Hello Everyone, After a very dry and sunny March 2025, which in this area meant the driest March since 2011 with only 27% of the usual rainfall coupled with 70% more sunshine, although there were 9 mornings with frost here in Derby compared to only 1 morning in March 2024. I wasn’t expecting early April 2025 to carry on in a similar vein so it has probably been the best Week 1 of the transect season for many years, despite a nagging easterly wind. However the poor weather conditions and results of 2024 has meant that butterfly numbers remain very low but at least a sunny April gives some species the chance to improve their local status. Looking at the Week 1 record sheets for at least 70 sites that have been walked and emailed to me to date, indications are that the Peacock has managed to beat expectations with 14 sites having totals seen in double figures with the highest count of 18 coming on the 2nd of April 2025 from Pleasley Pit (Jason Lowe) and 17 coming from Chatsworth Gardens on the 3rd of April 2025 (Esther Weir) Other species which have produced double figure counts include the Speckled Wood with 15 seen on the 4th of April 2025 at Goseley Cutting, Woodville (Ruth Woods), the Comma with 10 seen in Coton Wood (Chris Leverington), the Brimstone with 16 noted in Creswell Crags (Jim Anderson) and 15 seen on the 3rd of April 2025 in Tideswell Dale (Al & John Roberts), who also saw 21 Orange Tips at the same site on the same day.
Green Hairstreak sightings have been very sporadic with individuals noted at Milldale (Derek Brownlee), Cressbrookdale (Peter Faulkner) and at the National Stone Centre, Wirksworth (Alan Walker) whilst Guy Badham saw 3 butterflies on bilberry in the Goyt Valley on the 1st of April 2025, Stuart Davies saw 4 butterflies at Longstone Edge on the 4th of April 2025 and Gordon Rooke saw 5 butterflies in Tansley Dale on the 5th of April 2025. Meanwhile further south the first Holly Blue was noted on the 1st of April 2025 in her garden in Bretby(Vicky Williams) – this sighting being just 1 day earlier than the first sighting of the 2nd of April in 2024. This was then followed by individuals noted at both Holloway (Alison Pritchard) and Codnor Park ( Pete Clark) on the 4th of April 2025 plus 2 individuals seen in the Mickleover garden of Peter Roberts on the 5th of April 2025 together with another seen in Mickleover by Max & Christine Maughan on the same day, plus an individual noted by Dot Morson at Gorsey Lees, Overseal on the 5th of April 2025 together with another in St Edmund’s Churchyard, Allestree by Steve Plant on the same day. Finally individuals were noted in Chesterfield on the 6th of April 2025 by Jim Alder and in Hilton (Wayne Cooper) on the same day. Since the extreme heat of July 2023 the Small Tortoiseshell has really suffered and despite sightings from 22 locations in Derbyshire, the numbers have been mainly in ones and twos, but at least Mark Radford saw 7 at Foxlow Ponds, Staveley on the 1st of April 2025.
Interestingly some day flying moths have shown themselves recently with the Orange Underwing moth being noted in birch woodlands/copses at the Forge site (Pete Clark) and at Markham Vale (Sid Morris) – this species can be confused with the Small Copper butterfly but the moth usually flies in March and April – too early for the butterfly in ‘normal’ times! Meanwhile on the moors the flamboyant Emperor moth is now on the wing – Sid Morris managed to attract 9 individuals to a lure on Ramsley Moor on the 29th of March 2025. Quite extraordinary, Dave Clay saw and photographed a female Emperor moth which was found in Blackwell on the 4th of April 2025 – some distance away from its usual habitat!
Just as a reminder to newcomers to transect walking, could I ask that your record sheets should be copied to everyone in your team together with the UKBMS data inputter for the site, as well as myself – this enables everyone to know what has been seen at your site and also allows me to verify the sightings and use the information for these Updates – no record sheets means no Updates! Also in the event of a Nil return, please still fill out a record sheet as it still needs to be included in the data for the site during the year.
It looks like the weather for Week 2 is very promising so I look forward to receiving your record sheets with lot more sightings!
