BNM Summer News 2024Hello Everyone,
With the UK now experiencing the effects of former hurricane ‘Ernesto’ and current storm ‘Lilian’ together with strong winds and heavy rain, the resulting decline in both butterfly numbers and species is well and truly on the cards.
Pleasingly the stoic Wall Brown is surviving what mother nature is throwing at it with recent sightings of 25 individuals from 15 locations in the County including gardens at Wirksworth (Jane Flint), Buxworth (Vicki Leng) and surprisingly at Hady, Chesterfield (Richard Barnard). Maximum counts have been only 3 at Alport Heights (per Dave Evans), Minninglow Quarry (Derek Brownlee) and on Longstone Edge (Tracy Mann) with 5 seen at Hoe Grange Quarry on the 21st of August 2024 (Graeham Mounteney)
Similarly the migrant Painted Lady has been recorded at 15 locations in the County recently, mainly in the Peak District, from a garden at Hope (Helen Perkins) to a transect at Holloway (Alison Pritchard) together with a sighting of an individual in Denby Village
( per Jane Rogers) and at Mickleover on the 22nd of August 2024 (Colin Bowler). Also seen in local gardens up to the 21st of August 2024 has been the second brood Holly Blue with records received from 14 locations including Glossop (Colin Ashcroft) and also in Whitwell Wood (Neil & Lorraine Jones).
Unfortunately many buddleia bushes are now ‘going over’ so sightings of the Peacock from gardens is diminishing fast but in the general countryside recent sightings of over 20 have come from Markham Vale North (Sid Morris) and Markham Vale South (Mark Radford) with at least 100 individuals noted on knapweed on a sunny bank in Lathkill Dale NNR on the 20th of August 2024 (Chris & Sheila Ragg)
Other recent sightings of interest include :-
Brimstone :- A count of 12 was made on the 16th of August 2024 in Chatsworth Gardens by Esther Weir.
White Letter Hairstreak :- A late individual was seen on the 16th of August 2024 at Lightwood, Buxton (Steve & Lin Orridge)
Purple Hairstreak :- A late individual was noted at Mill Green, Staveley on the 17th of August 2024 (Tony Hudson)
Brown Argus Migrating :- Just a couple of sites in Lowland Derbyshire still showing this species, both on the 16th of August 2024, with sightings at Mickleover Meadows (Simon Beavis) and at Drakelow NR (Andy Large & Nigel Cowl)
Brown Argus Peak District Race :- A few late individuals were seen up to the 21st of August 2024 with records from the National Stone Centre, Wirksworth (Jane Flint), in Coombs Dale (Jay Amin), and at Hoe Grange Quarry (Colin Bowler) whilst 6 individuals were noted in Lathkill Dale NNR (Chris & Sheila Ragg)
Dark Green Fritillary :- Just 2 records of this species in the Peak District with an individual noted at Ferneydale, Buxton on the 20th of August 2024 (Jane Tattershall) and 3 seen in Deep Dale, Sheldon on the 21st of August 2024 (Steve Tompkins)
Silver Washed Fritillary :- Still showing at Lathkill Dale NNR ( 6 no – Chris & Sheila Ragg), Doe Lea (Willy Lane – a new site record) and in Whitwell Wood on the 21st of August 2024 where Neil & Lorraine Jones saw 3 individuals including the dark form of the female named Valezina which tends to skulk in the shady areas of woodlands.
Marbled White :- A couple of individuals seen on the 12th of August 2024 on the Blackwell Trail (Annie & Louis Adlington) suggests that this species is breeding at the site and indeed this is the latest date for the species in the County (previous being the 8th of August (2015))
Speckled Wood :- As is usual with this multi brooded species, counts in late Summer and Autumn often hit peak numbers and a massive 60 individuals were noted in Whitwell Wood on the 21st of August 2024 (Neil & Lorraine Jones)
Whilst the flight period of Derbyshire’s latest edition to its butterfly list (the Purple Emperor) is now over, it is worth searching for evidence as to whether it is actually breeding in the County – Dennis ‘Dellboy’ Dell has kindly sent me a couple of photos (see the attached) of both the characteristic leaf damage to Sallows together with a photo of the 1st instar caterpillar which remains green until about the end of October after which they turn a muddy brown as they sit at the end of a forked branch where they spend the Winter!
Imagine spending up to 8 months of your life as a caterpillar on a branch – no wonder they make the most of July when the adults are on the wing!
A good way to provide a food plant for the caterpillars of both the Small White and the Large White is to plant some nasturtiums in your gardens which act as a decoy and help preserve your cabbages etc – Phil Shore of Little Eaton did just that and he has emailed a photo of such event taking place.
Finally the latest edition of Butterflies for the New Millennium Newsletter has just been published by Butterfly Conservation (see the attached) – in it you will see that across the whole of the UK butterfly numbers on transects were 40% down for the first 12 weeks of the monitoring season against a massive 60% down here in Derbyshire. Let’s hope for a better second half to the season!
https://hoegrangequarry.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/BNM-Summer-News-2024.pdf
