Spring 2012 newsletter - Butterfly Conservation

Northamptonshire Butterflies 2011 Douglas Goddard
There were very few records in the early part of the
year, none at all in January and only four in February,
consisting of Red Admiral and Brimstone (8 th ),
Small Tortoiseshell (the same specimen 9 th -11 th ,
found dead on 12 th ) and Peacock (24 th ). Comma
(7 th ) and Small White (21 st ) appeared in March,
but of species hibernating as adults there were few
sightings, fifty Brimstones across the county on
23 rd being a notable exception.
As the warmest Spring on record began, Orangetip
(27 th March) and Holly Blue (29 th ) set the
trend for exceptionally early emergences which
continued into the summer. Twelve species were
on the wing on 6 th April, including an early
Painted Lady, and by the end of the month
twenty had already appeared. Green Hairstreak
(16 th ) and Grizzled and Dingy Skippers (20 th )
were on the wing early and all three species did
well. Forty-nine Green Hairstreaks counted on
the transect at Twywell was the biggest tally for
decades. 25 th April saw the earliest-ever Brown
Argus and Small Heath, plus the county’s firstever
April Wood Whites. This species enjoyed its
best season since the 1990s, a count of ninety in
Salcey Forest on 19 th May bringing a peak which
was a welcome echo of days past.
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The Black Hairstreak was another record-breaker,
emerging in May (28 th ) for the first time. It was
also seen in better numbers this year. The other
hairstreaks, the Purple and White-letter, enjoyed
a good season, and were reported from new
localities, notably Wicksteed Park.
It was not all good news, however. The lack of
rainfall and the cool July and August had an
adverse impact on those species whose larvae feed
on grasses. Although the Large Skipper
and Gatekeeper fared reasonably well,
populations of Small and Essex Skippers,
Ringlet and Meadow Brown were depleted,
as were those of the Marbled White,
although individuals of the latter continued
to be seen in new localities.
The Small Heath
thrives on shorter
turf growth and its
numbers grew in
late summer. Eightyseven
were counted at
Bradlaugh Fields on
24 th August and a record
thirty-seven on the Twywell
transect on 2 nd September. Good
numbers of second-brood Brown
Argus were reported, but the summer generation
of Holly Blues was disappointing and Common
Blue numbers crashed.
April Wood Whites in courtship display 2nd brood Dingy Skipper on 14th August at Twywell