Hello Everyone, A full week of mainly sunny weather at the end of September 2025 ensured that Week 26 of the transect season was a pleasure to carry out and despite some sites failing to provide any sightings, everyone agreed that taking part was yet another achievement with regard to monitoring our local butterflies in 2025.Indeed on the 25th of September 2025, John & Anne Coupland noted 44 butterflies in 8 species on their transect in Chee Dale!
A further total of 16 third brood Wall Browns have been noted at 12 locations in the Peak/Peak Fringe area of Derbyshire recently up to and including the 28th of September 2025 with a maximum of 3 seen at Longstone Edge on that date (Andrew Woodhouse)
As expected, the Small Copper is having a bumper late surge with records received from another 106 sites with counts in double figures coming from 10 locations including 20 noted on the 21st of September 2025 along the High Peak Trail near Hartington (Ellen Hancock) and 22 noted at Moss Rake on the 24th of September 2025 (Andrew Woodhouse). Similarly, the numbers of Speckled Woods seen on the wing this week has been good with sightings at 126 locations including 20 noted along the Stockley Trail on the 21st of September 2025 (Sid Morris)
Flowering Ivy plants, Sedums, Michaelmas Daisies and Rotting Fruit have all been attractions for the butterfly species that are likely to hibernate over the winter with 13 Commas seen in Tideswell Dale on the 28th of September 2025 (Ian & Joy White & Esther Weir) and 9 Red Admirals noted on the Ashbourne transect on the 22nd of September 2025 (Dawn Hind), but the Small Tortoiseshell remains scarce and many Peacocks have decided to hibernate in cold but frost free manmade structures, as witnessed by Ian & Joy White when they visited the tramway tunnels at Calke Park on the 16th of September 2025 when they saw 12 Peacocks and 10 Herald moths safely tucked up on the ceiling of the structures.
Some late sightings for this year include :-
Brimstone :- The sunny weather of the 28th of September 2025 tempted a few of this species out of hibernation with individuals noted at Wirksworth (Bridget Edwards), Cressbrookdale (Rebekah Newman), Tideswell Dale (Ian & Joy White) and at Poolsbrook Country Park (Abby Bruce)
Common Blue :- Noted on the 29th of September 2025 at Grin Low (Ian & Joy White), Longstone Edge (Stuart Davies) and at Foxlow, Staveley (Sid Morris)
Holly Blue :- A sighting on the 30th of September 2025 in a garden in Belper (Dave Evans) is likely to be a third brood specimen
Brown Argus Migrating :- A late sighting of the species occurred on the 23rd of September 2025 at Mercaston (Chris Perry)
Brown Argus Peak District Race :- A very late sighting on the 28th of September 2025 in Hoe Grange Quarry (Jonathan Pitt)
Meadow Brown :- Another late sighting this time on the 21st of September 2025 in Cowdale (John Newsom)
Small Heath :- A late sighting on the 28th of September 2025 at Markham Vale South (Sid Morris)
As expected the recent cold northerly airflow was enough to send the Painted Lady south to warmer climes but not before there were 3 late sightings of the species in the County, with one on the 22nd of September 2025 at Northwood, Darley Dale (Christine Gregory), one on the 25th of September 2025 at Midway (Michael Williams) and a late one on the 29th of September 2025 at Foxlow, Staveley (Sid Morris). There was even a record of a late Clouded Yellow on the 21st of September 2025 at Thornsett (Jane Hewitt) But as previously suggested the Humming Bird Hawk moth is now more used to the Derbyshire climate these days and 10 no individuals have been noted in the County recently up to and including the 1st of October 2025 when one was seen at 6.30 pm on salvias in the Wingerworth garden of Martin Kaye
Finally the 2025 transect season has come to a close with yet another amazing set of data being amassed as a result of the fantastic efforts of all the volunteers during the warmest and sunniest year ever …and didn’t our butterflies and humans alike need this tonic after the very poor ‘Summer’ of 2024. Could I ask therefore that all data inputters carry out their important task of entering all the transect results on to UKBMS as quickly as possible – let’s keep the East Midlands Branch of Butterfly Conservation at the top of the transect league table for yet another year!