Hello Everyone, It was a welcome change to get a small sustained period of sunny skies and some heat for a few days culminating with a temperature of 28c here in Derby on the 26th of June 2024 – thankfully this helped some butterfly species to both appear and increase their numbers but unfortunately not for every transect that was carried out in the County this last week. Some sites even failed to get a single sighting and the general consensus is that gardens, parks and the general countryside are still devoid of most insects and butterflies despite the recent arrival of better weather conditions. A quick comparison for the 3 transects that Pat and I carry out in South Derbyshire is that for Week 13 of the transect season numbers are 37% down this year against the same period in 2023 and the WCBS survey that we carried out at Aston Canal this last week resulted in a zero count – the first time that this has happened since the project began in 2009!
Nevertheless the first sightings of the Dark Green Fritillary took place on the 22nd of June 2024 at Longstone Edge (Aline & John Roberts) followed by 6 noted on the 26th of June 2024 in Tansley/Cressbrookdale by Gordon & Alison Rooke, these being at least 1 month later than the first sightings of the species in 2023. Then on the 25th of June 2024 a Marbled White was seen flying along the Blackwell Trail by Dave Clay – it looks like this beautiful spreading species could well be breeding there which is a real positive result for the County. Pleasingly further second brood specimens of the Holly Blue have emerged with sightings from Allestree (Steve Plant), Toyota Pond in Burnaston (Angie Smith), Thorpe (Barbara Wager) and in Rowland (Steve Webster). At last the ‘summer Hutchinsoni’ version of the Comma has just emerged with a sighting on the 27th of June 2024 at Hatton (Roger Martin) and on the next day at Long Eaton (again Roger Martin).
Other sightings of interest this last week include:-
Small Skipper – Not yet really established with just a few sightings in the South of the County at Findern (Pat Charge), Clover Close, Elvaston ( Joan Breakwell), Bretby (Vicky Williams) and Allestree Park (Felicity Jackson) whilst further north at only Chee Dale (Cate Beck) and in Tansley/Cressbrookdale ( Gordon & Alison Rooke).
Large Skipper :- Still relatively widespread in the County with a maximum count of 28 on the 26th of June 2024 at Hardwick Park (Kay Price)
Dingy Skipper :- Just hanging on in Coombs Dale on the 26th of June 2024 (Jay Amin) where a worn singleton was seen together with a couple of late Brimstone butterflies and 3 late Orange Tip butterflies as well.
Green Hairstreak :- Possibly the last sightings for this species occurred in Lathkill Dale NNR on the 21st of June 2024 when 2 were seen on the transect carried out there by Debbie Worland.
White Letter Hairstreak :- Continues to thrive on the Disease Resistant Elms that were planted in 2012 at 3 locations near the Inner Ring Road in Derby with sightings of up to 8 individuals by Andy Shervill & Colin Bowler last week together with sightings of 8 no at Markham Vale North Tip on the 24th of June 2024 (Sid Morris)
Common Blue :- Although this species was not recorded at a number of sites earlier this month, pleasingly it is now appearing at some locations with a maximum count of 25 coming from Longstone Edge (Catherine Chapman) and in Intake Quarry, High Peak Trail (Dave & Sue Evans).
Brown Argus Migrating :- No sightings received for this species in Lowland Derbyshire which appears to be in between broods.
Brown Argus Peak District Race:- Still being seen in low numbers at a few sites in the dales including 4 in Coombs Dale on the 26th of June 2024 (Jay Amin)
Wall Brown :- The first brood has just about finished with late sightings of individuals up to the 24th of June 2024 from Longstone Edge (Catherine Chapman), Coombs Dale ( Tony & Jon Hudson), Scratta Wood, Monsal Dale (Chris Thirtle) and lastly in Horseshoe Quarry (Joanna Mackey).
Meadow Brown :- At last some sites are showing good numbers with the highest counts coming from Clover Close, Elvaston (122 no – Joan Breakwell) and from Hardwick Park (130 no – Kay Price)
Ringlet :- Similarly, this stunning black velvety butterfly with white edging to its wings, has started to appear in good numbers at some sites in the County with 86 seen on the 27th of June 2024 at Swadlincote Woodlands (Janet Jackson) and 67 noted on the 25th of June 2024 at Pleasley Pit (Willy Lane)
Small Heath :- Beginning to show in reasonable numbers in the Peak District with 43 seen in Intake Quarry, High Peak Trail (Dave & Sue Evans), 39 in Hay Dale (Ian & Joy White) and 36 in Tansley/Cressbrookdale (Gordon & Alison Rooke)
So despite some sites failing to get to double figure counts on the transects, a few sites managed over 100 butterflies, including Clover Close, Elvaston (127 no – Joan Breakwell), Tansley/Cressbrookdale (126 no – Gordon & Alison Rooke) and Pleasley Pit (118 no – Willy Lane) so there is some optimism that things are improving if only slowly – the second half of the 2024 transect season will be quite an interesting one as next week I will reveal how the first 13 weeks of the 2024 transect season compares with the same period in 2023.
On a different note, many wildlife enthusiasts are unaware as to the beauty of some of our moths – attached are some photos taken recently in Derbyshire of some of the moths that can be seen during the day – they have quite an amazing range of colours – enjoy!
