Hello Everyone, With the jet stream remaining well to the south of the UK, the sweltering temperatures of Southern Europe are being kept away from our shores by the Low Pressure systems that spiral out of the North Atlantic towards the UK and thus our July weather has been somewhat of a ‘norm’ with sunny periods followed by heavy showers – you would think that this would be ideal for new summer broods of butterflies to emerge …but you would be very wrong in that assumption. Take the Peacock for example – it should be congregating in good numbers on the fronds of buddleia bushes in our gardens…but no, they are almost completely devoid of them. With sightings of the Peacock from just 5 sites in Lowland Derbyshire this week and only 3 further sightings out of 4,000 Irecords so far in July 2023, the local situation looks grim for the species. It could well be the knock on effect of last summer’s intense heat (a year today it was 39c in Derby) that killed off many of the caterpillars on the shrivelled up nettle plants and which resulted in only 11 Peacocks being seen in the County between the 1st of January and the 31st of March 2023 (compared to 743 no in early 2021). By July 2021 there were over 350 Peacocks noted in Derbyshire with counts up to 24 individuals noted on buddleia bushes when compared to the grim figure of only 9 individuals seen to date in the whole of July 2023. Is this situation just in the East Midlands or is it also elsewhere in the UK? I have made contact with recorders in Essex, Beds, Northants, Cambs, Cheshire, and Yorkshire and the only positive news has come from Dave Chandler of Essex who informed me that fresh Peacocks have now emerged in reasonable numbers on the Benfleet Downs and from Steve Mattock in Yorkshire where in VC63 there have been over 200 records for the species so far this year. . The other Counties listed appear to be suffering a similar lack of the species at their locations similar to ourselves.. However, some other Nymphalid species have been doing reasonably well with the Comma having a good month – highest counts coming from Creswell Crags (42 no – 16th July 2023 – Peter Ham) and Stanton’s Wood, Ticknall (50 no – 13th July 2023 – Pete Clark) where Pete saw and photographed 2 individuals enjoying the delights of fresh dog poo whilst seeking minerals to supplement their diet! Disgusting but nature in the raw! (see the attached photo). Similarly the Red Admiral has seen some reasonable counts, possibly supplemented by migrants, with 27 seen on the 13th of July 2023 at Markham Vale North (Sid Morris) and 22 seen on the 16th of July 2023 in Creswell Crags (Peter Ham)
The only advantage of the weather conditions that I have heard of this last week is the appearance of the summer hairstreaks either low down on vegetation or they are now appearing in gardens – the heavy rain showers have washed off the honey dew from the leaves at the tops of trees so their search for sustenance is now plants in gardens. The White Letter Hairstreak for example appeared in the Hartington garden of Ian & Maggie Stevenson the 13th of July 2023 (see attached photo) and on the 17th of July 2023 Max & Christine Maughan saw an individual in their Mickleover garden for the first time. The only other sighting for the species that I have received this week came from Millers Dale Station on the 17th of July 2023 (Robert & Margaret Davies) where an individual was seen nectaring on marjoram between the platforms. Then on a walk above Cromford on the 15th of July 2023, Alison Pritchard saw a Purple Hairstreak sitting low down on the foliage (see attached photo) – other sightings of the species have come from Toyota Burnaston meadows (Bethany Garfield) and in Stantons Wood, Ticknall ( Nigel Davidson and Lesley & Phil Gretton).
Pleasingly the second brood of the Holly Blue has started well with a further 7 sightings of the species across the County including an individual seen in Tideswell Dale on the 13th of July 2023 (Bill & Jen Bramwell) together with 4 on the 16th of July 2023 at Manor Farm, Long Eaton (Jen Smith & Joan Breakwell) . However there have been no further sightings of the Wall Brown second brood in the County as yet, but sightings have been noted in the coastal areas of both Essex and Norfolk during this last week.
On the migrant scene, the Painted Lady has been seen at 4 locations recently including Goseley Cutting, Woodville (Kate Allies & Ruth Frudd), the Forge, Ironville (Pete Clark), Belper (Nigel Davidson) and one seen hill topping on Ashover Rock on the 17th of July 2023 (Peter Kidd). Also the migrant Humming Bird Hawk Moth has been noted at 3 locations recently including Mickleover (Colin Bowler), Hoe Grange Quarry (Alan Walker & Dave Evans) and Dene Quarry, Cromford (Dave & Sue Evans).
With the Big Butterfly Count now in its first week, it started on Friday the 14th of July 2023 and lasts until Sunday the 6th of August 2023, Butterfly Conservation East Midlands have organised an event on the project at the National Stone Centre, Wirksworth this coming Sunday the 23rd of July 2023 from 11 am till 3 pm where visitors will be given butterfly I D advice together with guided walks around the site looking at both the butterflies and wildflowers that are present at this very interesting location at the southern end of the Peak District. There is a café with full facilities on site and there will be a sales stall manned by Committee members of Butterfly Conservation East Midlands – Pat and I look forward to meeting many of you there.
