News from Derbyshire

2013 updates from Ken Orpe, County Recorder for Derbyshire.
Updates for previous years 2011 can be found HERE or 2012 HERE

Please send your sightings to the relevant county recorder, details on Committee page, and please use the recording forms available as pdf files.

Casual Recording Form

Site Recording Form

Carsington Water

Hatton Area Recording Form

Update 13 - 9th May 2013

Many thanks go to all the 100+ recorders who have kindly sent me their butterfly sightings and transect forms over the last 2 weeks whilst Pat and I have been away on holiday – I will be answering all queries as soon as possible. From the details received it is clear that many areas of the County are still quite devoid of butterflies, although there are now more Whites and Orange-tips on the wing in certain parts, together with the occasional Holly Blue. Mind you, the situation in Holland is even worse than here in the UK – we saw millions of dandelions in flower, along both the grass verges of roadsides and the banks of the dykes, but hardly any butterflies were taking advantage of the supply of nectar. We failed to connect with a 'Grand Surprise' (Camberwell Beauty) but we were pleased to see red squirrels in the many woodlands to the north of Arnhem (site of the 'Bridge Too Far').

Here in this region, 4 new butterfly species have managed to emerge during the warm and sunny conditions that were enjoyed by all – these being the Speckled Wood; Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper and the Grizzled Skipper, which was seen over the County border in South Nottinghamshire.

The first Speckled Wood was noted in the Whaley Bridge garden of Angie & Alan Seymour on the 27th of April 2013 and then followed sightings at Chaddesden, Derby (Pauline Mycock), Allestree, Derby (Steve Plant), Aston Brickyards (Colin Bowler), Woodside NR, Shipley (Kelvin Lawrence & John Green), Stanton Ironworks & Loscoe Dam (Maggie Campbell), Jim Mart NR, Press (Nikki Mahadevan & Paul Beard) and Lathkill Dale on the 7th of May 2013 (Ian Weatherley).

The first Green Hairstreak was seen by Frank Bell on the 30th of April 2013 at Lantern Pike NR in the High Peak and this was followed by individuals noted at Monsal Dale (Frank Bell), Lathkill Dale (Simon Roddis) and Hopton Quarry (John Barker), and single figure sightings at Coombs Dale (Phil Gilbert), Lightwood, Buxton (Steve Orridge), Bamford Edge (Nikki Mahadevan) and Longstone Edge (Dave Mallon), whilst over the border in Staffordshire, at Cannock Chase, 20 individuals were seen on the 6th of May 2013 (Brian & Jean Hallam). The most surprising record for this species was an individual that appeared in the Whaley Bridge garden of Angie & Alan Seymour on the 6th of May 2013 – I would imagine that there are not many garden lists that contain Green Hairstreak amongst the species recorded, either in Derbyshire or even the UK!!

The annual survey organised by Butterfly Conservation East Midlands for the spring 'skipper' butterflies is about to commence so if you would like to help then please send me an email and I will send you a list of the sites where the Dingy Skipper was noted in the County last year. The first sighting of this species for 2013 was made by Jim Steele on the 6th of May at the local 'hotspot' of Stanton Ironworks, which is under threat from a massive development. Meetings have taken place with the site owner's ecologists and Butterfly Conservation has made representations to the Local Authority in an effort to try and save at least part of the site for this BAP butterfly species and the very interesting other wildlife that occurs there.

The other 'spring' skipper butterfly, the Grizzled Skipper, is somewhat of an enigma here in Derbyshire and is possibly extinct in the County. It used to occur at Ticknall Limeyards in the south of the County but unfortunately disappeared from that site many years ago. Since the new millennium there have been a few confirmed sightings at old quarries both in the N E of the County and also in the S W of Derbyshire, but this butterfly is easily confused with certain day flying moths, including the Latticed Heath and the Common Heath. As it is at its northern most range here in the East Midlands, the sites that still contain small colonies are to be found in South Nottinghamshire and North East Leicestershire and Rutland. Indeed, Butterfly Conservation has organised visits to sites this coming weekend – please see the details on the list that was attached to the last Update. Additionally, Chris Jackson of the Notts Biodiversity Action Group has arranged for a couple of free training events on the subject of this BAP species; see attached pdf the details. (it also includes a photo of this butterfly so as to aid identification). Chris has confirmed that this species has emerged this year when he saw an individual at Saxondale, South Nottinghamshire on the 1st of May 2013 so hopefully there will be more individuals around this coming weekend.

Finally, Patrick Barkham (the author of 'Butterfly Isles') has emailed me to say that a new butterfly identification DVD 'Guide to British Butterflies' is being released later this month. It contains five hours of professionally shot footage with short films on all 58 mainland British species from many butterfly locations around the UK. If you would like details then please send me an email and I will forward a link for you to check it out!!!

Update 12 - 26th April 2013

Despite a week of fairly sunny weather and with temperatures into the high teens for a few of the days, no new butterfly species have been reported to me since the last Update, with both the Speckled Wood and Green Hairstreak failing to make an appearance within the County. However, a few more Orange-tips have been noted with records coming from Darley Dale, when Rod Dunn saw a female in his garden on the 20th of April 2013, from Chee Dale NR, when Cate Beck and Sue Mitchell saw a male whilst walking the transect there on the 22nd of April, from the Jim Mart NR, Press, when Nikki Mahadevan saw a male on the 23rd of April, from Lathkill Dale, also on the 23rd of April, when Peter Faulkner saw a few males of this species, and finally yesterday, the 25th of April 2013, when Tom Cockburn noted a male at Drakelow NR, the first record for the South Derbyshire.

Another Holly Blue was noted, again in a garden, this time in Long Eaton on the 23rd of April 2013 (per Colin Penny) but searches in local parks in Derby have so far failed to connect with this butterfly.

The overall situation is what we would expect it to be at the end of March rather than the last week in April but the total sightings for this year have come from a very creditable 114 locations within the County. Individual tetrads per species are as follows :- Brimstone (46 locations); Large White (5 locations); Small White (12 locations); Green Veined White (2 locations); Orange-tip (6 locations); Holly Blue (2 locations); Red Admiral (6 locations); Small Tortoiseshell (61 locations); Peacock (78 locations); and the Comma (34 locations) making a total of 10 species seen to date.

Finally there are a couple of corrections to the last Update (no 11) – John Ellis informs me that the Humming Bird Hawk Moth reported from Stapleford turned out to be a Bee Fly when he was presented with a photograph. Mind you, John also received a photograph of an Emperor Moth which was taken earlier this month at Attenborough NR in Notts, which is quite a surprise bearing in mind that it is usually seen on the moors in the Peak District. (Indeed, Marion Bryce saw and also photographed this moth on Strines Moor on the 7th of April 2013).

Update 11 - 22nd April 2013

At last we had some really decent 'butterfly weather' at the week end and both observers and our insects responded accordingly!! Many people remarked on the high numbers of Peacocks seen on the wing with many sites reaching double figures, but the most were seen by Bill Bacon in a wood in Radcliffe, just over the County Boundary in Nottinghamshire, when 27 were seen on the 20th of April 2013. Also in Notts, there was a record of an over-wintering Humming Bird Hawk moth, which was seen on the 15th of April in a garden in Stapleford (per John Ellis), and a Speckled Wood seen on the 20th of April in a garden in Bramcote (per Colin Bowler).

Here in Derbyshire, there have been further sightings of over-wintering Red Admirals with records from Allestree on the 15th of April 2013 (per Sue Jones), Chellaston on the 20th (Doreen Roberts), and also on the 20th at Dene Quarry, Cromford (Shirley Freeman). Further Large & Small Whites were noted fairly widely on the 20th of April and confirmation that Green Veined Whites had emerged on the same day was made by Simon Beavis who saw 2 individuals at Markeaton Park in Derby. Also freshly emerged species that have been seen include the first Holly Blue in a garden in Chaddesden, Derby on the 20th of April (Pauline Mycock) and the 'harbinger of spring' the Orange-tip was noted on the 19th of April in a railway cutting on the Monsal Trail (Garth Lowe). However, despite searches by Frank Bell on the moors in the High Peak, there have been no records of the Green Hairstreak yet as the bilberry leaves are only just starting to open.

Finally, I have the final copy of the Butterfly Conservation East Midlands Branch field trip programme for 2013 is available for download from In Your Area East Midlands Branch– please check these dates as some have changed from earlier issues.

Update 10 - 16th April 2013

Thanks very much to all the recorders who have sent me their butterfly sightings recently – the mainly sunny and warm conditions have meant that our 4 hibernating species have been noted quite widely in the County with the Brimstone having now been seen at over 20 locations, the Peacock seen at over 40 locations, the Small Tortoiseshell seen at over 30 locations and the Comma at over 25 locations in the County. Recent interesting sightings include a Large White in the Chellaston garden of Mark Sherwood (15th April 2013), 2 Small Whites in the Allestree garden of Sue Sharp (today), and a Red Admiral in the Thurvaston garden of John Abrehart (15th of April 2013). However, the comparison with the overall situation to the end of March 2012 is still very poor as a total of 12 butterfly species had been seen in the County by that date. These include the following species that have yet to be recorded so far this year – Green Hairstreak; Green Veined White; Orange-tip; Holly Blue and Speckled Wood. Hopefully the situation will improve soon as at least the temperature at both day and night is more suitable to the completion of the life cycle of the above butterfly species.

Weeks 1 & 2 of the new butterfly transect season were virtually NIL results throughout the County but fortunately Week 3 is proving to be more positive and most recorders (and sites) should get their first records this week.

Update 9 - 8th April 2013

The recent biting easterly wind did not prevent sightings of all 4 of our hibernating butterflies on the 3rd of April 2013 when Colin Bowler (et al) saw a Peacock on the new transect at Hartshorne Wood, and later on at the new transect in Gresley Wood, South Derbyshire, both Comma and a Brimstone were sighted. Also on the same day Pauline Mycock noted a Small Tortoiseshell at the Little Chester Green Allotments in Derby, so it just goes to show that some butterflies can be on the wing with a temperature of around 4c and a wind chill factor which can make it feel more like freezing point.

This last weekends fine and sunny weather finally brought out more of the above 4 species (and also butterfly recorders!!) with sightings of at least 14 Small Tortoiseshells; 12 Commas; 5 Brimstones and 4 Peacocks within the County. These numbers are well below what is normally seen at this time of the year but at least many recorders had the pleasure of seeing their first butterflies of 2013.

Sightings of butterflies were made throughout Derbyshire including at Thorpe (Barbara Wager), Whaley Bridge (Angie Seymour), Heanor (Colin Penny); Avenue Washlands, Wingerworth (Nikki Mahadevan); Cromford Canal (Karen Wright & Bob Merritt), North Wingfield (Roy Frost), Eyes Meadow, Duffield (Mick Ball), Markeaton Park, Derby (Simon Beavis), Broadway, Derby (Alan Jones), Allestree (Mike Daykin), Findern (Joan Tidy), Repton (Colin Bowler), Aston Brickyards (Ken Orpe & Ray Walker), and at Drakelow NR (Tom Cockburn & Mike Williams).

A couple of other species have also been noted but with the aid of man made protection to assist their development. Firstly, a Small White was noted by Malcolm Neal on the 2nd of April 2013 when an individual was seen sitting on his cyclamen plant in his conservatory in Mickleover, Derby, and then on the 6th of April 2013, Pauline Mycock noted 2 Large Whites which had just emerged from inside a polytunnel at the Little Chester Green Allotments in Derby.

Unfortunately, with the general countryside looking more like the first week in March rather than the second week of April it is doubtful if there will be any further butterfly emergences for at least a couple of weeks as the immediate weather forecast is for the return of the easterly wind, whilst the Jet Stream remains firmly over Spain and North Africa.

I am shortly going to the studios of BBC Radio Derby to comment to their listeners on the recent press release by Butterfly Conservation on the catastrophic year of 2012 for butterflies and also the current plight of our much loved insects in the County. It is to be broadcasted Thursday the 11th of April 2013 at 2 pm.

Update 8 - 1st April 2013

Although 'British Summer Time' commenced yesterday there is little evidence to suggest that warmer weather is on the way in the near future as the famous 'Jet Stream' is far more south than is normal (over Spain & North Africa) and it is not likely to move further north until at least the middle of this month. Although we have just endured the coldest March for 50 years, with a biting easterly wind and more than our share of snow, it is quite surprising to get some Small Tortoiseshell records during the brief respite of the few sunny days that we have experienced. Brian & Jean Hallam saw an individual on the 13th of last month in Chellaston, Angie Seymour noted 2 in her garden in Whaley Bridge on the 18th of March, together with an individual on the 29th of the month, and yesterday (31st March 2013) Peter Faulkner saw one fly across his garden in Two Dales, Darley Dale despite snow still lying on the ground and a temperature of around 4c. Earlier in the month, Gill Curtis noted 2 Comma butterflies at Hardwick Park on the 2nd and Steve Orridge was surprised to see a Small Tortoiseshell in his moth trap in Buxton on the 9th of March 2013, presumably seeking shelter from the forthcoming snow storms.

The 1st of April each year is the start of the 26 weeks of butterfly transects in the UK and here in Derbyshire it is pleasing to note that over 15 new transects have been set up for this year as a result of the many enthusiastic volunteers within the County, some as a result of the 'teach ins' that Pat and I did for both the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the National Trust. The new areas covered include Buxworth in the far N W of the County, Whitwell in the N E of the County, Long Eaton in the S E of the County and Rosliston in the S W of Derbyshire. This is an excellent response indeed and it is vital that we have these additional resources available to record our butterflies during 2013 as the Summary of the 2012 results for over 1,000 transects carried out last year indicate a dramatic decline in most of the butterfly species in the UK, including Derbyshire species such as the Brown Argus (-73% on the previous year) and White Letter Hairstreak (-72%). I have linked a copy of the UKBMS/BC/CEH summary for your interest. (although it does not make for a good read!!).

Update 7 - 9th March 2013

Whilst in meteorological terms we have now entered spring, March can be a very fickle month and, despite some glimpses of the sun last weekend, it now appears that the coming week will see a return to winter with cold easterly winds, night frosts and even some snow. Not the ideal of weather conditions for our local lepidoptera and those butterflies that appeared on both the 2nd and 5th of March 2013 must have wished that they hadn't emerged at all.

Nevertheless, another Red Admiral was noted on the 2nd of the month at Shardlow by Roger Martin when an individual was seen sunning itself on the metal balustrade of Long Horse Bridge at Derwent Mouth. The same day Peacocks were seen at Hathersage (Paul Townsend), Long Eaton (Marion Bryce) and Chellaston (Mark Sherwood), whilst on the 5th the same species was noted at both Whaley Bridge (Angie Seymour) and Froggatt (Bryan Barnacle) in the north west of the County. Also a couple of Small Tortoiseshells were noted on the 2nd at both Darley Dale (Simon Roddis) and at Church Broughton (Kath Patrick & Nick Brown). A new species that was seen for the first time this year was the Comma when an individual was noted at Long Eaton on the 2nd of March 2013 by Marion Bryce, but spare a thought for the lone sighting of a Brimstone which was seen on the same day at Codnor Reservoir by Ian Wilson (per Dave Clay). Ian managed to photograph this butterfly just after it had emerged from hibernation from within an ivy plant when it just soaked up the sun, as can be seen on the attached photo – but I bet it wished that it had stayed hidden amongst the foliage for another couple of weeks!!

Brimstone

Update 6 - 1st March 2013

February is a notoriously cold month and this years was no exception - it was also much duller than average so that butterfly activity was minimal. However, records have been received for sightings on both the 17th and the 19th of February 2013, when Barry Morson noted a Peacock flying in his garden at Overseal on the 17th and on the 19th of the month, Colin Bowler saw the first Small Tortoiseshell of the year in Mickleover. Also on the same day, the first Peak District butterfly records were noted when Steve Orridge saw a Peacock in a garden in Buxton, and Chris Monk saw a Small Tortoiseshell sunning itself on a stone revetment at Barbrook Reservoir.

So the total for the butterfly species seen so far this year stands at only three – the two species mentioned above, together with the Red Admiral seen by Roger Martin on the 15th of February at Long Eaton Gravel Pits. The forecast for the first 2 weeks of March is for the weather to remain cold and cloudy with only brief sunny intervals, so it looks as though the butterfly season will be on hold for a while longer than usual. One thing is certain – the spring equinox is only 3 weeks away so hopefully the sun will make more of an appearance as by then it will have crossed the equator. (great!!) Looking at the list of butterfly species that were recorded in March 2012, in addition to the 3 named above, a further 9 species were seen, these being the Brimstone, Large, Small and Green Veined Whites, Orange Tip, Green Hairstreak (first ever March records), Holly Blue, Comma and the Speckled Wood, so there is a long way to go before we match March 2012.

In order to assist new members of this egroup, I have recently compiled a list of the 30 butterfly species that can be seen most years in the County, together with a list of the 10 species that are either rare, vagrants or have become extinct during the last 40 years. (see the attached pdf).

It will be very interesting to see how these insects have survived the effects of the weather of 2012, and, with your continuing help, we will be able to monitor the situation closely here in Derbyshire.

It is really encouraging to report that the interest in volunteering to carry out butterfly transects in the County is very enthusiastic and at 2 recent 'teach ins' over 50 volunteers turned up to assist the UKBMS project – a wonderful response. This means that al least 12 new butterfly transects will be set up during this month in Derbyshire ranging from Buxworth in the N W of the County to Rosliston in the far South of the County. So, if you would like to participate, then please send me an email and I will put you in contact with the relevant person.

Finally, please find below a list of some further butterfly themed events that are scheduled to take place in Derbyshire in the very near future :-

Tuesday 12th March 2013

Tony Pioli of Butterfly Conservation will take an in-depth look at the 'Butterflies of the Peak District'. This is a Derbyshire Wildlife Trust event that will take place at the Bradbury Community House, Market Street, Glossop SK13 8AR, commencing at 7.30 pm, and the cost is £2.00 per person.

Friday 26th April 2013 – 11 am till 1.30 pm

Obsessions of an English gentleman

Calke Abbey Riding School

Join the National Trust's nature and wildlife expert, Matthew Oates, as he explores how Sir Vauncey captured his natural history obsession.

Includes a light lunch £7.50, Booking required on 01332 863822.

Friday 26th April 2013 – 3 pm till 4.30 pm

Walking in Sir Vauncey's shoes

Calke Abbey Park

Take a walk with National Trust's nature and wildlife expert, Matthew Oates and look at the Calke Estate through Sir Vauncey's eyes.

Enjoy a coffee and a cookie afterwards £3, Booking required on 01332 863822

Saturday 27th April 2013 – 11 am & 2 pm

The Butterfly Man

Calke Abbey Park

Free event

Go 'butterflying' with Sir Vauncey and find out how he would capture his natural history memories in the parkland. With National Trust's nature and wildlife expert, Matthew Oates.

This is your chance to meet up with Matthew whose TV exploits in his search for his Imperial Majesty (the Purple Emperor) are legendary so it should be a great experience, although, unfortunately, we do not get his 'Royal Presence' here in Derbyshire!!!

Update 5 - 18th February 2013

The current spell of fine and sunny weather has failed to tempt any of our 4 hibernating butterflies out of their winter slumber, but on the 15th of February 2013, Roger Martin saw an 'over wintering' Red Admiral flying across the gravel pits at the new workings in Long Eaton, despite the temperature being only 9c.

As a matter of interest, I have recently completed a schedule of the days and months that butterflies have actually been seen in the County during the last 15 years, a copy of the document is available as a pdf HERE. It will be noted that butterflies have been seen on a remarkable 339 days of the year, and 3 species (Red Admiral; Small Tortoiseshell; and Peacock) have been noted in every month (but not each year!!). During this period, the best ever month was June 2010 when 33 species were seen in the County – nearly as good as some of the best butterfly sites in Southern England.

It is pleasing to note that interest in carrying out butterfly transects in the County is very much increasing with several organisations and individuals keen to contribute to our knowledge of the distribution and ecology of our local Lepidoptera. With this in mind, Pat and I are doing 'teach ins' for volunteers to carry out this survey work, whereby the setting up of a transect and the protocol involved will be discussed in detail, together with some ID on butterflies where necessary.

The following dates and venues have been arranged :-

1 Saturday 23rd of February 2013 commencing at 10.30 am in the National Trust offices at Calke Park, South Derbyshire.
2 Tuesday 26th of February 2013 commencing at 10.30 am in the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust offices in Belper, Central Derbyshire.

This will give time for a rota to be organised and the route of the walks agreed before the actual period of the transects start, which is from the 1st April 2013 till the 30th of September 2013.

If you would like to become involved in this very pleasurable and rewarding volunteering work, then either turn up at one of the above events, or send me an email, as there are a number of new sites being surveyed in Derbyshire during this year. These include the Findern Area (in conjunction with the Findern Footpaths Group), the Hatton Area (in conjunction with Nestles), Calke Park (with the National Trust), together with a number of Forestry Commission Woods in the South of the County. Further north, a transect is proposed at Buxworth (Angie Seymour and Frank Bell), at the Jim Mart NR near Clay Cross (Paul Beard), and in the North East of the County in the Bolsover area, where Dave Savage of the DWT is keen to survey sites on the magnesium limestone in that part of Derbyshire. Last year a total of 34 sites were under survey in the County (either butterfly transects or surveys under the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS), which is a joint scheme by Butterfly Conservation and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)). I have attached a map showing the locations of the 34 sites, and hopefully, with your help, we should be fast approaching 50 sites that will be monitored during this year – now that will be a great milestone for the County.

Derbyshire site 2012

Finally, the charity Butterfly Conservation (East Midlands) is seeking to appoint an Honorary Treasurer to look after its finances, starting on the 1st of April 2013. Applicants do not have to be qualified and the retiring treasurer will be pleased to give all necessary guidance for a smooth hand over of the duties involved. So, if you have an interest in finance, have a few hours spare each month and would like to get involved with the local branch, then please send me an email and I will put you in touch with the relevant person.

Update 4 - 1st February 2013

The Met Office has confirmed that January 2013 was duller and colder than usual (and surprisingly drier than average), so it is no surprise that our local hibernating butterflies have remained very out of sight and reclusive after the initial records of Peacocks during the first 5 days of this year. A further cold spell is also forecast for later this month so let's hope that they remain torpid until early March, which is when we usually get a fair number of sightings of butterflies in this part of the UK.

I have completed a final comparison of the flight periods for the last 7 years for our 30 regular butterfly species that can be seen in the County. (Download pdf - click here) Comparing 2012 with 2011, 20 species fared worse, 8 fared better and 2 species were on the wing for the same number of days. The worst performer was the Red Admiral which was a massive 48 days fewer than in 2010, followed by the Small Copper (37 days fewer), Green Veined White (34 days fewer), Large White (33 days fewer), Common Blue and Speckled Wood (both 26 days fewer) and Small Tortoiseshell (25 days fewer).

The best performer was the Orange Tip, which managed to emerge early in March 2013, and it was then successful in surviving the worst of the April weather as it was seen on 23 days of that month!!

It finished up flying 18 days longer than in 2010, and this species was followed by the Essex Skipper (12 extra days) and the Peacock (10 extra days). So like the weather of 2012, the overall success and failure of our butterflies was very mixed indeed and the outlook for this year is worryingly very unpredictable.

However, another butterfly field trip has been organised for this summer when Eliot Staley will be leading a walk at Foremarke Reservoir on Saturday the 27th of July 2013, commencing at 1.30 pm in the main Severn Trent Water Car Park. The site is just off the road from Milton to Ticknall (the car park grid reference is SK 337 242), where there is a café and public toilets. There is a charge for car parking (£2.50) and Eliot would appreciate a £1.00 donation towards Butterfly Conservation. This is a joint meeting with the Derbyshire Ornithogical Society and it is expected to last for a couple of hours with possibly 15 species on the wing, including the Essex Skipper, so let's hope that the sun makes an appearance on the day!!!

Update 3 - 21st January 2013

As the snow lays deep and even on the ground here in Derbyshire, my thoughts are looking forward to warmer weather, especially as the spring equinox is only 2 months away from now.

To help you plan your butterfly outings this year, the Butterfly Conservation East Midlands field trips that have been posted on the events page. This contains details of outings to both local and further distant places to see our butterflies, so if you are not yet a member then perhaps that is something that you could well consider for 2013.

The Butterfly Conservation website (www.butterfly-conservation.org) contains details of membership as well as the first national butterfly sightings for 2013, which remarkably is seven species (the four hibernators plus Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Speckled Wood). Mind you, I bet that they wished that they hadn't bothered with the cold weather that has been with us for the last 10 days and with more to come during this week. Things can only get better!!!

Update 2 - 7th January 2013

The mild and relatively sunny weather that we have experienced so far this year has been quite a relief from the wet conditions of 2012, so it has come as no surprise that Peacock butterflies have already been seen flying outdoors in the County. The first record was on Thursday the 3rd of January 2013 when Tom Cockburn saw an individual at Drakelow NR and this was followed on Friday the 4th by a further record from Overseal (Dot Morson). There were 2 sightings of the Peacock on Saturday the 5th of January 2013 at both Bradley (Kath Cartlidge) and Nether Heage (Tim Brooks), but surprisingly there have been no records so far for the Red Admiral, this after the large gatherings of them that were seen on ivy plants during last autumn.

I have now analysed all the 2012 butterfly records for the County that I have received up until and including the 31st of December 2012, and as mentioned in the last Update, there are quite a few surprises. Mind you the sunny weather of March meant that both the Orange Tip (first noted on the 11th of the month) and the Green Hairstreak (first noted on the 28th of the month – in fact the first ever March record for this species) were seen at their earliest ever dates. Due to the very poor summer weather, 8 butterfly species were noted in the County at their latest ever dates, these being – the White Admiral (19th August, at Elvaston CP); Essex and Large Skippers (2nd September); White Letter Hairstreak (6th September); Ringlet (7th September); Purple Hairstreak (15th September); Brimstone (23rd November) and the Peacock (23rd December 2012).

I have compiled a list of the 30 butterfly species that are fairly regularly seen in the County and then compared the number of tetrads that they were noted during 2012 with those of 2011, and surprisingly, 15 species were more widespread, 14 species were less widespread and the Dingy Skipper was seen in the same number of tetrads. The best performer was the Ringlet, followed by the Small Skipper, Small Heath, Holly Blue, Comma, Meadow Brown, Dark Green Fritillary and even the Wall Brown. On the negative side, the worst performer was the Red Admiral, followed by both the Large and Small Whites, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell and the Painted Lady (for all the details please see the attached chart).

When numbers of the rarer species are compared with those of 2011, it is surprising that 9 out of the 16 species noted did in fact increase, the best, no surprises here, was the Ringlet followed by the Small Heath, Dingy Skipper, Comma and again, the Wall Brown. Conversely, the worst performers were the Green Hairstreak, Brown Argus (migrating), Brimstone, Purple Hairstreak, Painted Lady and the White Letter Hairstreak. (again, please see the attached chart for details).

Another interesting fact that emerged from 2012 was that the species in the Peak District that had a single brood fared so much better than those in lowland Derbyshire that normally have two broods.

This meant, for example, that the Common Blue was able to emerge in the Peak District when we actually had a reasonable spell of sunny and dry weather, whereas in the lowland parts of the County the Common Blue failed to emerge at some sites during the summer brood. For comparison purposes, the maximum count for this species in the lowland area was 25 seen on the 25th of May at Stanton Ironworks (Jim Steele), whereas in the Peak District the maximum count was 50 on the 25th of July at Parsley Hay (Mary McNaught). Similarly, numbers of the Brown Argus (migrating) failed to reach double figures in either of its broods, whereas the maximum count of the single brooded Brown Argus in the Peak District was 33 on the 23rd of July at Long/Grattan Dales (Robert Davies), although overall numbers of this species were below the average for the period 2006 – 2011.

No doubt that what has already happened with the weather in 2012 will also affect the outcome of the status of our butterflies in 2013, but with your continued help we will be able to monitor the changes to our much admired local butterflies, which, with hopefully many sunny days to come, give us all such a fillip.

Update 2 - 7th January 2013

Another interesting fact that emerged from 2012 was that the species in the Peak District that had a single brood fared so much better than those in lowland Derbyshire that normally have two broods.

Update 1 - 2nd January 2013

The latest butterfly sighting that I have received for last year occurred on the 23rd of December 2012 when Mike Daykin saw a Peacock flying over his garden in Allestree, Derby, when the temperature was about 9 degrees C and it was also quite sunny and mild - this is 1 day later than the previous last record for this species, which was on the 22nd of December (2007). Hibernating butterflies and moths have also been noted recently when Angie & Alan Seymour found Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks and Herald moths in the darkened rooms of old buildings in the Whaley Bridge area of the County, and Graham Fairs noted a Small Tortoiseshell yesterday (2nd of January 2013) flying within the offices of County Hall in Matlock, where no doubt it had been disturbed from its place of hibernation. Alan Roe informs me that the Peacocks (and some Herald moths) are again back hibernating in the tunnel at Calke Park this winter. Alan has done some very interesting research into the defence mechanisms that these butterflies have and the fact that, as well as audible 'hissing', they can emit ultrasound clicks to deter predation – please see the attached article (pdf) that he produced for the Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group. Apparently, the Small Tortoiseshell is also capable of emitting ultrasonic clicks when performing their startle display!

Whilst it is not surprising that the Met Office has confirmed that 2012 was the wettest year since 1910, what is surprising is the fact that here in Derbyshire butterflies were recorded flying on 243 days during the year, which is only 8 days less than 2011, and 16 days more than the average for the period 2006 – 2011. It is even more surprising when you look at the number of sunny and warm days between the 1st of April and the 30th of September 2012, as there were only about 10 days at the end of both May and July, and only the second weeks of both August and September, which represents about 20% of the total days during the 6 months stated. So, it would appear that our local lepidoptera is more resilient than expected, although numbers of about half of our butterfly species were much lower than is usual. I will produce some more detailed information on the 2012 butterfly season with the next Update when there will be even more surprises for you then!

In the meantime, I would like to wish you all a Healthy and Happy New Year with hopefully lots of fine and sunny days that will enable us to enjoy the delights of our local butterflies and also the wonderful countryside that we have got here in Derbyshire.