Unfortunately it was another dire week for completing the butterfly transects in the County with at least 14 sites having a complete blank despite some sunshine on the day and many site transects not even attempted – this was typified by our attempt at carrying out the West Hallam Tip transect this last week – a zero count which is the first time ever that I have had at the site for a date in May, bearing in mind I started there back in 1987!. The highest counts on transects this week have come from Longstone Edge, 45 no on the 25th of May 2024 (Stuart Davies), 41 no seen in nearby Coombs Dale on the same day (Andrew Woodhouse) and 40 no seen on the 30th of May 2024 in Tansley/Cressbrookdale (Gordon Rooke).
With most species now at an all-time low for the time of the year, it was a nice surprise to get a new species recorded this week when a single Meadow Brown was seen on the 27th of May 2024 at the Toyota UK Pond site in Burnaston (Brian & Jean Hallam) and pleasingly the Wall Brown has managed to show itself at 14 locations in the Peak/Peak Fringe areas of the County with a total of 30 individuals seen, the highest counts being 8 at Longstone Edge on the 25th of May 2024 (Stuart Davies) and 5 seen on the same day in Hoe Grange Quarry (Ray Badger Walker)
It was hardly surprising that very few migrant butterflies or moths have been seen recently with just 4 individual Painted Lady butterflies seen, 2 in Hoe Grange Quarry on the 25th of May 2024 (Ray Badger Walker) and another seen on the new transect at Chatsworth gardens on the same day (Pete Clark) together with another at Allestree Park (Felicity Jackson).There were 3 Humming Bird Hawk moths seen this week with an individual noted on the 25th of May 20245 in Wirksworth (Jonathan Page) and 2 seen in Hardwick Hall Gardens (Anita Moore), although there have been a few Silver Y moths noted in the County as well. Other day flying moths on the wing now include Mother Shipton (named after the witch at Knaresborough), Cinnabar Moth, Latticed Heath, Burnet Companion, Silver Ground Carpet and in the Peak District both Speckled Yellow and the Wood Tiger moth.
Eric Easom, who farms near Wessington, kindly sent me some Notes on the Current Legislation which has just come into effect relating to the management of hedgerows on agricultural land – this law means that there should be a 2 metre butter strip (measured from the centre line of a hedge) where a green cover must be established and maintained with no cultivation or the application of pesticides or fertilisers within the 2 metre buffer strip. This reminds me of the Set Aside Scheme in the late 1980’s whereby strips of land around the perimeters of fields remained uncultivated which allowed the spread of both the Essex Skipper and the Migrating Brown Argus into Derbyshire as both were first seen at the start of the New Millennium here in the County. Also, now hedgerows should not be cut or trimmed from the 1st of March to the 31st of August. – how many times have you seen hedges slaughtered between these dates and pesticides sprayed on fields right up to the hedgerow? Hopefully this new law will make a real difference in helping wildlife along these important corridors.
Finally as the season is so far behind, there is still time for you to help in either being part of a team on a full transect or to carry out 4 walks on a site under the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS) – there are vacancies on the full transect at Crich Chase Meadows, Ambergate or on the WCBS survey at Radbourne in South Derbyshire – let me know if you are interested in either!
