Hello Everyone, After another heatwave during the last week, it now looks like a further decline in butterfly numbers and species has occurred, particularly in Lowland Derbyshire with only the Whitesbeing seen regularly in gardens and the general countryside but the Peak District is still managing to provide transect walkers with good numbers and varieties hence this week’s highest counts have been 192 no in 19 species in Lathkill Dale NNR on the 13th of August 2025 (Liz Wheeldon), 128 no in 14 species on the 15th of August 2025 in Tansley/Cressbrookdale (Gordon & Alison Rooke) and 124 no in 16 species on the 13th of August 2025 in Coombs Dale (Andrew Woodhouse).
Pleasingly the Clouded Yellow has shown itself recently at the Forge site, Ironville (Sally Fisher, Stephen Bacon & Pete Clark), Wyver Lane in Belper (Dave Evans) and on the 15th of August 2025 at Markham Vale North and Poolsbrook Country Park (Colin & Sid Morris), Moss Rake (Andrew Woodhouse) and Chee Dale (Ian & Joy White) with 3 seen on the 17th of August 2025 at Shipley Lake (Colin Penny). Also further sightings of the Painted Lady have occurred at 18 sites across Derbyshire, mainly in ones and twos but 3 were seen in Hoe Grange Quarry on the 10th of August 2025 (Ray Walker) – the migrant Humming Bird Hawk moth also appeared at 6 additional sites in the County during the last week.
Although numbers of the Wall Brown have declined this week ( a total of only 47 no) the species has been noted at 21 sites which include Newbold Chesterfield (Andrew Woodhouse), Wyver Lane, Belper (Dave Evans) and surprisingly in a garden in Quarndon (Margaret Cowley) – this latter sighting being only a couple of miles from our garden in Allestree where our last sighting of the species was in 2016! The highest count of 14 came from Moss Rake on the 15th of August 2025 (Andrew Woodhouse)
This has been an amazing period for second brood Dingy Skippersin the County with additional sightings up to and including the 15th of August 2025 (the first sighting was on the 5th of July 2025) – during the last week the species was seen in Lathkill Dale NNR (Liz Wheeldon), Longstone Edge (Pete Clark), Tideswell & Moss Rakes (Andrew Woodhouse) with 5 noted in Coombs Dale on the 13th of August 2025 (Andrew Woodhouse)
Other recent sightings of interest include :-
White Letter Hairstreak :- Just 1 sighting on the 12th of August 2025 in Wirksworth (Jane Flint)
Purple Hairstreak :- A singleton seen and photographed in Wyver Lane, Belper on the 13th of August 2025 (Dave Evans)
Common Blue :- After a poor 2024, the species is still doing well at most sites with recent highest counts of 21 no coming from both
Witches Oak Water, Shardlow (Rob Shaw) and Tansley/Cressbrookdale (Gordon & Alison Rooke)
Holly Blue :- Still showing well in its second brood with a maximum count of 4 coming on the 13th of August 2025 from Wyver Lane, Belper (Dave Evans) and 4 along the Cromford Canal near Whatstandwell on the 16th of August 2025 (Fred & Gill Dyson)
Small Copper :- Not yet doing that well but 11 were noted on the transect in Shiningford, Carsington Water on the 10th of August 2025 (Saskia Tallis) and 21 were seen on the 15th of August 2025 at Tideswell Rake (Andrew Woodhouse)
Brown Argus Migrating :- Very few of this species seen this year but there have been sightings of ones and twos up to the 10th of August 2025 including Hilton Valley Park (Ken Orpe)
Brown Argus Peak District Race :- Doing better than the previous species with sightings coming from 8 locations up to the 15th of August 2025 including a massive 28 on the 13th of August 2025 in Lathkill Dale NNR (Liz Wheeldon), which suggests a second brood there.
Small Tortoiseshell :- Still fairly scarce but 10 were seen on the 14thof August 2025 at Waterswallows, Buxton (Rose Riddell)
Peacock :- Many of this species have decided that enough is enough and hibernation has already beckoned (Sid Morris saw 91 no in the tunnels at the Markham Vale complex on the 15th of August 2025) – however it is still possible to see the species on the wing in the Peak District with 27 seen on the 13th of August 2025 in Lathkill Dale NNR (Liz Wheeldon) and a massive 70 noted on the 11th of August 2025 at Grin Low, Buxton ( Ian & Joy White)
Dark Green Fritillary :- Noted from just 3 locations recently at Coombs Dale (Angela Brooks & Andrew Woodhouse), Lathkill Dale NNR (Liz Wheeldon) and 2 seen in Tansley/Cressbrookdale on the 15th of August 2025 (Gordon & Alison Rooke)
Silver Washed Fritillary :- Recent sightings have come from 5 locations in the County with 3 seen in Coombs Dale on the 13th of August 2025 (Andrew Woodhouse) – it has been apparent that the species has definitely moved further north in Derbyshire this year and one individual was noted in a Sheffield Garden on the 3rd of August 2025 – this week Roger Cope who lives in Cheadle Hulme, South Manchester, informs me that he saw one of the species in his garden on the 13th of August 2025.
Meadow Brown :- Some sites have new specimens of this species showing now with 25 noted on the 15th of August 2025 in the Meadows at Toyota UK, Burnaston (Brian Hallam)
Speckled Wood :- Numbers starting to increase with 18 noted on the Broomfield College transect on the 12th of August 2025 (Mike & Julie Ireland)
Small Heath :- Still doing okay in the Peak District with 48 noted in Tansley/Cressbrookdale on the 15th of August 2025 (Gordon & Alison Rooke)
Finally, many of you will know that 2025 is the 50th Anniversary of transect walking and a Celebratory Conference has been organised in Nottingham on Saturday the 11th of October 2025 by Butterfly Conservation and C E H who are the main organisers of UKBMS. You can get your free tickets by clicking on the following link Book your place here
With the East Midlands completing the most transects in the UK during 2024, I hope that many of the fantastic local volunteers who carry out this amazing work will be able to attend and meet the people who use the information for the benefit of the survival of our much loved butterflies and moths. Pat and I hope to see you there and meet up with as many of you as possible.
