Hello Everyone, Another week of partly cloudy weather but at least with some sunshine towards the end of the week was enough for the first Brown Argus (Peak District Race) to appear on the 22nd of April 2025 at Longstone Edge (Andrew Woodhouse) – this being 10 days earlier than the previous County record of the 2nd of May (2007) This situation was probably as a result of both the micro climate that exists at Longstone Edge coupled with the fact that the higher ground of the Peak District saw sward recovery in 2024 on the calcareous grasslands for plants such as rockrose, the larval foodplant of the Brown Argus (P D R). A further individual was then seen on the 27th of April 2025 in Wye Dale (Kyle Winney) Then on the 26th of April 2025 the first Small Heath was seen – at Doe Lea by Mike & Mavis Allen – this being 4 days earlier than the previous County record of the 30th of April (2007). This was then followed by the earliest ever sighting of the Large Skipper in the County with an individual seen at Pleasley Pit on the 27th of April 2025 (Willy Lane) – this being 3 days earlier than the previous County record of the 30th of April (back in 1990!). Also on the 27th of April 2025 the first Common Blues appeared in the County with Mark Longdon noting a couple at Whitwell Tip – this brings the total number of species seen in April in Derbyshire to 20 species! With the Dingy Skipper showing reasonably well in the Peak District this month yet almost devoid at many favourable sites in the Lowland part of Derbyshire this persuaded me to take a closer look at the transect data for 2024 here in Derbyshire – sure enough butterfly totals in the Peak District were ‘only’ 33% down on 2024 whereas in the Lowland parts of the County, butterfly numbers were down 45% against 2024 – this is quite a difference (25% worse off during a really poor year) and it might be as a result of the many fields of Lowland Derbyshire being under water for weeks at a time during the wet Spring of 2024 whereas in the Peak District any rainfall quickly enters the river systems or else percolates through the limestone bedrock – some interesting thoughts there! But despite a dry Spring so far this year (only 10% of rainfall in April 2025), Reservoirs in the County are maintaining their levels with Severn Trent Water reporting that the 3 Derwent Dams are about 80% full and Carsington Water is virtually 100% full – long may this continue!
So what other interesting butterfly sightings have occurred during the last week here in Derbyshire :-
Dingy Skipper :- Recorded at 10 locations in the Peak District, including Hoe Grange Quarry on the 22nd of April 2025 (Ray Badger Walker) and just 3 sites in Lowland Derbyshire at the Forge Site in Ironville on the 17th of April 2025 (Sally Fisher & Deb Bliss) at Toton Sidings on the 26th of April 2025 (Roger Martin) and 32 no seen at Whitwell Tip on the 27th of April 2025 ( Mark Longdon) with the highest count in the Peak District being 29 no coming from Longstone Edge on the 22nd of April 2025 (Andrew Woodhouse)
Green Hairstreak :- Noted at 12 locations in the Peak District with a maximum count of at least 50 individuals seen on the 22nd of April 2025 on bilberry on the moors above Padley Gorge (Martin Timms)
Orange Tip :- At least this species is still fairly common across Derbyshire with the recent highest counts coming from Creswell Crags (32 no on the 22nd of April 2025 – Jason Lowe), Chee Dale (32 no – on the 27th of April 2025 – John & Anne Coupland) and at Chatsworth Gardens ( 41 no on the 27th of April 2025 – Fred & Gill Dyson)
Holly Blue:- Numbers have dwindled recently with sightings of individuals from just 9 locations together with 2 seen on the 22nd of April 2025 at Wyver Lane, Belper (Dave Evans), 2 seen on the 26th of April 2025 at Eyes Meadow, Duffield (Claire Bungay) and another 2 seen at Findern Footpaths on the 27th of April 2025 (Brian & Jean Hallam)
Small Copper :- Another species that is struggling at the moment with many recorders failing to see this diminutive but aggressive little butterfly which is a member of the ‘blue’ family – latest sightings have come from Intake Quarry Mercaston (Chris Perry), Wyver Lane (Dave Evans), Clough Wood (Alex Marshall), Long Dale/Grattan Dale (Jonathan Page), Darley Tip (Alan Jones), Chee Dale (John& Anne Coupland) with 3 no seen on the 25th of April 2025 at Clifton near Ashbourne (Derek Brownlee)
Red Admiral :- Although there have been reports of many immigrants of this species recently in Southern England, this species remains scarce in this Region with just 2 recent sighting at Langley Common on the 22nd of April 2025 (Kath Patrick & Nick Brown) and at Woodside NR, Shipley on the 27th of April 2025 (John & Sylvia Green)
Peacock ;- Fortunately this species had a reasonable new brood in 2024 and it is still fairly widespread in the County with the highest count of 33 coming on the 23rd of April 2025 along the Stockley Trail, Carr Vale (Tony Hudson)
Speckled Wood :- Recent counts over 20 individuals have come from Clowne Linear Park (21no – Dave Fenton), Stockley Trail, Carr Vale ( 22 no – Tony Hudson) and at Swadlincote Woodlands (25 no – Peter Brewster)
Did you know that on the 24th of April 2025, it was 60 years since the Pennine Way was officially opened at Edale in the Peak District – this ‘Backbone of England’ stretches for 268 miles to the Scottish Borders and its starting point in Edale is symbolic as it lies within the first National Park in Britain which is long associated with the struggle for public access to the open countryside with the famous 1932 Mass Trespass being held not far away on Kinder Scout – what a great success story as a result of which we are able to enjoy our fantastic countryside today…and long may this continue as well!
Finally, it will soon be the month of May – and the Organisation, Plantlife is encouraging everyone to mow their grass less, especially during May, to try and help nature, especially pollinators, to thrive, with their slogan ‘No Mow May’ – the Organisation says that more than 40 councils have signed up as part of a longer term change to manage grassy road verges and green spaces for nature. A pity therefore that where we live in Allestree the message hasn’t got through as mower man has been seen in tandem gleefully cutting down every dandelion growing on the grass verges much to the detriment of the butterflies which rely on them for nectar at this time of the year.
