NORTH EAST ENGLAND BRANCH

BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

BUTTERFLY SUMMARY

2016 North East England

Compiled by Ian J Waller, Michael Perkins & Roger Norman Butterfly Conservation

CONTENTS

Page number

Contents Page ...... Inside front cover Recorders’ Review ...... 3 Weather Summary ...... 5 Species Accounts: 2016 ...... 7 Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages ...... 7 Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris ...... 8 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola ...... 10 Large Skipper Ochlodes sylvanus ...... 11 Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines ...... 12 Large White Pieris brassicae ...... 13 Small White Pieris rapae ...... 14 Green-veined White Pieris napi ...... 15 Clouded Yellow Colias croceus ...... 17 Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni ...... 17 Wall Lasiommata megera ...... 18 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria ...... 19 Large Heath Coenonympha tullia ...... 20 Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus ...... 21 Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus ...... 22 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina ...... 23 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus ...... 24 Marbled White Melanargia galathea ...... 24 Grayling Hipparchia semele ...... 25 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria selene ...... 26 Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja ...... 27 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta ...... 28 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui ...... 29 Peacock Aglais io ...... 30 Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae ...... 31 Camberwell Beauty Nymphalis antiopa ...... 32 Comma Polygonia c-album ...... 32 Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas ...... 33 Purple Hairstreak Favonius quercus ...... 34 Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi ...... 35 White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album ...... 36 Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus ...... 37 Brown Argus Aricia agestis ...... 38 Northern Brown Argus Aricia artaxerxes ...... 38 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus ...... 40 Contributors ...... 42 Flight Period Table ...... 44 Tetrad Occupancy Comparison Table ...... 45 Submitting Moth Records in 2018 ...... 46 Submitting Butterfly Records in 2018 ...... Inside back cover North East England Branch Committee Members ...... Back cover (Front cover: Speckled Wood, Terry Coult)

The latest annual report, newsletter and Branch details are available on the website: www.northeast-butterflies.org.uk

2 RECORDERS’ REVIEW

2016 was a somewhat chaotic year for the recorders. Various factors have contributed to a somewhat lengthy delay in the production of this annual report, including the theft of the entire data set from a car break-in in London and numerous hiccups in data verification and compilation. Due to the break-in and then regathering of records, it is possible that some data may have got lost along the way despite our best efforts. If this is the case, please get in touch and let us know.

The new Levana recording system is still proving troublesome at times and as such the maps included within this report indicate only the tetrads for sightings made in 2016. We hope that by the 2017 report, (expected as soon as possible), the maps included will show past and new distributions. The 2017 report is going slightly better than the 2016 report; we haven’t lost all the data yet.

Not surprisingly the number of records in 2016 was slightly down when compared to the previous year and the year before that, with just under 15,000 records provided by transect and casual recording in total. For some species however, 2016 was a much improved year, with both abundance and distribution increasing greatly in comparison with previous years. Brimstone were almost twice as numerous when compared to 2015. Some of our rarer and more noteworthy species also had good years. Dingy Skipper had improved numbers with peak numbers of 94 being recorded on 5th June, as did Green Hairstreak, Northern Brown Argus, (roughly four times the number of records of 2015), whilst orange-tip numbers remained roughly the same despite the reduced overall number of records; the warm, dry spring likely helping the reproductive efforts of these species.

The weather graphs show that 2016 was the 17th warmest year since 1850 but the summer months of May, June and July were noticeable dull with below average sunshine..…

The numbers of records for some species are not given to large totals. These highly cryptic butterflies, the Purple and White-letter Hairstreaks and Large Heath, are easily overlooked and inhabit areas which can prove difficult for all but the most motivated of recorders to reach and numbers may well be unrepresentative of their overall abundance.

Of the species which saw records numbers fall, most of the most-marked declines were apparent in some of our more common species. Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell all declined significantly when compared to 2015. The reasoning behind this slump is not immediately apparent. Numbers of Dark Green Fritillary also wilted, as did Essex Skipper, perhaps not surprising given the level of survey effort in 2015.

There are still areas of the two counties that are either totally or relatively unexplored territory for lepidopterists and we would urge recorders to explore new areas, these are the west of County Durham and the west and north of Northumberland. There is perhaps a natural tendency to visit rewarding areas, what might be called “honey-pot” sites, sometimes repeatedly. Finding your own new areas or sites can be very rewarding. If we don’t know species are present, we can’t take action to conserve them!

Thank you to all transect walkers and casual recorders for their efforts in 2016. The records you send in do not just go towards compiling this annual report for the North East; they are used by Butterfly Conservation in compiling their national surveys, five-year state of UK Butterfly reports and formulating national policy. All records are therefore of vital importance and are essential component of safeguarding butterflies in this country.

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Speckled Wood, Graham Beckwith

Painted Lady, Jonathan Wallace

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WEATHER SUMMARY: 2016

Durham University Observatory, County Durham Elevation: 100 metres (328ft), Grid Reference NZ 267 415

TEMPERATURE, RAINFALL and SUNSHINE and DIFFERENCES from 1961 - 1990 AVERAGES Month Mean (OC) OC Difference Rain (mm) % of Average Sun (hr) % of Average Jan 4.7 1.7 116.6 196 32.3 60 Feb 4.2 1.0 28.0 67 86.3 132 Mar 5.8 0.8 58.0 113 88.5 84 Apr 6.6 -0.4 81.4 172 122.5 92 May 11.1 1.2 41.7 80 141.5 84 Jun 13.2 0.2 49.2 95 106.3 65 Jul 15.8 0.9 35.2 68 114.6 74 Aug 15.7 1.0 69.8 104 146.1 94 Sep 14.9 2.2 44.2 80 114.6 93 Oct 10.1 0.6 50.4 96 76 82 Nov 4.9 -0.8 87.8 142 84.9 128 Dec 6.1 2.2 36.6 64 68 149

2016 9.4 0.9 698.9 108 1181.6 89

Our weather record information comes from the Durham University station on Observatory Hill in Durham City. Apart from the Radcliffe Observatory at Oxford, Durham University Observatory has the unbroken longest series of meteorological observations for any university in the UK. Daily records date from the late 1840s. Today, the observations are made using an automatic weather station. Acknowledgments: The Branch is grateful to Professor Tim Burt of the Department of Geography at Durham University for providing weather data via his website, (http://www.community.dur.ac.uk/durham.weather/).

These comments have been taken from his website: 2016 was the 17th warmest year (9.4°C) at Durham since 1850, 0.1°C warmer than last year. Of the 16 warmer years, nine have been since 2000; in a stationary series, only two would be expected. Whilst the decadal running mean for annual temperature has fallen slightly from a peak in 2002 (9.7°C), it remains higher than at any stage before 1998. It was a dull year - only 89% of the normal amount of sunshine, the 10th least sunny year since 1882. Please note that the long-term averages used are those for 1961-1990.

These three graphs show the main features of the weather in 2016.

Monthly temperature at Durham University Weather Station in 2016 20 Average monthly temperature 15 Difference from long-term mean 10

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Temperature 'C 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -5 Month

5 Monthly rainfall at Durham University Weather Station in 2016 140 Monthly rainfall 120 Long-term mean 100 80 60 40 20 Monthly rainfall, mm 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month

Monthly sunshine at Durham University Weather Station in 2016 6 Monthly sunshine 5 Long-term mean 4 3 2

Sunshine, hrs/day1 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month

Dingy Skipper, Jonathan Wallace

Example of colour key for the species-accounts maps, showing records for 2016:

6 Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages

2016: This species was not recorded until the slightly late date of May 8th when Ian Waller found one at Raisby Hill Grassland and Jonathan Wallace one at Paradise SNCI and Graham Beckwith at Wingate Quarry both on the 16th May.

The annual total of 891 Dingy Skippers would appear to be reasonable good in comparison to many previous years. However, an extensive survey targeting sites believed to be occupied, undertaken by Butterfly Conservation and Durham Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers, plus staff from other organisations such as INCA, inflated this total way above that which would have resulted from a more normal level of survey effort. It is impossible to be precise but the likelihood is that roughly 350 fewer butterflies would have been recorded had this additional effort not been made. If correct, this would make 2016 one of the species’ worst-ever years in the north east. This view is supported by the relative scarcity of high counts made. Keith Walton’s 43 from Wingate Quarry takes the honours for the year’s best count and there were two further counts from the same site of 32 and 30 made by Graham Beckwith and Keith respectively. Roger Norman’s 29 from Brenkley was Northumberland’s best.

There were no unduly late sightings that might have suggested a partial second brood which has been suspected in our region in some years. Mike Hunter recorded our region’s (and Co. Durham’s) latest on July 16th from Kiln Gill while Northumberland’s was seen by Keith Smith at Silverlink Retail Park over a month earlier on June 9th.

One of the primary aims of the survey outlined above was to determine whether, and to what extent, Dingy Skipper colonies are being lost in the north east. Back in 2005, BC-led research determined that Dingy Skipper colonies were being lost at a rate of 32% per decade (although some new sites were also being created through development and industrial activities). Full analysis of data deriving from the new survey is yet to be analysed, as in order to provide a fuller picture it was decided to incorporate data from 2017. However, it seems likely that the rate of loss that has occurred over the last decade will be of similar magnitude to that which occurred in the decade previous. A full report will be made available in due course. BC would like to thank all who assisted with survey work in 2016.

7 Dingy Skipper 2016

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 Daily total 30 20 10 0 May JunDate Jul

Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris

2016: The first report of the year came from Wingate Quarry (Co. Durham), where John Olley recorded a single individual on 9th June, followed by one at RSPB Saltholme (Co. Durham) on 14th June (Ian Thompson). Further north, the first were 24 found at Westerhope (Newcastle upon Tyne) on 21st June (Frank Lightfoot) and one at Hexham (Northumberland) on 27th June (Keith Smith). These first dates are similar to the previous two years in Co. Durham: 12th June in 2015 and 8th June in 2014 but later than 17th June (2015) and 12th June (2014) in Northumberland. Only small numbers were recorded until mid- July, when there was a noticeable increase in reports. On 22nd July, a total of 269 Small Skippers was recorded across the region, including 110 at Havannah NR (Northumberland) by David Stebbings. There was a decline in reports after 24th July but there were two distinct August peaks: 241 individuals on 1st and 343 on 5th. The largest individual site count was also noted on the latter date, when Joe Dobinson counted 131 at Rising Sun Country Park (North Tyneside). Away from Havannah NR and Rising Sun CP, where further respective peaks involved 68 on 1st August (D. Stebbings) and 62 on 13th August (J. Dobinson), the only other individual site that held over 50 was Seghill, where 60 were noted on 5th August (Keith Smith). Counts of 30-48 came from Ashington Community Woods, Redesdale Forest, Shiremoor and Stone Folds (all North Tyneside/Northumberland); and Bearpark Woods, Black Plantation, Broompark picnic site, Burn Hill, Cowpen Bewley Country Park, Darlington, Hamsterley Forest, Inkerman, and Summerhill CP (all Co. Durham).

The last in Co. Durham were three found by Dave Liddle at Burn Hill on 7th September. Gemma Vance then recorded the final Skippers at Murton Fields on 10th. A total of 3,763 individuals was recorded across the region during the season, a drop on totals of 4,323 in 2015 and 4,461 in 2014. In 2016, an average of 7.2 individuals per report was evident, compared to 6.9 in 2015 and 10.8 in 2014.

8 In 2016, Small Skippers had a flight season of 94 days (9th June-10th September) and the species was recorded on a total of 69 days during this period (73%). This compares with 106 days (73%) in 2015 and 115 days (59%) in 2014.

Small Skipper 2016 400 350 300 250 200 150 Daily total 100 50 0 Jun Jul Aug Sep Date

Small Skipper, Jonathan Wallace

9 Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola

2016: After the excitement of the discovery of Essex Skipper, which was a new species for the north-east, in the Tees-mouth area in 2015, another 17 records were sent in for 2016, comprising 42 individuals. All were in the south-east of County Durham. The first records came from Julie Hogg at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park on 23rd July with five individuals, followed by records from Ian Waller and Mike Hunter the next day.

They reported the butterfly at North Tees Marshes and Greatham Creek Bridge. At the latter site they recorded the season’s peak count of 12 butterflies. Over the next three weeks the records came in from Billingham Beck CP, Wolviston, RSPB Saltholme and the Wynyard estate. Totals of six were found by Mike Hunter and Dave Foster at Greatham Creek Bridge on each of 30th July and 1st August. The last butterflies of the season were reported by Ian Waller on the Wynyard estate on 16th August. These were singles in two new tetrads, the western most tetrads on the map.

It was recorded in ten tetrads (15 in 2015), with two of them new so the butterfly has now been found in a total of 17 tetrads. It was recorded on seven days out of the flight period of 25 days (28%). With such a short flight period observers must be ready in future years to spring into action once late July arrives.

All recorders are reminded that photographic evidence is needed for this species before sightings can be accepted; and while head-on shots of the skipper’s black antennae may be enough, photographers should be aiming to capture clearly the sex band of the male, which is the key feature to distinguish Essex from its very close relative, the Small Skipper.

Essex Skipper 2016 16 14 12 10 8 6 Daily total 4 2 0 Jul Aug Date

10 Large Skipper Ochlodes faunus

2016: A total of 269 records were received, these recorded 756 individual Large Skippers. These figures are slightly down on the previous year, which itself was a poor year, so this makes two consecutive below average years for the Large Skipper and unfortunately this year's total is the lowest since 2012. The flight season lasted eighty days, about the same as in 2015, and the Large Skipper was seen on sixty one of these days, representing 76% of the flight period. As normal the season started in early June with the first records from Northumberland and Durham being on the same day, 5th June. Hewitt Ellis and Dave Stebbings both saw one at Havannah Nature Reserve near Hazlerigg and John Corcoran recorded one at Downhill complex, near West Boldon. There was no identifiable peak to the flight season really as consistently small counts were recorded throughout the whole of June and into early August. The vast majority of records were of fewer than five butterflies with only a few counts in double figures. Perhaps this was a reflection of what a poor year it was for this species. The highest individual count from a Durham site came from Pippa Smaling with 12 at West Park Nature Reserve, Darlington on 19th July. From a Northumberland site the highest was also 12 and came from Joe Dobinson at the Rising Sun Country Park, Wallsend on the 21st June. Also following the pattern of recent years the flight season seems to be extending into August with several records in August this year. The final sighting from Northumberland was by John Almond who recorded two on 18th August in the College Valley in north Northumberland. The final sighting of the year for County Durham and the region came from Pippa Smaling who saw two at West Park Nature Reserve, Darlington on 23rd August.

Large Skipper 2016 60 50 40 30 20 Daily total 10 0 Jun Jul Aug Date

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Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines

2016: There were 484 records of Orange-tip in 2016 compared to 529 the previous year (a drop of 9%). However, the number of individuals counted in 2016 was slightly higher than in 2015 with 1282 compared to 1259 (an increase of 2%). The flight period lasted 113 days and the butterfly was recorded on 50% of those days. The first Orange-tip of the year was recorded on 17th April by Mike and Denise Hunter who were also responsible for the joint second record two days later on 19th April. These records both involved single butterflies and were made near Darlington at Low Dinsdale and Middleton St George respectively. Russell Pannell got the ball rolling for this species in Northumberland on 19th April with two recorded in Holywell Dene near Whitley Bay. Numbers remained low throughout April but started to increase in May, reaching their peak on the 22nd of that month when there were 32 separate records comprising 115 individual butterflies. The highest individual count of the year was made by Frank Lightfoot who saw 22 Orange-tips on Westerhope bridle path on 6th June and Frank also scored the second highest count of 21 individuals at the same location on 21st May. Other notable counts were 20 by John Olley on the Hawthorn to Ryhope Walkway on 7th June, Tim Wrigley’s count of 17 at Liddells Wood near Chollerford on 22nd May, and Nick Rossiter’s count of 16 at Kellas near Slaley on 7th June. The Orange-tip was seen in good numbers into the first week of June but thereafter numbers dropped away sharply and the main flight period ended on 28th June with a total of four seen by Julia Meldrum, Chris Tomlinson and Jonathan Wallace at Crowden Hill, near Ulgham. The last record in Durham was on 24th June in Castle Eden Dene NNR where Alan Edwards recorded four. However, a solitary record of an Orange-tip seen in the cemetery in Benton, Newcastle by Debbie Henderson on August 7th probably represented a second generation individual and was the final record of the year for the region. There were records of immature stages from Hew Ellis and Jonathan Wallace.

Orange-tip 2016 140 120 100 80 60

Dailytotal 40 20 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Date

12 Large White Pieris brassicae

2016: 1425 records of Large White were received in 2016 which was 52% up on the 940 records received for this species in 2015. The number of individuals counted was also substantially up with a total of 4405 compared to only 2029 in 2015 (an increase of 117%). The flight period lasted 192 days and the Large White was recorded on 146 of these days (76%). The season started for this species on 7th April when Kenneth Simpson recorded singletons at two different locations in Jarrow and Boldon Colliery respectively. Keith Smith recorded the first individual on the north side of the Tyne at Silverlink Park on 17th April. The first generation reached its peak on 6th June when there were 17 records of a total of 65 individual butterflies. The highest count during the first generation was made by Gemma Vance at Murton Fields on 6th June where she counted 18 Large Whites. Counts of 15 were recorded by Mike Carr on 24th May at Ellington Dene, Frank Lightfoot at Westerhope bridle path on 21st June and by Gemma again at Murton Fields on 23rd June. The second generation started to build from about the second week of July and numbers peaked on 13th August when there were 32 records comprising a total of 237 individual butterflies. The highest second generation count and highest of the year was made by Steve Holliday who counted 63 at East Cramlington LNR on 30th July. The next three highest counts were all made by Gemma Vance at Murton Fields with 56 on 5th August, 54 on 15th August and 44 on 21st August. Also of note were the 40 Dee McKeown counted at Plessey Hall Farm, Cramlington on July 24th. Numbers dropped away throughout September but the species continued flying well into October. The last record for Northumberland was made by Gemma Vance who saw 1 at Whitley Bay on 5th October but the flight season lasted another ten days in Durham with Julie Hogg and P. Johnson both recording the species on the 15th in Hartlepool and Newton Hall, Durham respectively.

Large White 2016 250

200

150

100 Daily total

50

0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Date

13 Small White Pieris rapae

2016: A total of 1,044 records were received. These recorded 4,028 individual butterflies, this was a considerable increase on the 2,036 recorded last year, although still somewhat below average. The flight period covered 209 days and the Small White was seen on 147 of these days, this represents 70% of the flight period. This year showed a slight improvement in the Small White's fortunes after two very poor years. The first record of the season came from Katie Linden who saw two at Iris Brickfield in Newcastle on 25th March. The first record from a Durham site was not until April when John Lawson spotted one in Stillington Forest Park on 10th April. The spring emergence really got going on 19th April from which date records poured in. While most of the records for the first generation where in single figures a few did reach double figures. Elizabeth Waterston recorded 20 at Derwentheugh Country Park, near Rowlands Gill, on 11th May, Frank Lightfoot also saw 20 on a bridle path in Westerhope, Newcastle 21st May and Gemma Vance counted 29 at Murton Fields, North Shields on 27th May. The emergence of the second generation started in late July and reached a peak on 15th August when

281 Small Whites were seen by recorders throughout the region. Always more numerous than the first generation, this year the second generation produced some impressive counts. The highest count was from John Olley who counted 130 at Castle Lake, Bishop Middleham on 2nd August. In Northumberland the highest count came from Gemma Vance with 111 at Murton Fields in North Shields on 5th August. A good count was also made by Marion Gallon who recorded 43 at Dunstan Heughs, just north of Craster on the Northumberland coast on 26th July. The flight season was really over by the end of September with only a handful of records going into October. For Northumberland the final sighting of the year was by Keith Smith, who saw one at West Allotment on North Tyneside on 8th October. The final sighting of the year for Durham and the region came from Mike and Denise Hunter a little later on 19th October when they saw one at Middleton St George near Darlington.

Small White 2016 300

250

200

150

Dailytotal 100

50

0 Jul Apr Jun Oct Mar Aug Sep May Date

14 Green-veined White Pieris napi

2016: A total of 1,563 records were received. These recorded 5,656 individual butterflies. The flight period covered 175 days and Green-veined White was seen on 145 of these days, representing 83% of the flight period. The number seen this year is right in the middle of the average for the last ten years, meaning the Green-veined White had a reasonable year. For the last two years the second generation, flying in late summer, has not been noticeably more numerous than the first. However, as the histogram shows, this year the second generation has reverted to normal, being stronger than the first generation.

The season started in mid-April with the first record coming from Keith Smith who saw two at Silverlink Park on North Tyneside on 17th April. The first sighting from a Durham location was just the next day when Mike and Denise Hunter saw one near Barningham, just south of Barnard Castle on 18th April.

The early records tended to be singletons with the first double figure count coming in on 5th May. In fact there were very few double figure counts early in the season. Richard Hockin with 30 from Reahope Moor near Stanhope on the 6th June and Julia Meldrum and Chris Tomlinson with 16 at Crowden Hill Plantation, north-west of Ashington on 20th May stood out. Some higher counts were received in late June. Roger Norman counted a total of 160 from three locations around Kielder on 23rd June. Gordon Simpson and Malcolm Gallimore recorded 47 from several locations in Wark Forest on 23rd June and 41 while in Falstone Forest on 30th June. Other good counts came from Frank Lightfoot who saw 68 along a bridle path near Westerhope in Newcastle on 1st August and Tim Wrigley with 34 at Liddells Wood near Wall Village north of Hexham on 4th August. It is interesting that most of the high counts come from upland sites.

The peak of the second generation was reached in the first two weeks of August with numbers gradually declining towards the end of August. Low numbers were recorded throughout September, mostly of sightings in single figures. This year the season finished in Northumberland with a record from Keith Smith who spotted two at Close House beside the River Tyne near Wylam on 29th September. In Durham the last sighting came from Keith Walton who saw one at Baxter Wood west of Durham city on 8th October, about a normal last sighting date for the Green-veined White.

15 Green-veined White 2016 300

250

200

150

Daily total 100

50

0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Date

Wall, Graham Beckwith

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16 Clouded Yellow Colias croceus

2016: There were no records for this migrant from warmer climes this year.

Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni

2016: These are interesting times for Brimstone. In 2016 there were 14 records covering 23 individuals. All the records came from only six tetrads. The totals are very similar to those for 2015 when there were 22 individuals seen from 14 records. The first were shared between Ian Bond with two at Davison Road and Pippa Smaling with one on her transect at West Park NR on 19th April, both sites being in Darlington.

These were followed by one at Preston Park in Stockton by Graham Beckwith the next day. From late May, all the records came from Pippa at the West Park site, with notable counts of four on 6th June and culminating with five on 13th September which was the last report for the year. Both the totals of four and five are new highest counts for the region. The butterfly was recorded on 13 days out of a flight period of on the wing for 148 days, (9%).

Between 2005 and 2009, there was a small expansion of range nationally with all but one of the southernmost 10km NZ grid squares in Durham and North Yorkshire recording the butterfly for the first time, the missing square being on the North York Moors. This is a strong flying and wide ranging species so it can be expected to turn up almost anywhere. However, with breeding restricted to Buckthorns, and neither Buckthorn nor Alder buckthorn being native to the north-east, its breeding in our region is always going to be very restricted. We have one record of larvae at Low Newton Junction near Durham in 2009. With Buckthorn known to be present at West Park NR and Low Newton Junction Nature Reserves and the numbers seen in 2016, it seems possible that Brimstone may be establishing itself as a regular breeding species for the region, albeit in very small numbers.

Brimstone 2016 6

5

4

3

Dailytotal 2

1

0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Date

17 Wall Lasiommata megera

2016: A total of 281 records were received which detailed 725 individual butterflies. The flight season lasted 138 days and the Wall was seen flying on 73 of these days, representing 53% of the flight period. Numbers of Wall seen in 2016 were down yet again showing its continuing decline. The numbers seen were a new low for the species. Just ten years ago 5,303 were recorded, so the 668 seen this year represents an 86% decline since 2006. The Wall is declining throughout Britain for reasons that are not understood. This is a butterfly which likes hot dry conditions, so it may be related to our summers becoming cooler and wetter but no-one really knows. The first sightings of the year in both Durham and Northumberland came on the same date. Keith Walton seeing one at Wingate Quarry on 11th May and Kevin Redgrave also recording one at Newton Links on the Northumberland coast on the same day. Records for the first generation were spread rather evenly through late May and the whole of June. There were no double figure counts for the spring generation. The highest received was eight seen by Mike Carr at Marshall Meadows north of Berwick on 9th June. Counts of seven came from both Graham Beckwith at Low Hauxley on Druridge Bay, Northumberland on 22nd May and Mike Hunter from North Tees Marshes on 28th May. The second generation started to emerge during the last few days of July and peaked in the middle of August. There were only six double figure counts in the second generation, another indication of how the Wall is declining. However, the highest count received was a truly remarkable 55 from Ian Waller who recorded this impressive number at Fulthorpe Quarry, north of Stockton on 16th August, the highest individual count from anywhere for many years. The next highest were again from Ian Waller this time seeing fifteen at Bishop Middleham Quarry on 24th August, and Graham Beckwith also spotted fifteen at Wingate Quarry on 6th September. This year there were plenty of records in the first half of September but the flight season ended rather early in the last week of September. The last records for both County Durham and Northumberland, like the first records, were on the same date. Keith Walton spotted one at Baxter Wood near Durham city on 25th September and Terry Pawson saw one at Adderstone Hall, west of Seahouses in north Northumberland also on 25th September.

Wall 2016 90 80 70 60 50 40

Daily total 30 20 10 0 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Date

18 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

2016: Speckled Wood had another very good year this year. There were several peaks in recorded numbers with the most notable occurring in August and September.

A total of 1632 records were received (an 8% increase from 2015) with 7354 individual butterflies (a 37% increase from 2015). The flight period extended over 218 days and the butterfly was seen flying on 167 of those days.

The first record of the year was made in Durham by Ian Waller who had a singleton on the 8th April in Coxhoe. Northumberland’s first record was from Keith Smith, a single specimen on the 17th April at Silverlink Park. The first double figure count came from Steve Austin with 10 at Russell Wood on the 9th May.

There were a further 175 records of 10 to 39 individuals and 20 counts of 40 or more. The peak in recorded population numbers occurred in August and September; Joe Dobinson with 73 at the Rising Sun Country Park on the 13th August and Stanley Straughan with 79 at Ashington Country Park on the 28th August, but the highest count of the year was 81, also recorded by Joe Dobinson at the Rising Sun Country Park on the 23rd September.

Keith Walton had the last record in County Durham with 13 at Broompark on the 29th October. The last record from Northumberland and for the season came from Alnwick Wildlife Group with one in Howick Woods on the 11th November. Hewitt Ellis found ova in a Tynemouth garden on 25th September

Speckled Wood 2016 350 300 250 200 150

Daily total 100 50 0 Jul Apr Jun Oct Nov Aug Sep May Date

19 Large Heath Coenonympha tullia

2016: Numbers of adults recorded on the wing in 2016 were down from the 41 in 2015, to 26, but still above numbers recorded in the proceeding 3 years (19 in 2012, 18 in 2013 and just 4 in 2014). The 26 specimens were from 5 records made on 4 days during the summer over a flight period spanning 19 days. Dave Stebbings sallied forth onto the peat bogs of Northumberland again in 2016, registering the first branch records for the species with 16 adults on the 14th July. Six were seen just south of Steel Rigg (NY756673) and a very respectable 10 at Crag Lough next to Hadrian’s Wall (NY762680) on the same day. Two other records were made in July – Mike Taylor recording 3 at Grindon Lough (NY799671) on the 22nd July and Tim Wrigley recording six, four days later on the 26th July at Muckle Moss, north east of Bardon Mill (NY801669). The last record for the year was made by Alnwick Wildlife Group on the 1st August when they recorded a single adult at Steng Moss (NY937934). The Large Heath is a Species of Conservation Concern in Britain; Northumberland is the English stronghold with 156 recorded sites, 74% of the total for England and Wales. They form fairly sedentary colonies, breeding in lowland raised bog, upland blanket bog and damp acidic moorland where Harestail Cotton-grass, the larval food plant, is plentiful. The adults are generally first seen on the wing in the last week of June or the first week of July and have a short flight period of only 5-6 weeks. The latest they have been recorded in our region is the 14th August in 1996 and 2012. Observers need to get out and about during July to record this species although care must be taken as many upland sites are remote and potentially hazardous. Most are best visited with a colleague.

Large Heath 2016 18 16 14 12 10 8

Daily total 6 4 2 0 Jul Aug Date

20 Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus

2016: A total of 543 records were received. These recorded 3111 individual butterflies, this is well down on the 4497 recorded last year and is well below average for the species. The flight period covered 126 days and the Small Heath was seen on 97 of these days, representing 77% of the flight period. The flight season was slightly shorter than normal as there were no records stretching into October this year.

The first record of the season came from Kevin Redgrave who saw one at Newton Links on the Northumberland coast on 20th May. The first records from a County Durham site were from Mike Hunter with two from two locations on the North Tees marshes on 28th May. These are significantly later dates than average for the first sightings of Small Heath and probably reflect the cold spring weather. The peak of the flight season was late July and early August. The peak day in terms of numbers recorded was 31st July, when 143 Small Heath were counted throughout the region. There were some good early season counts from Roger Norman with 27 at Cocklawburn Dunes, north Northumberland on 6th June and David Stebbings 32 at Newburn Heugh, west of Newcastle on the same day. John Olley

recorded 46 at Horden grasslands, near Peterlee on the 7th June. Late season counts of note came from Dave Wainwright, 55 at Inkerman near Tow Law on 20th July, John Olley with 44 at Wingate Quarry on 29th July and Ian Waller who saw 45 at Running Waters Quarry, near Cassop on 31st July. These counts are well down on the high counts of good years. The flight season ended rather earlier than usual with sixteen records in September and none in October this year. In County Durham the last record was from Ian Waller who saw one at Wingate Quarry on 13th September, although he had seen 30 there just two days earlier. In Northumberland there were four later records with the last sightings coming from Mike Carr who spotted two on Holy Island on 22nd September.

Small Heath 2016 160 140 120 100 80 60 Daily total 40 20 0 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Date

21

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

2016: The first sightings of adults on the wing were made by Keith Smith at Wylam (NZ128645) and Pippa Smalling at The Whinnies (NZ352137) on the 20th June, 10 days later than the previous year, which in itself, was remarkable for the lateness of this record. Tim Wrigley’s record in 2014 on the 24th April at Liddell’s Wood (NY934691) was the earliest ever record and the only time it has been seen on the wing in April, with the majority of first sightings in mid-May. The number of adults recorded during 2016 was slightly down on the 2015 total of 12,230, to 11,922. Numbers over recent years (since 2013) seem to have stabilised at higher levels compared to the low of 7216 in 2012. Counts reached treble figures for the first time in 2016 on the 11th June, with 101 recorded by Dave Stebbings at Havannah NR, (NZ220718). There were a further 12 three figure records, all bar one of these in July. The last three figure count was at Burn Hill (NZ067444) by Dave Liddle on the 5th August. This is a site that always seems to generate very high counts. The highest recorded number was 473 by Joe Dobinson at the Rising Sun Country Park (NZ301693), another site that usually has excellent Ringlet populations every year and it is often Joe that comes up with these totals here – over 600 in 2014 and two counts in 2013 that topped 500 on one occasion and over 400 on another. The last recorded sighting of an adult on the wing was by Mollie Hardie, two days earlier than in 2015 on the 4th September at Hunting Hill Farm (NU028410). Early to mid-September is fairly typical for the last sighting of the year. Ringlet was recorded on 66 days out of the fkight period on 77 Days, (86%).

Ringlet 2016 1400 1200 1000 800 600

Dailytotal 400 200 0 Jun Jul Aug Sep Date

22 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina

2016: A total of 996 records were received. These recorded 10,291 individual butterflies, this is well down on the number recorded last year and is well below average for the species. The flight period covered 140 days and Meadow Brown were seen on 93 of these days, representing 66% of the flight period. This year represented the lowest number of Meadow Browns recorded since the very bad year of 2012, making it one of the worst years on record. The season got off to an early start with the first record coming from Marion Gallon who saw two at Dunstan Heughs near Craster on 20th May, a rare May sighting for the Meadow Brown. The first sighting in Durham came from Simon Hodgson who also saw two on the Tees Railway Walk on 5th June.

There were only a handful of other sightings in June with the main flight season starting in the second week in July. It reached a peak on 19th July when 733 individual Meadow Browns were seen throughout the region from 40 recorders, well down on peak numbers from previous years. This year there were only five counts in treble figures, normally there are dozens; a reflection of what a poor year it was for the species. High counts of note came from Jeff Fowler who spotted an impressive 225 at Wynyard Woodland Park, Pickards Meadow, on 23rd July, by far the highest count for the region this year. Mike Leakey saw 105 at North Gare, Teesmouth NNR on 22nd July. Joe Dobinson also saw 102 at Rising Sun Country Park near th Wallsend, North Tyneside on 5 August. Jane Lancaster recorded 93 at Newton Point on the north Northumberland coast on 26th July.

Numbers gradually decreased from the peak of mid-July and the flight season was almost over by the last week of August. There were 27 records from September this year finishing in Durham with a sighting from Elizabeth Clowes who saw one at Bearpark Woods near Durham City on 24th September. In Northumberland the last record came from John Almond who spotted one at Budle on the north Northumberland coast on 6th October, quite a late date.

Meadow Brown 2016 800 700 600 500 400 300 Daily totalDaily 200 100 0 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Date

23 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

2016: There were no records this year of this butterfly for which we are on the very northern fringe of its range.

Marbled White Melanargia galathea

2016: All but one record for 2016 came from Wingate Quarry, the release site in 2000. Apart from in 2006 when there were two records from Northumberland the butterfly shows a remarkable reluctance to move any great distance. A record from Greatham Creek on Teesside in the same year might relate to a stray from Yorkshire. A total of 22 records with 390 individuals reported over the season was typical of recent years. The flight period started as normal with one on the 3rd July seen by Keith Walton and numbers rose to 11 by 7th when counted by John Olley.

The peak count by Keith Walton was 53 on 30th of the month, a typical maximum for recent years. Steve Austin and John Olley both submitted records of singles for the 18th August, the last records of the season. In contrast to 2015 when there were four reports away from the quarry, and it appeared the butterfly might finally be expanding from its release site, the only report in 2016 away from Wingate came from Richard Hockin who found one at Littlewood Nature Reserve on 18th July, a distance of approximately 4 5 km west of the quarry.

The flight period lasted 47 days and the butterfly was observed on 16 days, (34%).

Marbled White 2016 80 70 60 50 40 30 Daily totalDaily 20 10 0 Jul Aug Date

24 Grayling Hipparchia semele

2016: The Grayling experienced a rather average year in our region in 2016, with 184 butterflies reported. Recent annual totals have been 612 (2006), 141 (2007), 116 (2008), 155 (2009), 349 (2010), 190 (2011), 91 (2012), 325 (2013), 80 (2014) and 109 (2015) which gives an indication of how widely this butterfly’s numbers can fluctuate.

Cambois was the place to be for an early sighting. Steve Holliday saw the year’s first on July 3rd when he saw three; he saw another nine on July 13th before Mike Coates counted nine there on July 14th. Durham’s first record wasn’t until July 16th when Ian Waller saw one at Greatham Creek.

Four double-figure counts were made in 2016: Ian Bond counted 15 at Seal Sands on July 17th and Steve Holliday recorded 21 from Cambois two days later. Mike Hunter recorded 16 (including a mating pair) at Dorman’s Pool on July 30th but the best count was one of 49 made at Greenabella by Ian Bond on 23rd July.

Durham’s recording season for the species was wrapped up on August 15th by Mike Leakey who recorded two at North Gare, Teesmouth NNR on 15th August. The Snook on Holy Island yielded Northumberland’s last sighting for Mike Carr, who saw a single butterfly on the relatively late date of August 26th.

Grayling is probably one of the most under-recorded butterflies found in our region. Almost all the best-known sites are either remote (e.g. Holy Island, Ross Links) or on brownfields (e.g. Tees Valley, Blyth). If anyone feels able to commit to helping with survey work, please contact Dave Wainwright.

Grayling 2016 60

50

40

30

Daily total 20

10

0 Jul Aug Date

25 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria selene

2016: A total of eighty-six records were received. These recorded 1558 individual butterflies. The flight period lasted for sixty-four days and the butterfly was seen on thirty-two of these days, representing 50% of the flight period. The numbers of Small Pearls reported continues to rise. There were over double the numbers recorded compared to 2015. Although numbers are undoubtedly on the rise these figures are inflated somewhat by many visits by one recorder to just one site on consecutive days which will inevitably have led to double counting.

The first record of the season came from Durham when Dave Liddle found four at Black Plantation west of Lanchester on 6th June. The first record from Northumberland was the next day when David Stebbings recorded six at Rushy Dene near Sweethope Lough. The flight season lasted all through June until late July this year making it quite a prolonged flight season. In County Durham good numbers were reported from Burn Hill by Dave Liddle, peaking at 67 on the 6th July. Also in County Durham Black Plantation is a site where the Small Pearl was introduced after carefully creating the right habitat, and it is pleasing to note that good counts were recorded there in June showing the butterfly is thriving there. The highest count from a Northumberland site

was 26 by Graham Beckwith at Debdon Plantation near Rothbury on 8th July. This site has produced consistently good counts for the last few years. Interesting records also came in from Tim Wrigley and David Stebbings who independently found Small Pearls on sites around the Roman Wall near Housesteads and Steel Rigg. The last record of the year from Northumberland was on 22nd July when Gordon Simpson and Malcolm Gallimore saw six flying at Newbiggin Burn in Harwood Forest. Harwood Forest is a huge commercial pine forest with many large clearings some of which hold colonies of Small Pearl. More colonies surely await discovery in this particular forest. The final sighting of the year was just one day later in County Durham and came from Dave Liddle who spotted one at Burn Hill on 23trdJuly.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary 2016 180 160 140 120 100 80

Daily total 60 40 20 0 Jun Jul Date

Note: In the printed version of this report, a record of 40 at Black Plantation was erroneously reported as 21st May. The correct date was 21st June. 2016

26 Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja

2016: After a good year in 2015 Dark Green Fritillary went into reverse in 2016. There were just 58 records received for the species which was a fall of 63% on 2015. These comprised a total of 250 individual butterflies – 65% down on the 722 counted the year before. The species was on the wing for 120 days of which it was actually recorded on 37 days (31%). Steve le Fleming recorded the first Dark Green Fritillaries of the year with three in Bishop Middleham Quarry on the extremely early date of 17th May.

The next sighting was not until 19 days later on the 5th June when Alnwick Wildlife Group saw one at Fenham Flats in North Northumberland. A further fifteen days later the third record was made by Keith Walton who saw one at Black Plantation, County Durham on 20th June. Thereafter sightings picked up and numbers peaked on 25th July when a total of 43 Dark Green Fritillaries were recorded. The highest count of the year by some margin was made by Mike and Denise Hunter who counted 42 at High Force on the 25th. However, they noted that there were many in the area and estimated that the actual number present was likely to have been at least 100. No-one else managed a count of even half of this and the second highest count of the season was made on Raisby Way by Keith Walton who

counted 16 on 16th July. Steve Holliday counted 14 Dark Green Fritillaries on Holy Island on 8th July and Keith Walton also had counts of 14 and 12 on Raisby Way on the 21st and 17th July respectively. All other counts of the species were in single figures. The season ended in Northumberland with a single individual seen by John Almond in the College Valley on 18th August but the species continued flying into September in Durham with Ian Findlay recording a singleton in Upper Teesdale on the 13th of the month.

Dark Green Fritillary 2016 50

40

30

20 Daily totalDaily

10

0 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Date

27 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

2016: This is something of a shock! The count for Red Admiral during 2016 has been virtually halved. Only 1481 insects were recorded during 297 available flying days. The first being seen by Philip Johnson at Gosforth Park Nature Reserve on 8th February, a very early date, and the last by Mike Harris at Sunderland Civic Centre on 30th November. The insect was sighted on 141 days during the flight time, 47% of the available period. This compares with 2814 insects for the previous year.

758 records were received in total, 486 of those were single insect sightings. Only on nineteen occasions were there reports of the butterfly in double figures. Keith Smith and Michael Holmes counted 28 each on 5th August at Seghill and 24th August at Slaley Hall, respectively. August was, by far, the best month to find them during which 842 insects were recorded. September, usually a good month to spot Red Admiral, only accounted for 423 sightings.

The distribution of the butterfly was right across the North East England region as is to be expected but with the Tyne Valley and Tyne and Wear recording the highest numbers. North Northumberland did comparatively well recording 252 butterflies, 54 of which were seen in the Berwick area.

Red Admiral 2016 120 100 80

60

Daily totalDaily 40 20 0 Jul Apr Jun Oct Nov Feb Mar Aug Sep May Date

28 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

2016: 2016 was a good year for Painted Lady. There were 600 records (a 108% increase on 2015) and 1153 individual butterflies. The flight period for the species was shorter than in 2015 at 187 days (201 days in 2015) and the butterfly was recorded on 106 (57%) of these days.

The season’s first and the first for Durham, was at Abbingdon Wood, Boldon Colliery, by Kenneth Simpson, on the 18th April. Keith Smith had the first Northumberland record at Tynemouth on the 10th May.

Only 32% of counts were of singletons and there were significant counts in early June; 29 by Chris Barlow at Hauxley on the 4th, and 28 by Mike Carr at Marshall Meadows on the 9th. Mike Carr also had 27 on the 30th August at Howick. These counts clearly reflect an immigration at this time, which is quite typical of this species.

The last Durham record was from Maggie Calton on the 15th October and the last specimen of the season was recorded in Northumberland by Simon Jenkins on Lindisfarne on the 21st October.

Painted Lady 2016 100

80

60

40 Daily totalDaily 20

0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Date

29 Peacock Aglais io

2016: Just over half the number of Peacock butterflies were recorded during 2016 in comparison with the previous year. As with the Red Admiral – a bit of a shock!, 2180 individual butterflies were counted with 939 records being received. In 2015, the count was 4621. The flight period for 2016 was 249 days and insects were seen on 137 of those days, just 55% of the time available. The first insect was reported by P. Johnson at Newton Hall on 13th March and the last was seen by Rebecca Cassie at Hauxley Nature Reserve on 16th November.

A total of 517 were of individual insect recorded with 35 records being in double figures. August was the best month to see the Peacock. 966 individuals were recorded during the month, these include 48 insects at Slaley Hall, seen by Michael Holmes on 29th August and 37 at Cragside, reported by Graham Beckwith on 30th August. However, 283 butterflies were recorded in April and 455 in May, earlier than usual. Only 68 Peacocks were seen during the whole of June and July. Sometimes there is a late flurry but only 17 insects were recorded during October and November. Michael Holmes undoubtedly recorded the highest number in and around Slaley with a total of 461 individuals. However, Michael Hutcheson found 44 at Berwick. As is usually the case, the Tyne Valley and Tyne and Wear recorded the highest number of sightings, with County Durham close behind. Northumberland managed a fairly creditable 361 butterflies. It is difficult to establish why there has been such a decline in numbers. Weather conditions obviously play a part but cannot account for such a drop in the figures.

Peacock 2016 180 160 140 120 100 80

Dailytotal 60 40 20 0 Jul Apr Jun Oct Nov Mar Aug Sep May Date

30 Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae

2016: A disappointing total of 1066 records were received of 2334 butterflies which is an astonishing 1176 records less than last year and 4400 fewer butterflies. The first Small Tortoiseshell seen in 2016 was by Louise Hislop on 13th January at Wylam and the last recorded was seen by Mike Taylor and Dave Stebbings at Prudhoe on the 30th October.

The highest individual counts in the first flight period were of 51 by Gemma Vance on 20th April at Murton Fields and 27 there on 16th May. Roslyn Tanner counted 22 on 6th May on the fields at Brierdene Farm, near Whitley Bay. For the later summer flight period, the only notable counts were 40 by Joe Dobinson near Little Benton Farm, Newcastle on 26th July, 30 on 6th August by John Almond at Simonburn and 27 at Fenwick old pit by Roger Norman on 27th July.

In 2016 of the 156 days in flight, only 49 days were in double figures compared with 91 in 2015 when on 17 days over 100 were recorded. The highest joint total recorded in any one day was 130 on 20th April compared with 208 on 6th April 2015.

Small Tortoiseshells were only recorded on 167 days being 57% of the 292 days flight period. After 2015 being by far the most successful year for the Small Tortoiseshell in our area for over ten years, 2016 has been very poor.

Fluctuating individual numbers for the last ten years are 2007 – 2451, 2008 – 1886, 2009 – 3509, 2010 – 4357, 2011 – 3746 , 2012 – 2478, 2013 – 4633, 2014 - 4445, 2015 - 6734 and now 2016 – 2334. This shows 2016 to be the worst year recorded for Small Tortoiseshells in our region for ten years.

Small Tortoiseshell 2016 140 120 100 80 60

Daily total Daily 40 20 0 Jul Jan Apr Jun Oct Mar Feb Aug Sep May Date

31

Camberwell Beauty Nymphalis antiopa

2016: There were no records of this dramatic vagrant from the east in 2013.

Comma Polygonia c-album

2016: The first Comma of the season was seen on 13th March by Keith Smith at West Allotment. This was earlier that 2015 by just nine days. The last one, on 16th November was spotted at Washington Wetland Trust by Mike Hunter. The flight period was reduced by twenty-two days, however the butterfly only flew during 37% of the total flight time, ninety-one days from a total of two hundred and forty-nine possible days.

The Comma did not fare well in 2016. Three hundred and eleven Commas were recorded during the season, one hundred and seventy-eight of those were single insect sightings. Only once, on 29th August, was the butterfly seen in double figures. Alan Edwards counted eleven at Castle Eden Dene NNR. This is disastrous in comparison to 2015, when seven hundred and seventy-four individual butterflies were recorded. The count for 2016 is considerably less than half the previous years’ total. Once again, August was the best month to see a Comma, when one hundred and thirty- three individuals were recorded, almost half of the total sightings. As in previous years, most sightings were in the southern parts of the region. Only seventeen records came from north of Morpeth, although two of these were from the Berwick region. Tyne and Wear along with the Tyne Valley westward had most of the sightings, although County Durham was also well represented.

Comma 2016 25

20

15

10 Dailytotal

5

0 Jul Apr Jun Oct Nov Mar Aug Sep May Date

32 Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas

2016: The first report of the year came from Whitley Bay (North Tyneside), where Gemma Vance found one on 5th May. This was followed by singles at Paradise SNCI, Scotswood (Newcastle upon Tyne) on 8th May (Jonathan Wallace) and Beanley Moor (Northumberland) on 14th (Alnwick Wildlife Group). First dates in 2015 were 1st May (Co. Durham) and 15th May (Northumberland), while in 2014 the first were on 8th April (Co Durham) and 13th May (Northumberland).

Apart from eight at Wingate Quarry on 16th May (Keith Walton), reports consisted of one to five individuals at a patchy variety of sites until mid-July. Only three double-figure counts were recorded in 2016, the largest being 15 at Wylam on 15th August (Keith Smith). This was a productive day with a collective total of 27 from five localities. However 35 at eight sites on 27th was the maximum for the year, and was better than 2015 (a peak day total of 25 butterflies) and 2014 (28). August was the most productive month, with a steady decline thereafter until the last in North Tyneside (Brierdene) on 18th September. In Co Durham there were six more records with the last two being one found by Bob Mawson at Raisby Way on 23rd September and the final one also a single at Wynyard Woodland Park on 8th October (Jeff Fowler).

A total of 317 individuals in 2016 was poor in comparison to 2015 (525) and 2014 (427). An average of 1.8 butterflies per report (176) in 2016 was also lower than in 2015 (2.4) and 2014 (1.9). A flight season of 157 days was very similar to 2015 (156 days), and the butterfly was recorded on a total of 74 days during this period (47%), compared with 52% in 2015 and 181 days (47%) in 2014. Unlike in 2015 there were no reports of pupae or larvae in the current year.

Small Copper 2016 40 35 30 25 20 15 Dailytotal 10 5 0 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Date

33 Purple Hairstreak Favonius quercus

2016: This was an average year with 17 records comprising 43 individuals, somewhat down on 2015 when there were 24 records covering 63 individuals. There were only records from 14 tetrads. Apart from a population in west central Scotland, we are effectively at the northern limit of its range in north-east England so Purple Hairstreak will be one of our more exciting species to find. The most northerly record to date remains one seen in the Alnwick Garden in 2011. The distribution of records for the year was generally as expected with no noticeable expansion or reduction of range reported.

The first record of the year was by a single by Keith Walton at Winnowshill, near Blanchland on 7th July. The next record was not till quite late on 27th July by Mark Johnstone at Longhorsley, and is our third most northerly record ever. Numbers peaked on 16th August with three observers recording a total of 17 butterflies, notably Graham Beckwith with 12 at Aykley Wood, Durham. The last records of the year were a single by Ian Waller at Castle Eden Walkway, Wynyard Village and two by Julie Hogg at Hoppers Wood, Aykley Heads, both on 29th August.

The flight period was 54 days and the butterfly was recorded on 16 of them, (30%). The butterfly is best spotted and most active during courtship flights on sunny evenings and can be high up in or above the canopy of oaks.

Purple Hairstreak 2016 18 16 14 12 10 8

Daily total Daily 6 4 2 0 Jul Aug Date

34 Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi

2016: 43 reports from 15 observers were received. In total 233 individual butterflies were recorded on 15 days between 20th April and 5th June.

2016 saw a recovery in numbers of Green Hairstreaks after a poor year in 2015 with the majority of records coming from the region’s best known sites: 94 sightings at Dipton Woods and 104 at Muggleswick.

The first record of the year was 8 individuals seen by Keith Smith in Dipton Woods on 20th April. Green Hairstreaks were then seen flying in Dipton woods throughout May. Keith Smith reported seeing 26 on 9th May, Keith Barlow 15 on 15th May and Jonathan Wallace 16 on 29th May, including a mating pair. Keith Walton reported that he had seen high numbers of Green Hairstreaks flying in the Muggleswick area between 9th and 15th May the highest record being 41 flying at Strawberry Hill/Cuddy’s Stables (NZ0348) in three distinct colonies on the 12th.

In other areas of the Northeast Graham Beckwith recorded 3 at Rothbury on 8th May, Julie Hogg saw 1 near the top car park on Hedleyhope Fell on 9th May, Dave Stebbings reported 3 on Holystone Common at

Rothbury and 5 on Harbottle Common on 12th May. In the south of the region Peter Webb recorded 2 at Sharnberry Gill near Hamsterley Forest on 5th May and 5 at West Plantation Bowes on 12th May. The last record of the year was an individual seen by Duncan Hutt at Colt Crag Reservoir on 5th June.

Green Hairstreak remains an under-recorded species which is great pity for such a charming spring butterfly. In the northeast the butterfly is usually found in moorland areas often in reasonably remote but sheltered locations where Bilberry is present. Like all Hairstreaks it can be easily overlooked, partly because of the early flight period but also because even on sunny days territorial male butterflies are often resting on favoured perches and need disturbing before they will fly.

Green Hairstreak 2016 100

80

60

40 Daily total

20

0 Apr May Jun Date

35 White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album

2016: White-letter Hairstreak reaches the northern extent of its range in our region, giving us the most northerly record for the UK, at NU0600. This was of ova found on 14th June 2007. In 2016, there were 21 records of adults in 13 tetrads and one record of larvae. The number of individuals seen came to a very modest total of 48. These figures are similar to those for 2015 when 19 records were submitted of 41 individuals.

The first four records of adults for the year were all by Ian Waller, starting with singles at Raisby Way (off the transect), on 14th and 16th July followed by four seen at Coatham Stob on 17th. The peak of the season appeared to be the next day when a total of 14 individuals were reported, the maximum count being 8 by Mike and Denise Hunter at Longnewton and Elton, both sites being in the far south of Co. Durham. The last four records of the season were all by Ian Waller, culminating with 3 at Castle Eden Walkway, Wynyard Village on 29th August. This is the latest record for the region, by one day!

The butterfly was seen on 13 days out of a flight period of 47 days, (28%).

Jonathan Wallace is to be congratulated for finding the only larvae in the region for the year when he located 5 at Crowden Hill Plantation near Pegswood on 31st May. Note: The printed version of this report erroneously referred to this record as ova.

With the discovery in 2017 of an individual on the Scottish side of the River Tweed near Paxton House, observers should keep a look-out for this species in north Northumberland where it may well be present but as yet undiscovered.

ERRATUM. In the report for 2013, the distribution map for White-letter Hairstreak was inadvertently replaced by that for Green Hairstreak! Please refer to the 2014 report for a more accurate representation of the distribution.

White-letter Hairstreak 2016 18 16 14 12 10 8

Dailytotal 6 4 2 0 Jul Aug Date

36 Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus

2016: Another disappointing year for Holly Blues in our region with only 45 records received of 63 butterflies compared with 87 records of 101 butterflies last year compared with 26 records of 45 butterflies in 2014. Overall numbers have increased in our region in recent years since only one individual was recorded in 2001, three in 2002, increasing to 284 individuals in 2007 then crashing to only 7 recorded in 2009 with numbers slowly increasing with 162 recorded in 2012.

Of these 2016 records 27 were single specimens, 3 were two’s, 3 were threes then only one higher count of four and one of five. This highest individual count was by Mike Coates on 9th May in Northumberland Park, North Shields.

Of the 51 recorded, 6 were south of the Tyne (all singles), 17 in Newcastle area, 27 in North Tyneside and 1 at Wylam being the most westerly. The furthest north was at Holywell Dene, just north of Whitley Bay.

The first Holly Blue seen in 2016 was by Mike and Denise Hunter on 19th April at Middleton St George and the last recorded was seen by Julie Hogg at South Shields on 10th September.

The first brood was seen on the wing from 19th April until 1st June with 31 individuals recorded. Then there were almost ten weeks without records, (twice the period last year) till the second brood was recorded for only five weeks from 7th August until 10th September with a count of 32 individuals.

Holly Blues were recorded on only 32 days out of a flight period of 145 days, (22%) compared with 43 days in 2015.

They were only seen in a disappointing 19 Tetrads in 2016 compared with 31 in 2012 before these last poor years. The total number of tetrads that they have now been recorded in stands at 144, with four new tetrads this year.

Holly Blue 2016 7 6 5 4 3

Daily total 2 1 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Date

37 Brown Argus Aricia agestis

2016: As in recent years there have been only a few sightings of this butterfly in the south of the region. There has been speculation about climate change allowing the Brown Argus to increase its range northwards which would result in more sightings here. However, there seems to be no sign of this happening yet. There were three records submitted of adult Brown Argus, two of which were single butterflies and the other of four individuals. The first was from Ian Waller who saw one on the Wynyard Estate on 16th August. The second from Graham Beckwith who saw four at Wingate Quarry on 6th September. The last was from Steve Le Fleming with a single at Bishop Middleham Quarry on 13th September. All the records are from late summer which must be second generation individuals, with no records from any early summer generation.

As in previous years, records of Brown Argus at known Northern Brown Argus sites during the flight period of Northern Brown Argus must be supported by documentation, preferably photographs.

Northern Brown Argus Aricia artaxerxes

2016: A total of 940 Northern Brown Argus adults was posted for 2016 which is the highest ever. Despite almost half the total deriving from a survey of the usually-unrecorded coastal sites, undertaken by National Trust staff, the residue of 480 from inland sites was still extremely encouraging compared to most years. The National Trust survey also identified several spots on the coast from where there are no previous records.

Ian Waller bagged the year’s first sightings with a pair at Bishop Middleham Quarry on June 4th. Two very good counts the year’s highest - of 65 and 64 were made by Keith Walton at this site on June 26th and 27th respectively. Counts of over 20 were made by Val Standen from her Thrislington NNR transect on several occasions while National Trust staff recorded similar counts from several coastal locations.

There was a glut of late records that concluded the flight season. Given the dates, it is likely that some of these were Brown Argus but even with photographic evidence the distinction is not always an easy one to make. If anyone has a contact within the genetics department of a local university,

feel free to put them in touch!

National Trust staff recorded a number of butterflies at various coastal sites on August 7th. The date of these is unexceptional as the species’ flight period on the coast is normally c. 3 weeks later on the coast than it is inland. The same does not apply to Richard Hockin’s count of three, made at Littlewood LNR on August 24th and even John Olley’s count of two from Crimdon can be considered unusually late, even for a coastal site. The latest record came from Richard, again from Littlewood on September 7th. Three butterflies were seen on this occasion and, given the date were far more likely to be second generation Brown Argus than they were its close relative.

38 Targeted surveys of the Northern Brown Argus are set to continue in 2018. Should you wish to be involved, please contact Dave Wainwright who will provide maps showing where to look and instructions of how and what to record.

Northern Brown Argus 2016 180 160 140 120 100 80

Daily total Daily 60 40 20 0 Jun Jul Aug Sep Date

Grayling, Michael Coates

39 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

2016: There were 521 reports in 2016 with 3708 individuals recorded between 8th May and 5th October. Although there were fewer reports this year the total of individuals recorded remained about the same. The first record of 2016 had come from Mike Taylor at Throckley Bank Top when he reported a single Common Blue on the 8th May. This was followed by Pippa Smaling with one at The Whinnies on 10th. The first Common Blue flying at Wingate Quarry was seen by Graham Beckwith on 24th May. The quarry was a popular site for Common Blue during the year with 896 recorded which is a high percentage of the season’s total. John Olley recorded 28 individuals on 22nd June and 39 on 13th July and Keith Walton reported having seen 89 flying flying at Wingate Quarry on 6th July. Other notable appearances were 48 recorded by Keith Smith at Cambois Dunes on 1st August, 50 at Fulthorpe Quarry on 16th August recorded by Ian Waller and the highest total of the year 140 at Crimdon Dunes recorded by John Olley on 24th August. Although in recent years there have been fewer recorded in coastal sites it will be interesting to see if numbers are reverting to the 100 or more seen flying prior to 2012

The last Northumberland record of the year was an individual recorded by Mike Coates at Fenwick Pit, East Holywell on 27th September. In Durham, Bob Mawson recorded one at Raisby Way on 5th October. The butterfly was recorded flying on 107 days out of a flight period of 151 days (71%). Both nationally and regionally Common Blue is the UK’s most common blue butterfly. In the Northeast it is most abundant on the coastal dunes and the Magnesian Limestone grassland of County Durham but is equally at home on brownfield sites where Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil is growing.

Common Blue 2016

250

200

150

100 Daily total 50

0 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Date

40

Marbled White, Graham Beckwith

Holly Blue, Michael Coates

Acknowledgements We would like to thank our species writers for assisting in the preparation of the annual report: Jaci Beaven, (Red Admiral, Peacock & Comma), Mike Coates, (Holly Blue & Small Tortoiseshell), Graeme Bowman, (Small Skipper & Small Copper), Michael Harris, (Ringlet & Large Heath), Roger Norman, (Essex Skipper, Brimstone, Marbled White, Purple Hairstreak & White-letter Hairstreak), Barry Robinson, (Painted Lady & Speckled Wood), Dave Stebbings, (Large Skipper, Brown Argus, Small White, Small Pearl- bordered Fritillary, Small Heath, Wall, Green-veined White & Meadow Brown), Dave Wainwright, (Dingy Skipper, Northern Brown Argus & Grayling), Jonathan Wallace, (Large White, Orange Tip & Dark Green Fritillary), and Peter Webb, (Green Hairstreak & Common Blue). We are looking for more volunteers, to write up one or perhaps two species for 2017. We are also always looking to receive more photographs for inclusion in the report, (as JPEG files please). Please contact the Recorders.

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CONTRIBUTORS FOR 2016

A Abbs, J.M. Almond, M Anderson, C Ashby, A Atkinson, K Atkinson, S Austin, R Baldasera, S Ball, L Ballantyne, C Barlow, J Beaven, G Beckwith, S Bell, P Billinghurst, M Birtle, D Blair, S Block, I Bond, P Bone, D Boorman, M Borroff, G Bowman, T Bradley, J Bright, S. Brooks, S. Brown, R Browning, B Burlton, R Butterfield, M Calton, P Campion, V. Carnell, S. Carter, M Carr, R Cassie, H Cessford, D Charlton, S Chinnery, D Chrisp, P Chrisp, J Clark, N Clark, E Clowes, R Clucas, M N Coates, M Conlong, J Corcoran, V Coy, S Cowley, A. Craggs, M Cubitt, V Cunningham, H Dalrymple, H Davies, M Davies, A Davis, M Davy, I Dawson, K Dawson, M Dinning, J Dobinson, A Dolman, C Duncan, G Dunn, J Durham, A Edwards, M Elder, H Ellis, B & M Etherington, J Everett, J Farooqi, G Fieldhouse, I H Findlay, S le Fleming, D Foster, S Foster, J Fowler, T Fox, J Friesner, M Gallimore, M. Gallon, P Garbutt, S & S Gator, L Gilhespy, S Goodhart, J Gowland, I & T Gray, J & A Gray, I Grigor, G Gunn, S Guy, J Halliday, I Hancock, S Hanson, M & R Hardie, K Hargreave, B Harle, R Harrington, M Harris, M Harvey, R Haydon, D Henderson, M Henry, N Heptinstall, S Hepworth, I Hillery, D Hind, L Hislop, R Hockin, L.C. Hodgson, S Hodgson, B Hogg, J Hogg, S Holliday, M Holmes, D & M Hunter, A & M Hutcheson, K Hutchinson, S Hutchinson, D & S Hutt, T Ivison, S Jenkins, B Johnson, P Johnson, , A Jones, C Jones, J Jones, P Jordan, I Kenyon, R Kenyon, I Kerr, S Kirtley, D Lacey, J Lancaster, J Lawson, M Leakey, D Liddle, F Lightfoot, A Linden, K Linden, Clare Lindsay, J Littlewood, G Lonsdale, N Lofthouse, M Lloyd, M Maclauchlan, B & R Mason, J & R Mawson J Mayes, M Mayfield, H McDonald, D McKeown, P McNamara, J Meldrum, A Middleton, G Milward, G Mitchell, A Morton, C Newman, D Nicol, C Niven, K & R Norman, D O’Brien, J Okoro, J Olley, R Pannell, M Partridge, S Passey, J Pauline, T Pawson, H Peters, A Pickering, S Proud, J Playle, C Powell, S Price, A Quigley, J Rae, K Ramm, C Rawcliffe, K Redgrave, D Reid, S Reid, T Richardson, T Roberts, V Robins, B.A. Robinson, J.A. Robinson, S Rogers, T Rogers, N Rossiter L Rowell, E Salt, I Schofield, J Scott, T Sexton, P Sheard, E Shilland, K Simpson, R Singleton, G Simpson, P Smaling, K Smith, K Smith, D Spring, V Standen, D Stebbings, J Stewart, L Stobbs, S. Straughan, J Swales, P Tankard, R Tanner, M Taylor, L Tedstone, I Thomas, D Thompson, I Thompson, A Thornbury, A Todd, C Tomlinson, S Towers, M & N Tuck, D. Turnbull, E Turnbull, M Tutin, J Vallas, G Vance, D Wainwright, J Wallace, I Waller, A Walsby, K Walton, F Warnell, E Waterston, G Watson, M Watson, P Webb, L Webb, J Wilkins, M Wilkinson, B Wilson, J Wilson, P Wilkinson, P Woods, R Woods, D Woollard, A Wrightson, J Wrigley, T Wrigley, A Yeodal, A & G Young, Alnwick Wildlife Group, Berwick Wildlife Group, Natural England, The National Trust, with apologies for any accidental omissions.

Both ‘casual’ records and transect counts are important for assessing the health of our butterfly populations. We would like to thank the following transect walkers: Recorder Transect Elizabeth Clowes, Jan Durham ...... Billingham Beck Country Park Steve Le Fleming ...... , Bishop Middleham Quarry Leslie Hodgson, Dave Liddle, John Wilson Black Plantation Stephen Hutchinson, Coralie Niven .... Brass Castle Dave Liddle ...... Burn Hill, and Byerley House Alan Edwards ...... Castle Eden Dene NNR – West end Ian Schofield, Coralie Niven ...... Cater House Colliery Berwick Wildlife Group* ...... Cocklawburn Dunes Malcolm Birtle ...... Cowpen Bewley 2 (Woodland Park) Julia Meldrum, Chris Tomlinson ...... Crowden Hill Plantation Dave Liddle ...... Dolly’s Wood Marion Gallon, ...... Dunstan Heughs Helen McDonald, Frances Warnell ...... Gibside (National Trust) Andy Atkinson, James Litttlewood, Paul Tankard Gosforth Park Gordon Simpson ...... Hamsterley Forest (Euden Beck) Dave Stebbings ...... Havannah LNR Dave Wainwright ...... Hedleyhope Fell, and Inkerman Dave Liddle ...... Horsleyhope Burn Molly Hardie, Enid Turnbull ...... Hunting Hall Farm Chris Powell ………………………… .... Lanehead Quarry Tim Wrigley, John Halliday, Clare Lindsay Liddels Wood A. Craggs, Mhairi Maclauchlan,(Natural England) Lindisfarne NNR Tom Ivison, John Olley ...... Littlewood LNR David Lacey, Coralie Niven, Les Stobbs, Low Newton Junction Melvyn Conlong, Dave Liddle, John Wilson, Morrison Busty Pit Yard Gemma Vance ...... Murton Fields Dave Liddle ...... Nanny Mayors Kevin Redgrave (National Trust) ...... Newton Links Jane Lancaster (National Trust) ...... Newton Point Mike Leakey ...... North Gare, Teesmouth NNR 42 Ian Waller ...... Raisby Hill Grassland Adam Jones, Daniel Woollard, Ian Thompson RSPB Saltholme Graham Lonsdale, Graham Mitchell, Coralie Niven Sherburn Railway Jill Stewart…………………………… .... Stargate Ponds & Bewes Hill John Lawson, Gwynn Dunn ...... Stillington Forest Park Steve Reid ...... ………… Tanfield Lea Marsh Simon Hodgson ...... Tees Railway Walk Pippa Smaling ...... The Whinnies LNR, (near Darlington) Valerie Standen ...... Thrislington Berwick Wildlife Group** ...... Tommy-the-Miller’s Field, Berwick Ian H. Findlay ...... Upper Teesdale NNR Alan Davis, Paul Tankard ...... Weetslade Country Park Pippa Smaling ...... West Park, Darlington John Olley ...... Wingate Quarry Jeff Fowler ...... Wynyard Woodland Park - Pickards Meadow

* Pam Campion, Molly & Robert Hardie, Ian &Trudy Gray, Andrew Morton. **Stephen Block, John Rae, Enid Turnbull.

We would like to thank Kevin Redgrave for sending in transect counts from the National Trust for the Northumberland coast and to the following for the photographs and illustrations used in this report. Front Cover Speckled Wood Terry Coult Page 4 Speckled Wood Graham Beckwith Page 4 Painted Lady Jonathan Wallace Page 6 Dingy Skipper Jonathan Wallace Page 9 Small Skipper Jonathan Wallace Page 16 Wall Graham Beckwith Page 39 Grayling Michael Coates Page 41 Marbled White Graham Beckwith Page 41 Holly Blue Michael Coates

We always need new photos. The Branch would also welcome any feedback or suggestions to improve future editions of the Annual Report. Please send us photographs, line drawings, suggestions and articles for both the newsletters and annual reports. They are always welcome, we now print in colour, although with some data compression.

Accepting Records With the increasing number of butterfly records now being submitted, and with it the increasing chances of finding locally rare species, a reminder that photographs and descriptions in support of Brimstone, Brown Argus, Camberwell Beauty, Essex Skipper, Gatekeeper, and any other more unusual butterfly are essential. In the absence of any photographs, a detailed description for rare species should be submitted. A brief description should also accompany any out of place records, such as a species seen outside its normal flight period, e.g. a Small Skipper seen in the first week of June or earlier, or a species seen well outside its currently known range, for example Northern Brown Argus in Northumberland. The Records Committee may look at any record, particularly for rarer species or species seen at unusual times or places or in unusual numbers. The Committee will assess such records and may decline to accept them. Feedback When processing and analysing almost fifteen thousand records, plus comparisons to previous years, it is almost inevitable some mistakes will slip through. If anyone does notice any errors please inform your Butterfly Recorders.

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FLIGHT PERIOD TABLE This table relates to both Durham and Northumberland, and records the first and last flying record of each species for the three-year period 2014 to 2016. Insects found in undisturbed hibernation or in the larval stage have been excluded. For ease of reference, any record early / late sightings during the BNM project period 1995 – 2016 are included in the last two columns. Two earliest and four latest record dates, (shown in bold) were beaten or equalled in 2016. One or two dates may differ from previous tables due to additional records or reappraisal. FLIGHT PERIOD TABLE Record Record 2014 2015 2016 earliest latest Dingy Skipper 3 May 25 Jul 23 Apr 16 Jul 8 May 16 Jul 18-Apr-03 22-Aug-09 Small Skipper 8 Jun 30 Sep 12 Jun 25 Sep 9 Jun 10 Sep 29-May-11 10-Oct-01 Essex Skipper 27 Jul 8 Aug 23 Jul 16 Aug 23 Jul 16 Aug Large Skipper 31 May 9 Aug 3 Jun 27 Aug 5 Jun 23 Aug 19-May-07/11 11-Sep-12 Orange-tip 15 Apr 25 Jul 8 Apr 20 Jul 17 Apr 7 Aug 5-Mar-11 10-Sep-06 Large White 14 Apr 7 Oct 16 Apr 10 Oct 7 Apr 15 Oct 8-Mar-11 27-Dec-13 Small White 6 Apr 12 Oct 2 Apr 20 Oct 25 Mar 19 Oct 3-Mar-99 1-Nov-11 Green-veined White 10 Apr 1 Oct 5 Apr 1 Oct 17 Apr 8 Oct 8-Mar-11 28-Oct-11 Clouded Yellow 8 Jun 22 Aug 6 Oct 6 Oct 23-May-06 15-Oct-00 Brimstone 26 May 26 Sep 2 Apr 18 Oct 19 Apr 13 Sep 5-Apr-07 28-Sep-11 Wall 16 Apr 27 Sep 1 May 1 Oct 11 May 25 Sep 4-Apr-07 12-Nov-11 Speckled Wood 23 Jan 1 Nov 6 Apr 17 Nov 8 Apr 11 Nov 5-Mar-11 12-Nov-13 Large Heath 18 Jun 17 Jul 3 Jul 6 Jul 14 Jul 1 Aug 4-Jun-96 14-Aug-96/12 Small Heath 23 Apr 9 Oct 14 May 15 Oct 20 May 22 Sep 22-Apr-11 28-Oct-11 Ringlet 6 Jun 25 Aug 10 Jun 6 Sep 20 Jun 4 Sep 14-May-12 2-Oct-01 Meadow Brown 3 Jun 30 Sep 28 May 2 Oct 20 May 6 Oct 4-Apr-99 14-Oct-95 Gatekeeper 14-Jul-06 2-Sep-10 Marbled White 30 Jun 12 Sep 29 Jun 27 Aug 3 Jul 18 Aug 22-Jun-11 26-Aug-08 Grayling 8 Jul 5 Aug 1 Jul 24 Aug 3 Jul 26 Aug 18-Jun-11 11-Sep-05 Small Pearl-bordered Frit. 6 Jun 29 Jul 7 Jun 24 Jul 6-Jun 23 Jul 15-May-11 21-Aug-07 Dark Green Fritillary 17 Jun 31 Aug 16 Jun 27 Sep 17 May 13 Sep 17-May-16 13-Sep-16 Red Admiral 12 Feb 3 Nov 2 Apr 25 Nov 8 Feb 30 Nov 23-Jan-06 28-Dec-07 Painted Lady 15 Apr 12 Oct 15 Apr 1 Nov 18 Apr 21 Oct 27-Mar-11 7-Nov-03 Peacock 25 Feb 4 Dec 4 Jan 16 Dec 13 Mar 16 Nov 8-Jan-96 23-Dec-05 Small Tortoiseshell 4 Feb 3 Nov 19 Juan 10 Dec 13 Jan 30 Oct 1-Jan-05 27-Dec-05 Camberwell Beauty 6-Jul-06 10-Sep-06 Comma 11 Mar 1 Nov 22 Mar 17 Dec 13 Mar 16 Nov 3-Feb-07 18-Nov-08 Small Copper 8 Apr 5 Oct 1 May 4 Oct 5 May 8 Oct 26-Mar-12 30-Oct-13 Purple Hairstreak 9 Jul 31 Aug 14 Jul 22 Aug 7 Jul 29 Aug 4-Jul-11 12-Sep-05 Green Hairstreak 27 Apr 11 Jun 19 Apr 16 Jun 20 Apr 5 Jun 29-Mar-12 27-Jul-98/08 White-letter Hairstreak 3 Jul 4 Aug 7 Jul 26 Aug 14 Jul 29 Aug 15-Jun-11 29 Aug 16 Holly Blue 24 Apr 4 Sep 21 Apr 16 Sep 19 Apr 10 Sep 26-Mar-12 21-Oct-06 Brown Argus 31 May 31 May 30 Jun 4 Sep 16 Aug 13 Sep 23-Apr-11 21-Oct-12 Northern Brown Argus 11 Jun 2 Sep 26 May 12 Aug 4 Jun 7 Sep 19-May-11 7-Sep-16 Common Blue 20 May 3 Oct 23 Apr 17 Oct 8 May 27 Sep 15-Apr-11 26-Oct-08 New earliest and latest dates in 2016 are shown in bold print. Other species: High Brown Fritillary – 30-July-2006, Long-tailed Blue – 12 / 13-March 2009 and 23-July 2013 44

TETRAD OCCUPANCY IN NORTHEAST ENGLAND - COMPARISONS FOR THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM PROJECT (PHASES 2, 3 & 4) Tetrads over the period Tetrads in Tetrads in Tetrads in Tetrads in 2000 – 2016 2013 (% of all 2014 (% of all 2015 (% of all 2016 (% of all Species (% of all 526 recorded 579 recorded 664 recorded 709 recorded 1888 recorded tetrads) tetrads) tetrads) tetrads) tetrads)

285 (54%) 336 (58%) 340 (51%) 381 (54%) Green-veined White 1387 (73%) 274 (52%) 300 (52%) 347 (52%) 269 (38%) Small Tortoiseshell 1257 (67%) 236 (45%) 304 (52%) 289 (43%) 270 (38%) Peacock 1235 (65%) 232 (44%) 220 (38%) 271 (41%) 243 (34%) Meadow Brown 1103 (58%) 124 (24%) 520(43%) 248 (37%) 231 (33%) Red Admiral 1101 (58%) 243 (46%) 190 (33%) 204 (31%) 279 (39%) Large White 1036 (55%) 262 (50%) 226 (50%) 200 (31%) 227 (32%) Small White 968 (51%) 154 (29%) 175 (30%) 190 (29%) 190 (27%) Orange-tip 956 (51%) 197 (37%) 212 (37%) 243 (37%) 250 (35%) Ringlet 946 (50%) 78 (15%) 79 (14%) 123 (19%) 218 (31%) Painted Lady 858 (45%) 100 (19%) 122 (215) 145 (22%) 117 (17%) Small Heath 689 (36%) 174 (33%) 144 (25%) 111(17%) 113 (16%) Wall 666 (35%) 134 (27%) 123 (21%) 190 (29%) 154 (22%) Small Skipper 647 (34%) 117 (22%) 109 (19%) 142(21%) 128 (18%) Common Blue 625 (33%) 117 (22%) 135 (23%) 139 (21%) 107 (15%) Comma 619 (33%) 116 (22%) 87 (15%) 87 (13%) 88 (12%) Small Copper 601 (32%) 195 (37%) 245 (42%) 246 (37%) 261 (37%) Speckled Wood 573 (30%) 81 (15% 95 (16%) 106 (16%) 102 (14%) Large Skipper 464 (25%) 46 (9%) 43 (7%) 43 (6%) 77 (11%) Dingy Skipper 202 (11%) 21 (4%) 20 (4%) 51 (8%) 24 (3%) Dark Green Fritillary 145 (8%) 14 (3%) 19 (3%) 27 (4%) 19 (3%) Holly Blue 144 (8%) 12 (2%) 16 (3%) 11 (2%) 13 (2%) White-letter Hairstreak 117 (6%) 13 (2%) 15 (3%) 16 (2%) 14 (2%) Purple Hairstreak 100 (5%) 3 (0.6%) 6 (1%) 2 (0.3%) 5 (0.7%) Large Heath 97 (5%) 6 (1%) 12 (3%) 10 (2%) 13 (2%) Green Hairstreak 86 (5%) - 5 (1%) 1(0.1%) - Clouded Yellow 85 (5%) 13 (2%) 15 (3%) 28 (4%) 19 (3%) Small Pearl-bord. Frit. 82 (4%) 12 (2%) 8 (1%) 15 (2%) 10 (1%) Grayling 57 (3%) 2 (0.4%) 6 (1%) 6 (1%) 6 (0.8%) Brimstone 47 (2%) 10 (2%) 7 (1%) 11 (2%) 16 (2%) Northern Brown Argus 35 (2%) - - 15 (2%) 10 (1%) Essex Skipper 17 (1%) - 1 (0.2%) 3 (0.4%) 3 (0.4%) Brown Argus 13 (0.7%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 3 (0.4%) 2 (0.1%) Marbled White 13 (0.7%) - - - - Gatekeeper 8 (0.4%) - - - - Camberwell Beauty 7 (0.4%) Tetrads 1888 31 32 33 32 Species

Occupancy figures for the previous 5-year periods, (1995-1999, 2000-2004, 2005-2009) are given in previous reports. Other species: High Brown Fritillary - 1 tetrad in 2006, Long-tailed Blue - 1 tetrad in 2009 and 1 tetrad in 2013.

45 SUBMITTING MOTH RECORDS IN 2018

Over 1200 species of moth have been recorded in our region, some common and widespread, others represented by very few, or in some cases, only a single record. Submitting records of moths helps to improve our understanding of the distribution and abundance of these fascinating insects and to enable potential problems they may be experiencing to be detected. Separate databases are maintained for Durham and Northumberland and records should be submitted to the appropriate recorder depending on where they are made.

In all cases the following information should be recorded:

Species Please indicate scientific and (where there is one) common names. name: Location: Where the moth was recorded. Grid Ideally a six-figure grid reference for the location. reference: Vice County: 66 for Durham, 67 for South Northumberland and 68 for North Northumberland. Date : For light trapping records the convention is that the date should be that of the evening when the trap is set rather than the morning when it is emptied. Recorder: Name of the person who caught/observed the moth(s). Determiner: The name of the person who identified the moth(s) (if different to the recorder). Life cycle i.e. adult, pupa, caterpillar or egg. stage: Quantity: The number of each species recorded. Method: Type of trap, field record, or how the moth was caught.

Durham (Vice County 66)

Records should be submitted to either of the joint moth recorders for Durham:

Keith Dover Tim Barker 4 Lindisfarne Avenue 26 Farrier Close Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham Pity Me, Durham, DH1 5XY e-mail: k.dover879@btinternet .com e-mail: [email protected] A spreadsheet for the submission of moth records for County Durham can be downloaded from www.northeast-butterflies.org.uk/recording

Northumberland (Vice County 67 and Vice County 68)

Records should be submitted to Tom Tams, the moth recorder for Northumberland, 191 Links Road, Tynemouth, Northumberland. Tel: 0191 272 8499 e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Full details for submitting records in Northumberland, including a downloadable spreadsheet are given at www.northumberlandmoths.org.uk.

Validation It is important that records are accurate and based on correct identifications and one of the responsibilities of the County Recorders is to scrutinise submitted records and check that this is the case. For any records of rare species, easily confused species or records of species that are outside their usual geographic range or flight period they may ask for supporting evidence to be supplied before the record is accepted. Suitable evidence may include good quality photographs, or sight of the actual specimen (moths can be kept captive for a day or two in a pot in a cool place

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SUBMITTING BUTTERFLY RECORDS IN 2018

Records are the bedrock of conservation and the North East Branch welcomes records of all species, for all dates and places, and of course for all forms.

As in previous years, there are two ways of sending your records in. For those without a home computer, the existing yellow paper casual record sheets will continue unchanged. However, if you have a PC, the Branch would strongly urge you to send in your records using a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel or equivalent. Each record should occupy one line and the format of the spreadsheet should look something like the following example:

A B C D E F G 1 Name/s of NZ274423 Palace Green, 22-Aug-2018 Large 7 recorder/s Durham City White 2 Name/s of NZ196858 Morpeth 24-Sep-2018 Peacock 2 Very worn recorder/s (riverside) 3 Name/s of NZ2514 Baydale Beck 1-Jul-2018 Comma 1 Hutchinsoni recorder/s Darlington form

Column A - Recorder/s names. Column B - Grid reference, which should be two letters, (NT, NU, NY or NZ), followed by four or six numbers. The first two (or three) numbers are the Easting, read from the top or bottom of OS maps, the last two, (or three) numbers represent the Northing, read from either side of the map. Column C - Site name. For obscure place names please include a nearby town or village. Column D - Date-please try to follow the format shown, (this is really important) Column E - The full name, not abbreviated, of the species seen. Column F- Please give the actual number seen if possible, we prefer not to use letters for abundance, (A,B,C,D,E). For larva (L), ova (O), pupa (P) or mating (M) records, please use the appropriate code letter, optionally adding numbers seen. Column G - For any comments you may wish to add. Optionally, you can add a habitat code to an extra column, (column H), if you wish.

A blank spreadsheet, with the date formatted, is available, if needed, from the recorders. Electronic records are most easily sent as an email attachment. However, you can also send them in by post on floppy disc, memory stick or CD. The deadline for records to be included, and credited, in the 2018 Annual Report is 30 November 2018. Irrespective of whether you live in Durham or Northumberland, please send your records to:

[email protected] They will be routed from this in-box to the relevant county recorder (Stephen Lowther for Durham and Michael Perkins for Northumberland).

Paper records: Roger Norman, I Prestwick Gardens Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3DN

To avoid records being lost on the internet, we will try to acknowledge all emails within 14 days. If you do not hear from us please telephone us.

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aaaaaa BRANCH COMMITTEE FOR 2018

Branch Treasurer Chairman & Membership Secretary Steve Kirtley Peter Webb Tel: 01325 460 198 Tel: 01833 650 772 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Butterfly Recorder (Northumberland) Butterfly Recorder (Durham) Michael Perkins Ian J Waller Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Conservation Officer (Northumberland) Moth Recorder (Durham) David Stebbings Keith Dover Tel: 0191 285 9097 Tel: 0191 388 9640 Email; [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Website Manager& Newsletter Editor Transect & Wider Countryside Butterfly Jonathan Wallace (WCBS) Co-ordinator Tel: 0191 274 4303 Brian Denham Email: [email protected] Tel: 01228 495 062 Email: [email protected]

Temporary Conservation Work Party Co-ordinator (Durham), Associate committee member Michael Harris Tel: 0191 522 0160 [email protected]

Committee Members Julie Lowther Email: stelow4@live co.uk Stephen Lowther Email: stelow4@live co.uk Helen McDonald Email: [email protected] Coralie Niven Email: [email protected] Roger Norman Tel: 0191 285 8314 Email: [email protected]

Branch website www.northeast-butterflies.org.uk

Butterfly Conservation: Regional Office (Northern England) Dr. D. Wainwright, Butterfly Conservation, Low Barns, Witton-le-Wear, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, DL14 0AG Tel: 01388 488 428 Email: [email protected]

Butterfly Conservation Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468) Registered office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268)

MMXVIII©

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