Hello Everyone, After another week of mainly sunny weather with temperatures around the 21c mark, it proved to be ideal for the new brood Small Tortoiseshells to appear, with 8 noted by Steve Webster on the 13th of May 2025 on Longstone Edge, that great outcrop with the special micro habitat above the village of Great Longstone. Although most plants and grasses are in desperate need of water, the stinging nettle appears to be weathering the drought very well in stark contrast to the hot July of 2023 when the plant suffered badly and consequently so did the Small Tortoiseshell – it is a long way back for the butterfly to reach its former status so let’s hope that Derbyshire bucks the National trend and we get lots more sightings of this former common butterfly.
Another pleasing factor of the last week has been the sightings of the Painted Lady in the County, mainly as a result of a brief flash of sandy brown by a largish butterfly which always seems to be on a mission to migrate north…however if you have a patch of red valerian in your garden or village then keep an eye on those as it seems to be quite an allure for the butterfly as I found out when I visited the Butterfly Garden in Darley Park on the 13th of May 2025 in the company of Iain McGowan of the DWT when we saw a somewhat worn specimen which was taking nectar on red valerian at the recently finished butterfly bank there. In total there have been 42 individuals seen across the County with 2 noted on the 16th of May 2025 at Markham Vale South (Sid Morris et al), 2 seen on Middleton Moor on the 17th of May 2025 (Dave & Sue Evans) and 2 at Foxstone Wood, Staveley (Mark Radford) on the 19th of May 2025.
Other recent interesting sightings include :-
Large Skipper :- This early Summer golden skipper has hooked ends to its antennae and also a chequered pattern to its wings so it is a fairly obvious skipper in the field and this year it has appeared really early with recent sightings from Doe Lea (Martin Smith & John Clarke), Pleasley Pit ( Mark Searle), Clifton near Ashbourne ( Derek Brownlee), Windley (Chris Perry), and the first sighting this year in the Peak District in Chee Dale on the 17th of May 2025 (John & Anne Coupland)
Dingy Skipper :- Still having a decent year with recent sightings from 56 locations in the County with the highest counts coming from
Deep Dale, Sheldon ( 37 no on the 13th of May 2025 – Steve & Lin Orridge) and at Coombs Dale (22 no on the 13th of May 2025 – Al & John Roberts)
Green Hairstreak :- Another Spring species that has done well with recent sightings from 50 sites in the County mainly in the Peak District but also individuals seen at Forbes Hole, Long Eaton (Marion Bryce) and near Bennerley Viaduct on the border with Notts – highest counts being 34 in Deep Dale, Sheldon on the 13th of May 2025 (Steve & Lin Orridge) and 33 noted on the moors above Padley Gorge on the 11th of May 2025 (Al & John Roberts)
Holly Blue :- Seen at 40 sites locally in ones and twos but 3 were seen at Hollinhill on the 9th of May 2025 (Dave Fenton) and also 3 at Goseley Cutting, Woodville on the 14th of May 2025 (Kate Allies & Ruth Woods)
Common Blue :- Just beginning to show a recovery with recent sightings from 50 locations, the highest count of 22 coming from the Markham Vale South complex on the 16th of May 2025 (Sid Morris et al)
Small Copper :- A slight increase in numbers and distribution but still relatively scarce in the County – seen recently at 27 locations in the County with the highest count of 3 coming from Crich Chase Meadows on the 11th of May 2025 (Tim Brooks) and 3 noted in Millers Dale Quarry on the 15th of May 2025 (Rachel Purvis)
Brown Argus Migrating :- This species is really struggling with recent sightings coming from only Drakelow NR on the 14th of May 2025 (Andy Large) and also at Markham Vale South on the 16th of May 2025 (Sid Morris et al)
Brown Argus Peak District Version :- Sightings of this sedentary species, which relies on rock rose for its larval foodplant, have come from 6 dales within the Peak District with the highest count of 9 coming from Lathkill Dale NNR on the 12th of May 2025 (Debbie Worland)
Small Heath :- After a slow start this species has been seen at 60 sites in the County, mainly in the Peak/Peak Fringe areas, on the short sward grassland which overlies the rocky sub base with 36 seen in Intake Quarry above Wirksworth on the 17th of May 2025 (Dave & Sue Evans) whilst on the brownfield sites of North East Derbyshire a large count of 63 was noted on the 16th of May 2025 from the Markham Vale South complex (Sid Morris et al)
Wall Brown :- Pleasingly this species, after having a slow start to its first brood flight period, has made a recent recovery with 75 individuals noted from 25 locations with double count figures coming from East Cliff, Cressbrookdale on the 12th of May 2025 ( 10 no – Andrew Woodhouse), 12 no seen on the 15th of May 2025 in Monk’s Dale (Phil Gilbert) and 10 no seen on the 16th of May 2025 at Harborough Rocks, near the top of Hopton Incline ( Dave & Sue Evans). Away from the Peak District Wall Browns have been seen on Firestone Hill, above Belper on the 13th of May 2025 (Steve Plant) whilst in North East Derbyshire individuals have been noted at Walton Golf Club (Phil Gilbert) on the same day together with 2 at Foxstone Wood, Staveley on the 19th of May 2025 (Mark Radford).
With the weather finally about to break this coming Bank Holiday weekend, it looks like the much needed rain will arrive as a result of fronts crossing the UK from the Atlantic Ocean – it could make for transect week 9 to be quite challenging but only time will tell!
