Hello Everyone,
After one of the worst weeks in June here in Derbyshire weather wise, including a couple of mornings when the temperature here in Derby got down to just 5c, even though there are only about 7 hours of darkness, (Do you remember when snow caused the cricket match at Buxton between Derbyshire & Lancashire to be postponed on the 2nd of June 1975 due to a snow storm? – look what happened to the remainder of the Summer then – a heatwave which for me was the first signs of climate change!) I have been amazed at the determination of the many volunteers who made a dash for their transect sites once a small glimmer of that round yellow object in the sky appeared briefly. So a big thank you for your total commitment to get the transects completed even though many produced a zero count including some great sites such as Chee Dale NR in the Peak District. Meanwhile on supposedly the best day of the week (the 12th of June 2024) Kevin Morris spent 5 hours walking on footpaths in the Markeaton and Allestree areas of Derby to be ‘rewarded’ with just one sighting of a lonesome Speckled Wood – unbelievable for this time of the year. Consequently I decided to do some research on butterfly numbers on transects in Derbyshire up to the end of Week 10 of this year’s season – overall numbers are 60% down on the same period last year which itself was a poor year after the hot weather of the Summer of 2022 (remember what a heatwave felt like?) A look at the overall numbers of butterflies seen on transects throughout the East Midlands to date this year also confirms the poor season as numbers are on average 50% down across the Region.
Nevertheless some fortunate volunteers managed to see some butterflies with the highest overall count of 43 no in 12 species was at Tansley/Cressbrookdale on the 12th of June 2024 when Gordon & Alison Rooke did their transect there, although no Large Skippers or Meadow Browns were seen on the day but a couple of late Green Hairstreaks were present. With most species struggling to build up numbers, it was pleasing to get confirmation of the first sightings of the Ringlet butterfly when Sally Fisher noted 2 individuals on the 11th of June 2024 at the Forge site in Ironville – this was followed by an individual seen on the Haddon Hall Estate the following day by Steve Orridge during a bio blitz there! Both Large Skipper and Meadow Brown numbers are not yet up to anything like normal, with sightings of the former species coming this week from just 15 locations including from a few sites in the Peak District, whilst numbers of the latter species (which is normally the most common species seen on transects) have come from just 14 sites including a singleton in Lathkill Dale NNR on the 10th of June 2024 (Chris & Sheila Ragg)
Other recent sightings of interest include the following :-
Wall Brown :- Sightings of just 4 individuals from 4 sites including at Hoe Grange Quarry (Ray Badger Walker), Horseshoe Quarry (Joanna Mackey) at surprisingly Markham Vale North Pit ( Colin Morris) and on the 12th of June 2024 at Clough Wood (Rod Dunn).
Painted Lady :- Just 2 individuals of this migrant butterfly seen this last week with records from Hardwick Park (Martin Frow) and on the 8th of June 2024 in Thorpe (Barbara Wager).
The only other interesting sightings this week have been as a result of moths being noted widely across the County including a mating pair of Scarlet Tiger moths seen on the 5th of June 2024 by Steve Plant (et al) at Ticknall Limeyards – see the attached photo whilst Rod Dunn managed to photograph a Yellow Banded Longhorn Moth in Clough Wood on the 12th of June 2024 – a most impressive ‘micro’ moth!
Interestingly whilst Marion Kemp’s transect walk along the northern end of the Cromford Canal on the 12th of June 2024 produced just a late sighting of an Orange Tip butterfly together with a new brood Small Tortoiseshell her eyes were drawn to a Kingfisher which was catching fish from the canal. Guy Badham, who has a photo exhibition in the nearby Aqueduct Cottage, took the attached great photo when he was chatting to Marion – surprising who you might meet when carrying out your transects!
It looks like we finally might get some warmer temperatures but will we get sunshine as well? Good luck to everyone in Week 12.
Finally I have just received some sad news that one of the founder members of Butterfly Conservation East Midlands has died – some of you will remember Barbara Overton of North Notts who along with her late husband Ron were both very interested in wildlife in the area – for further information please contact the current Branch Organiser, Jane Broomhead :- malcsmonkeys@hotmail.com
R I P Barbara…
