A special request for the 1500 recipients of this Update :-
Calling all you intrepid explorers and recorders who live in or visit South Derbyshire – this week could be the week to look for the Purple Emperor in the area, although at the moment only Thursday the 13th (? lucky) looks to be ideal weather conditions for a sortie. Dennis Dell has sent me an email and plea that he received from Matthew Oates, the Purple Emperor guru who is very much monitoring the spread of Iris in the East Midlands, Matthew states:-
Purple Emperor must be in several of the woods around Ticknall, Derbyshire. South Wood (NT Calke Estate) only has a modicum of sallows, but he should be there. National Forest Windmill Wood next to Foremarke Reservoir looks brilliant, as does NF Stansons Wood near Ticknall and an unnamed NF wood at St Brides Hill NE of Ticknall. This is the year to look. I will put my house on HIM (His Imperial Majesty) being there… Go get ’em! (Anyone fancy a Cottage in Gloucestershire! – Ken)
This is your chance to get into the Derbyshire Record Books – it would be great if Iris was found in South Derbyshire, preferably with photographic evidence of course!
Staying in South Derbyshire, a Butterfly Conservation Field Trip to Aston Brickyards on Sunday the 9th of July 2023 provided the 16 visitors with sightings of 16 species including Purple Hairstreak, White Letter Hairstreak, Silver Washed Fritillary and for the first time in 24 years of recording there, a Marbled White which is expanding its range into the County. Attached are some excellent photos showing the Purple Emperor, the Marbled White and the underside of a Small Tortoiseshell together with a Humming Bird Hawk moth seen recently in Monsal Dale (Ian & Joy White) together with a great photo taken recently by Derek Brownlee showing a Wheatear feeding its young at Hartington Meadows NR.
New second brood species which have recently emerged include Holly Blue (first seen on the 6th of July in West Bridgford, Notts by Nick Sparrow and then on the 7th of July 2023 in Hilton, Derbyshire by Rachel Cooper) and the Brimstone (seen on the 5th of July 2023 in Creswell Crags (Jason Lowe) and then in Aston Brickyards on the 7th of July 2023 (Ken & Pat Orpe)) . Hopefully the new brood of the Peacock will be seen very soon as buddleias are now coming into flower in many gardens.
Finally don’t forget that the 2023 Big Butterfly Count starts this Friday (14th of July 2023) and lasts until the 6th of August 2023 – full details can be found at Big Butterfly Count (butterfly-conservation.org)
