Hello Everyone, After the recent mini freeze and subsequent days of heavy rain, it is hardly surprising that there have been no outside butterfly sightings in the County this week! However, I was surprised to get a note and photo from Ruth Moore who saw a Comma hibernating on curtains inside her Overseal home this week – this species usually spends the winter outside in ivy clad copses or within grooves in trees. It is the first time that I have received a record for this species inside a house – it is usually Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks that hibernate in manmade structures as Sid Morris found out last year when he visited the old railway tunnels on the Monsal Trail (see attached photos). I would be interested to know where you see hibernating butterflies (and moths) this winter – the tunnels at Calke Park are also a good habitat for them to spend the winter months.
