A bumper day for small copper up here, with frost still on the ground when I saw the first at c 9.20 a.m. In all twelve were seen, ten at the quarry and singles in two other places - all before midday. I would imagine many more were about come the afternoon. Also one common darter in the quarry area.

Had perhaps the last dragonfly of the year up here yesterday (10th), and was pleased to get very close to this common hawker, usually a hard task. Also small coppers (5) were still around.

A goodish list of species:

2 peacock, 1 small tortoiseshell, 1 small copper, 2 small white, 3 wall, 5 small heath, 2 speckled wood. Moths = antler moth and spruce carpet on a saw off stump where the plantation used to be!

odonata = 5 common darter, 3/4 black darter, 15+ emerald damselflies, 1 fem. southern hawker (egg laying), 2 common hawker, 1 brown hawker, sev. common blue damsels.

In limited sunshine (less than 1% of time I was walking) this a.m., managed to see 3 wall brown, 2 small heath, 1 small copper, 2 speckled woods, green-viened and small whites, and an antler moth. Most of the 'action' was on the last third of Chatterton Lane (e.g. path to Lower Bradfield Farm, on a couple of ragwort plants).

Some reward for grilling the quarry and pond area with the first black darters of the season (7, inc. a pair in tandem), also 12+ emerald damsels, with a couple of pairs in tandem, 1 male common hawker, 1 brown hawker (ovipositing), and 1 fem. common darter. Water level of pond is lowest ever - rain please! 

Butterflies not in great numbers, but included 2 wall brown (2nd generation), half a dozen smalll copper and a couple of peacock. Just about O.K. in terms of interest then.

Wednesday 18th p.m. Sun disappeared just as I reached the quarry pond. Still found 1 male common hawker on the shrinking overflow pond, and 2 brown hawkers on the main pond. Best of the butterflies were 7 peacocks (6 around quarry area), 2 small coppers and the very scarce red admiral managed just one.

Perhaps a sign of the unseen damage that the dry weather is doing to our wildlife when I found a dead mole with no obvious signs of injury. Probably died of starvation without the worms it needs.

On a more uplifting note, 13 species of butterfly seen in the area (possible purple hairstreak not counted), with meadow brown (42), and gatekeeper (28) in greatest numbers, ringlet (15) and small white (10+) in middling numbers and, even though there was only one of each, it was good to see small copper (my first up here this year) and peacock (in trouble). Other insects seen: brown hawker, broad-bodied chaser, shaded broad-bar and silver 'Y' moths.

Cheers,

Andy

Some encouraging butterfly numbers this p.m., but these were mostly on the area rendered useless for birds by off-road bikes. It shows that if the sheep are kept out things take a big upward swing.

Down Sandhill Lane from parking area at Brown Low to Clough End Farm: 9 ringlet, 13 meadow brown, singles of large, small and green-veined white and small tortoiseshell, 3 small heath; 3 5-spot burnet.

Quarry and pond area: c20 ringlet, 50+ meadow brown, an unprecedented 18 small heath (prob an underestimation), less than 10 large skipper, c15 small skipper, 3 small torts, 8 5-spot burnet, 1 silver 'Y'. Amongst the five species of damselfly you might expect were the first two teneral emeralds of the year. Also a male emperor showed up which was not there on my first pass of the pond.

On the way out, I had to usher two sheep out of the area and back through the hole in the fence they had come through. I then made best I could to block it. They are not having my butterflies' babies for lunch!!

The moment we've (well me) all been waiting for: 3 teneral large red damselflies at the quarry pond this p.m. Summer truly begins with the first odonata in my opinion.

The birds played second fiddle to this stoat during an afternoon visit today.

A butterfly, near certain a comma, flew across my path this morning. Black ice and frost, but obviously not cold enough for it to hibernate yet!

Birds did not seem to be on the agenda on such a day, and so it turned out.

Had to make do with c15 common darters (inc one pair in tandem), 1 southern hawker, and a solitary male black darter up the bridleway at the littered area. It's not been a great year for them, nor for many of the odonata. Butterflies limited to 4 or 5 red ads scattered about.

John Rayner wrote:

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I have now photographed 4 individual Wall Browns in the quarry.

A male and female at the traditional site and another male and female at the eastern end of the quarry
Gatekeepers 5
Meadow Browns 2 (rather tatty now)
Green-veined White 2

A few teneral Darters flushed and flew so never got a good look - Common or Black?

Common Frog 1
Common Toad 1

Cheers John

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 John,

Do you want to do your usual comparison check with this first one I saw at the quarry last week?

Andy

John. They're back! Two Wall this morning (one at 8.15 !). One on wall of garden of 'new' house next to Larkhill, the other in the quarry area (at extreme eastern end, not in main quarry). Also singles of small heath, small skipper, and the two 'rarities' peacock and small tortoiseshell. Meadow browns and gatekeepers in fair numbers, and green-veined white all over the place.

Other notable thing was the first black darter of the year, as well as 5 common darters. All of this was without my close-focus bins as it was really supposed to be for birds. I should have known better. 

Not bad up there this afternoon, although numbers seem depressingly small.

5 large skippers, 5 speckled wood, 1 each small heath, green-veined white, meadow brown. At the pond highlights were 4-spotted chaser and an emperor; a broad-bodied chaser female was also in the meadow opposite April Cottage. Also seen: 2 agapanthia long-horn beetles, 1 or 2 six spotted burnet moths, and a probable northern spinach. 

Butterflies in medium average numbers, as follows:

52 Meadow Brown

22 Ringlet (first records away from Glossop Rd)

3 Small tortoiseshell

7 Small Skipper

4 Large Skipper

1 Common Blue

5 Small Heath

1 Green-viened White

1 Large White

3 Gatekeeper

a few whites went unidentified, but not many.

3 ringlets, an emperor dragonfly and a stoat is a selection of the best non-birding stuff this afternoon.