Hello Everyone,
After a fantastic spell of sunny and warm weather during the first couple of weeks in April 2025 including a temperature of 22c here in Derby on the 11th of April 2025, all good things come to an end but not before the first Dingy Skipper butterflies were recorded in the Peak District with the first sighting on the 7th of April 2025 at Longstone Edge (Phil Gilbert) – a full 1 month earlier than the first sighting of the 5th of May in 2024! Further sightings of the species occurred at Tansley/Cressbrookdale (Gordon Rooke & Steve Orridge), Monsal Dale (Ian & Joy White) and in Lowland Derbyshire at Whitwell Tip on the 10th of April 2025 (Ian Hurst). Then a mint Small Copper was seen on the 11th of April 2025 in Cressbrookdale by Steve Orridge – which again is nearly 1 month earlier than in 2024. Is this a sign of things to come…probably not with a complete change to ‘normal’ April conditions setting in with Atlantic rain bands heading our way this week.
Other recent interesting sightings include :-
Holly Blue :- Individuals of this species have been seen at 20 locations mainly in the South of the County but in addition also in the Chesterfield area (Phil Gilbert) as well as at Clowne (Jim Russell), Bonsall (Sue Quick) and at Matlock (Alan Kitchen)
Green Hairstreak :- Noted at 16 locations in the Peak District with 5 seen at Combs Moss(Steve Orridge), 6 seen on Abney Moor by Clare Blues, 7 seen at Longstone Edge (Sara Barrett) and 18 noted on the transect in Tansley/ Cressbrookdale on the 10th of April 2025 (Gordon Rooke)
Brimstone :- Still being seen fairly regularly in the County with the recent highest count of 22 seen at Pleasley Pit on the 11th of April 2025 (Willy Lane) together with 13 noted in Lathkill Dale NNR on the same day (Chris & Sheila Ragg)
Peacock :- Again one of the commonest butterflies seen in the area with counts into double figures coming from at least 9 locations recently including 30 noted at Arkwright Tip on the 11th of April 2025 (Mark Radford) and 28 no seen on the same day at Pleasley Pit
(Willy Lane)
Orange Tip :- Another species that can be seen in good numbers now with the highest recent counts coming from Lathkill Dale NNR
28 no on the 7th of April 2025 (Al & John Roberts) and 25 no seen on the 10th of April 2025 at Creswell Crags (Carol Campbell)
Speckled Wood :- No great numbers yet although 33 no were seen in Goseley Cutting on the 11th of April 2025 ( Kate Allies & Ruth Woods)
Interestingly a mint Painted Lady was seen on the 9th of April 2025 at Oker near Matlock by Lindsey & John Bance – the fact that it was mint suggests that it originated locally as the wind has been mostly from the east during the first 2 weeks of April 2025 so it virtually rules out a migrant from Southern Europe.
Now that most of the first 3 months of Derbyshire butterfly sightings have been sent to me, I have updated the early Red Admiral and other hibernating species totals, and mainly due to the fine weather in March, this year has been the 6th best first 3 month period for sightings of those species since 1995 with overall 1099 butterfly records including 395 Brimstones and 310 Peacocks (see the attached chart with provisional numbers for 2025)
Finally, If you would like to start butterfly surveying then why not start with a site in South Derbyshire at Wilne which is under the Wider Countryside Butterfly Scheme (WCBS) – the requirement is to walk the route once a month for the period of May to August inclusive (ie just 4 walks in the year) – let me know if you are interested and I will send you the details.
