Hello Everyone, After the floods of early January 2025, this last week has been very cold and frosty with snow in the Peak District – almost like the winters of old! Needless to say there have been no outdoor sightings of butterflies or moths reported to me so far this month but on the 30th of December 2023, John Bland (per Sue Jones) saw a Red Admiral in flight near the butterfly garden at Sinfin Moor Park (a new County late record for the species!)

There have been a few inside sightings of insects – Rob Thatcher and Sean Browne counted 63 Herald moths in hibernation in the tunnel at Calke Park on the 3rd of January 2025 but no sign of any butterflies in there which is somewhat alarming, but at least Jane Rogers saw 24 butterflies, mainly Peacocks, hibernating in the bell chamber of Denby Church recently, together with a  Herald moth. Then on the 10th of January 2025, Emily Marsden saw and photographed a Small Tortoiseshell in a storage area at Hardwick Hall whilst Christmas decorations were being put away for another year!

Please find attached details of a special Insurance for volunteers in the Region that has been organised by Butterfly Conservation  for all volunteers that carry out transects and WCBS surveys – it is necessary to register on the web portal  Assemble – please use the link below to enter your details. It is not an Annual Registration but you stay on it until you request to come off it at a future date. Please go to the East Midlands link at :-

this webpage

Could I ask that Local Coordinators ensure that their volunteers are aware of this Insurance provision and registration before they commence their transects this year.

Meanwhile arrangements have been made for a number of events during 2025 including the following:-

Saturday the 1st of March 2025 – Transect Training and Butterfly I D at Pleasley Pit in the Ken Lomas Room from 11 am by Willy Lane – this will appeal to mainly volunteers in N E Derbyshire and North Notts – please book you place by contacting Willy at the following email address – doeleaboy@gmail.com

Sunday the 16th of March 2025 – Transect Training and Butterfly I D at the Evergreen Club , Allestree from 11.30 am till 2.30 pm by Ken Orpe – this will appeal to volunteers from the remainder of Derbyshire and other parts of the Region – please contact myself to book your place at ken@malaga.plus.com

Sunday the 6th of July 2025 from 11 am to 4 pm – the 7th Annual Open Day at Hoe Grange Quarry NR courtesy of the Owners, Longcliffe Quarries Ltd – please see the attached leaflet for details.

Other outdoor events will be organised in the near future and they will be shown on a future Update of mine.

Finally Angela Bird has kindly emailed me a great photo of a walk that she and her family did on the 27th of December 2024 along Baslow Edge – yet another example of a weather inversion in the Peak District – a wonderful reminder of winter!

Information Update Insurance of UKBMS volunteers and FE National Agreement

Hoe Grange Quarry Open Day – 6th July 2025