The recording year got off to a good start at my house when I was lucky enough to see a Brimstone butterfly on 29th March. It was a male - just passing through. 20 years after planting its foodplant (Alder Buckthorn) in the garden, I am yet to see a female locally! Maybe next year.

Because of the Foot and Mouth outbreak last year, the moorland fringe areas where our Green Hairstreaks occur were closed to the public. As a result of this no records at all were received last year for this species. I am somewhat relieved to report that they are still there! However only small numbers were reported in April and May around the White Coppice area. Did anyone see large numbers?

The Speckled Wood has been the big success story of the last few years. Most records have been late summer, with a few in May and June. This year they were seen as early as 17th April (Birkacre) and then at several other sites in May and June. Hopefully this will signal even greater numbers later in the summer.

Two members ran moth traps on National Moth Night (15th/16th June) without any really interesting finds. A Lime Hawk Moth at Euxton was the first at the site for a few years. I really should stir myself into running the trap more often. If any member would like to try some moth trapping at their home, please contact me and I could arrange the loan of a trap and help with identification.

My thanks to the members who completed the Garden Butterfly Survey forms, without which I would have struggled to produce even this short report. I entreat you all to fill in the forms (contact me if you want one) or to submit records in any other way. A couple of formerly regular contributors seem to have deserted me and information is getting as scarce as sunshine.