory), Hilton Valley Park (Wayne Cooper), Markham Vale North (Colin Morris), Markham Vale South & Poolsbrook C P (both Sid Morris) with the highest count of 12 coming on the 18th of April 2023 at Goseley Cutting (Ruth Frudd)
Surprisingly the Humming Bird Hawk moth has yet again appeared in gardens within the County with sightings up to the 15th of April 2023 coming from Ambergate (Ian Scrimshaw), near Linacre Reservoir (per David Wood) and at Hognaston (Tina Carter).
Willy Lane has kindly sent me a link to a video on transects that he did at Brook Park in Shirebrook – unfortunately at the moment we do not have enough volunteers for a transect there this year at this impressive site which has had 26 butterfly species recorded in the past including White Letter Hairstreak and Silver Washed Fritillary. If you could help this year, then please send me an email and I will forward it on to Willy for him to contact you direct. Have a look at the following link:-
Meanwhile over in Notts, Chris Jackson the Biodiversity Officer for Notts County Council has issued a note regarding the Grizzled Skipper in that County :-
‘It’s now time to visit sites across the County and see if our efforts are continuing to have the positive impact we are all hoping for. During the past few years the first sightings of Grizzled Skipper from year to year have been variable, as would be expected, but perhaps with some good weather, there may be an opportunity for us to see the first few Grizzled Skippers of the year on the wing in Nottinghamshire (in fact the first sighting so far this year, surprisingly, being on the 17th of April 2023 at East Leake) .
|
Year |
Date of First Sighting in Notts |
|
2012 |
8th May |
|
2013 |
1st May |
|
2014 |
18th April |
|
2015 |
27th April |
|
2016 |
4th May |
|
2017 |
9th April |
|
2018 |
5th May |
|
2019 |
18th April |
|
2020 |
23rd April |
|
2021 |
20th April |
|
2022 |
21st April |
Please report all your sightings via the iRecord App but if you could also let me know when you see a Grizzled Skipper then I will do my best to try and keep everyone posted on where and when we are seeing the butterfly across the County:-
Christopher.Jackson@nottscc.gov.uk>
Once we have started to receive information about the first few sightings in Nottinghamshire, we will also be looking to run an ‘open your eyes’ event, once again at Staunton Quarry Nature Reserve to encourage those people who are not so familiar with the butterfly to get more involved in recorded this wonderful species. The short event will be a chance to see the butterfly on the wing and familiarise yourself with its characteristic flight. I will keep you all posted on when this will happen. Unfortunately due to the nature of butterflies we will not be able to set a date for this event well in advance and we will have to set something up based on when sightings are reported and also on the weather forecast’.
The appearance of the reintroduced Grizzled Skipper at Ticknall Limeyards is at least 2 weeks later than the Notts sightings due to the habitat being much colder with expanses of water nearby, despite some sterling work being carried out there by the N T.
Nick Brown has kindly sent me an email from one of his many contacts with regard to mowing in a suburb of Derby City – the message could equally apply to where you live in the Region, and as Councillors are appealing for your vote at the moment it might be worth you sending a similar request to your local prospective Councillors before you make up your mind who to vote for?
‘During the first lockdown and in the period post lockdown the Mackworth Estate open green areas were left to nature and a magnificent spectacle of wildflowers and biodiversity appeared.
The verges, roundabouts, central reservations and large open spaces around Knightsbridge and Prince Charles avenue in particular were resplendent in the multi colours and scents of Spring and early Summer. The place was literally buzzing with important pollinating insects flying from plant to plant….the estate has never looked so natural and vibrant with wildlife.
Lockdown ended and the jobsworths at DCC got back to work and sent out the grass cutters…the estate became an ecological desert once again and so it has remained for the past 2.5 years since DCC have re-introduced their weekly grass and wildflower (which I guess they’ll refer to as weeds) annihilation obsession.
Do they not realise we are suffering from a dramatic decline in our important pollinating insect populations; these require vast areas of wildflowers, dandelions being one of the most important, and many species of birds rely on large insect populations for their survival! Do they actually care? So can this be brought to the attention of those that make the decisions to destroy nature, put them on an education programme and please, let’s have a more nature first approach these green spaces’.
I would be interested to hear if Councils across the area respond to a request for less grass cutting before mower man starts his annual annihilation of wildlife habitats – unfortunately this practice has just recommenced in our part of Derby so the message isn’t getting through – maybe your decisions at the ballot box might change things?
