Hello Everyone,
After the driest start to Spring since 1956 and the warmest Spring since 1960, with only half the expected rainfall recorded during the months of March & April 2025 together with the possibility of it being the sunniest ever Spring here in the UK, it was a somewhat quiet week of cloudy skies here in Derbyshire last week until Friday the 9th of May 2025 when the sun and blue skies returned once again and the forecast for the next week promises yet more sunshine and virtually no rain.. Naturally all this fine weather has meant that for the first 5 weeks of the transect season in the Region, butterfly numbers have increased from just over 5,000 in 2024 to more than 12,000 so far this year – an increase of 140%! The main increases in numbers have been made by Peacock (+1400 no), Orange Tip (+1200 no) Large White (+ 800 no) and the Small White (+ 800no) with most species doing better than 2024 although the ‘blue’ family continues to struggle badly. Indeed it was not until the 9th of May 2025 that the first Brown Argus Migrating species was seen at Drakeow NR by Andy Large, bearing in mind that the Peak District version was first seen this year at Longstone Edge on the 22nd of April 2025, and no further Migrating versions have been seen in Lowland Derbyshire so far this year. Recent sightings of the Peak District version have come from Cresbrookdale (Rod Dunn), Hay Dale (Peter & Joanna Mackey) together with Monsal Dale and Dovedale/Hall Dale (Ian & Joy White). The (not so) Common Blue is suffering as well with just 39 individuals noted at 17 locations in the County with the maximum counts of just 6 coming from Salter Wood, Denby (Jane Rogers) and 7 noted at Woodside NR, Shipley on the 10th of May 2025 (Rob Waldron). Similarly the Small Copper gives cause for concern with only 16 individuals noted at 10 locations in ones and twos but 3 were seen on the 9th of May 2025 in the Dovedale/Hall Dale area by Ian & Joy White. Numbers of the Holly Blue are now starting to diminish after a reasonable first brood with 30 individuals noted at 25 locations, the highest count of 4 seen on the 10th of May 2025 at Pleasley Pit (Willy Lane).
On a more positive note, both the Dingy Skipper and the Green Hairstreak have done well this Spring – the former species has had some large counts in the Peak District with 30 noted in Hay Dale on the 2nd of May 2025 (Peter & Joanna Mackey), 22 seen in the Dovedale/ Hall Dale complex on the 9th of May 2025 (Ian & Joy White) and 21 noted in Coombs Dale on the 10th of May 2025 ( both Andrew Woodhouse and Sid Morris) – with approximately half the records coming from ‘brownfield’ sites in Lowland Derbyshire but most of those sites have had fewer butterflies seen this year. Meanwhile the Green Hairstreak is still being seen across the Peak District from 20 sites with the highest counts coming from the Dovedale/ Hall Dale complex ( 75 seen on the 9th of May 2025 – Ian & Joy White) and 27 noted in Cunningdale on the 6th of May 2025 (Carole Garner) – a really interesting sighting came of a female laying eggs on both birds foot trefoil and rock rose in the Northwood, Darley Dale garden of Chris & Sheila Ragg on the 12th of May 2025 together with another individual noted on the 12th of May 2025 at the Forge Site in Ironville (Stephen Bacon), whilst in contrast, Richard Lindop noted 3 on bilberry on the moors on Kinder Scout on the 2nd of May 2025.
The Endangered butterfly species, the Wall Brown, has been noted recently at 22 sites, mainly in the Peak District, with a total of 42 butterflies seen some of which are in pristine condition which suggests that the Spring brood has been delayed somewhat here in Derbyshire? Highest count of 7 came from Cressbrookdale on the 7th of May 2025 (Rod Dunn) but other interesting sightings came from the trig point high on Mam Tor (Peter Kidd) whilst a few have been seen in N E Derbyshire at both Hundall (Judy Heap) and near Foxtone Wood, Staveley (Mark Radford) on the 12th of May 2025 where they were noted on uncropped field margins. Again whilst starting to appear at sites mainly in the Peak District, the Small Heath has been noted at 28 locations in single figures with the highest counts coming from Hay Dale and Dovedale/Hall Dale (30 no – Ian & Joy White) and 26 seen in Tansley/Cressbrookdale on the 9th of May 2025 (Gordon & Alison Rooke) with 22 noted on the 10th of May 2025 at Longstone Edge (Andrew Wilson)
Finally the big news of this last week, via Mark Radford, is the large immigration of butterflies and moths at Flamborough Head in Yorkshire, consisting of Red Admirals, Humming Bird Hawk moths and Painted Lady butterflies – this latter species has already shown up at 10 locations in Derbyshire with 5 seen in the Wakebridge/Crich area on the 12th of May 2025 (Chris Land) whilst another was seen at 9.50 am on the 13th of May 2025 in the Littleover garden of Jen Stratford who also managed to get a photo.
