Glow Worms at Sherwood Forest 2016
Clipstone Old Quarter female Glow Worm data 2016
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Final update - July 25th

This year's Glow Worm season ended after the failure of Female 411 to appear on July 24th. Once again, we have had two clear peaks in Glow Worm numbers this season, with 44 females recorded on June 19th, then a second (main) peak of 92 females on July 4th and 94 females on July 6th.

 
2016 Glow Worm sightings (Clipstone Old Quarter only)
Our continuous coverage of the Clipstone Old Quarter colony is resuming again this year, but we have decided to only survey a smaller area than in previous years. Sightings and records away from Clipstone Old Quarter, will be made available on the Nottinghamshire Glow Worm Survey page, which can be accessed via the link below.
                 
Glow Worms (both adults and larvae) are recorded as follows.....L = larva ..... M = male .....F = female
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Date   Stage   Additional notes
................   .L. .M .F.   llowing a pleasant sunny day. Temperature.......................... dropped quickly to 6°C at T2 at 17:30h. Site visited from
March 20th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 6°C at T2. Site visited from 17:45h-18:25h.
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March 25th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. A recorded temperature of 7°C at T2. Site visited from 17:55h-18:40h.
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March 26th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 6°C at T2. Site visited from 17:30h-18:30h.
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March 30th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 8°C at T2. Site visited from 18:00h-18:45h.
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March 31st   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 8°C at T2. Site visited from 18:15h-19:20h.
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April 2nd   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 9°C at T2. Site visited from 18:00h-19:10h.
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April 3rd   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. A recorded temperature of 12°C at T2. Site visited from 18:20h-19:25h.
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April 4th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 9°C at T2. Site visited from 18:30h-19:20h.
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April 5th   1 0 0   A single 14mm larva recorded this evening. Temperature 9°C at T2. Site visited from 18:25h-19:40h.
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April 7th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 10°C at T2. Site visited from 18:15h-19:40h.
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April 8th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 9°C at T2. Site visited from 18:40h-19:50h.
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April 10th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 8°C at T2. Site visited from 18:20h-19:15h.
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April 11th   1 0 0   A single 15mm larva recorded this evening. Temperature 10°C at T2. Site visited from 18:15h-19:15h.
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April 13th   1 0 0   One 13mm larva recorded from this evening. Slightly warmer, with a temperature of 11°C at T2. Site visited from 18:45h-19:45h.
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April 14th   1 0 0   A single 17mm larva recorded twice in Section B of the survey area this evening. A recorded temperature of 12°C at T2. Site visited from 18:25h-19:45h.
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April 19th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 9°C at T2. Site visited from 18:40h-19:30h.
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April 20th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 11°C at T2. Site visited from 18:30h-19:25h.
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April 24th   1 0 0   One 17mm larva recorded from Section D of the survey area this evening. A temperature of 8°C was recorded at T2. Site visited from 18:20h-19:10h.
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April 30th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded again this evening. Temperature 8°C at T2. Site visited from 18:30h-19:50h.
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May 1st   3 0 0   A total of three larvae found this evening, including one female larva measuring 25mm. Temperature 11°C at T2. Site visited from 18:10h-19:30h.
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May 3rd   1 0 0   One larva found this evening. Temperature 11°C at T2. Site visited from 18:25h-19:35h.
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May 4th   5 0 0   A much warmer evening and a later visit, produced a total of five larvae, although one had recently been crushed by motorbikes. A warm 16°C at T2. Site visited from 19:10h-20:10h.
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May 5th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 15°C at T2. Site visited from 19:05h-19:55h.
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May 6th   5 0 0   Five larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 17°C at T2. Site visited from 19:15h-20:25h.
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May 7th   4 0 0   Four larvae recorded this evening, from the usual survey areas of Sections A, B, C and D. Temperature 15°C at T2. Site visited from 19:25h-20:25h.
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May 8th   4 0 0   Four larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 21°C at T2. Site visited from 19:20h-20:40h.
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May 9th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. A very warm temperature of 18°C was recorded at T2. Site visited from 19:30h-20:45h.
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May 11th   5 0 0   Five larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 15°C at T2. Site visited from 19:20h-20:15h. Site visited from 21:50h-22:55h to survey for adult Glow Worms, proved to be unsuccessful.
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May 12th   4 0 0   Four larvae recorded this evening, all in Section D of the survey area. Temperature 15°C at T2. Site visited from 19:55h-20:55h.
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May 13th   3 0 0   Three larvae recorded this evening, measuring 22mm, 18mm and 15mm. Temperature 8°C at T2. Site visited from 19:35h-20:45h.
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May 14th   2 0 0   Two larvae recorded this evening, both in Section D with lengths of 20mm and 15mm. Temperature 11°C at T2. Site visited from 19:30h-20:15h.
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May 15th   8 0 0   Eight larvae recorded this evening, six in Section D and two in Section B. A temperature of 11°C at T2. Site visited from 19:30h-20:40h.
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May 16th   9 0 0   Nine larvae recorded this evening, all in Section D. A temperature of 12°C at T2. Site visited from 19:35h-20:50h.
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May 17th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 14°C at T2. Site visited from 19:45h-20:40h. A later survey for adults proved negative. Site visited from 21:50h-22:35h.
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May 19th   0 0 0   No larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 12°C at T2. Site visited from 20:05h-21:00h.
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May 20th   11 0 0   11 larvae recorded this evening, with larvae ranging much more widely than on preious visits. A temperature of 15°C at T2. Site visited from 19:40h-20:50h. A later survey for adults again proved negative. Site visited from 22:05h-23:05h.
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May 21st   0 0 0   No adults recorded this evening. Temperature 12°C at T2. Site visited from 22:05h-23:05h.
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May 22nd   5 0 0   Five larvae recorded this evening. Temperature 13°C at T2. Site visited from 19:45h-20:45h. A later survey for adults again proved negative. Site visited from 22:10h-23:10h.
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May 23rd   0 0 0   Again no adults were recorded this evening. A temperature of 11°C was recorded at T2, with the site visited from 22:15h-23:00h.
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May 24th   0 0 0   No adults recorded again this evening. A cooler evening with a temperature of 9°C at T2. Site visited from 21:50h-23:15h.
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May 25th   0 0 0   No adults recorded again this evening. A temperature of 8°C at T2. Site visited from 22:00h-22:45h.
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May 26th   5 0 0   Five larvae recorded this evening, with a temperature of 13°C recorded at T2. Site visited from 18:55h-19:55h. A later survey for adults again proved negative. Site visited from 22:05h-23:05h.
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May 27th   4 0 0   Four larvae recorded this evening, with a temperature of 14°C recorded at T2. Site visited from 19:20h-20:30h. A later survey for adults again proved negative. Site visited from 22:15h-23:20h.
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May 28th   0 0 0   No adults recorded this evening. A temperature of 10°C at T2. Site visited from 22:10h-23:20h.
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May 29th   1 0 0   Single larva found in a section of Clipstone Old Quarter with no historical Glow Worm records, at SK 60032 66570.
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May 29th   0 0 0   No adults recorded again this evening. A temperature of 11°C at T2. Site visited from 22:10h-23:20h.
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May 30th   0 0 0   No adults recorded this evening. A temperature of 12°C at T2. Site visited from 22:15h-23:20h.
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May 31st   0 0 0   No adults recorded again this evening. A temperature of 10°C at T2. Site visited from 22:00h-23:00h.
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June 1st   0 0 0   No adults recorded again this evening. A temperature of 9°C at T2. Site visited from 22:00h-23:10h.
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June 2nd   0 0 0   No adults recorded this evening and a much cooler temperature of 7°C at T2. Site visited from 22:05h-23:10h.
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June 3rd   0 0 2   The first females finally recorded this evening, with a much warmer temperature of 13°C at T2. Site visited from 22:15h-23:15h.
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June 4th   0 0 1   One female recorded this evening, with a temperature of 14°C at T2. Site visited from 22:20h-23:20h.
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June 5th   0 0 2   Two females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 13°C at T2. Site visited from 22:20h-23:25h.
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June 6th   0 0 2   Females 002 and 003 present again this evening, with a recorded temperature of 14°C at T2. Site visited from 22:15h-23:25h.
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June 7th   0 0 4   Four females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 18°C at T2. Site visited from 22:05h-23:20h.
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June 8th   0 0 3   Three females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 13°C at T2. Site visited from 22:20h-23:25h.
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June 9th   0 0 7   Seven females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 16°C at T2. Site visited from 22:30h-23:40h.
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June 10th   0 0 5   Five females recorded this evening after torrential rain during the afternoon and rain continuing well into the evening. A very mild temperature of 16°C at T2. Site visited from 22:00h-23:00h.
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June 11th   0 0 7   Seven females recorded this evening, despite continuous rain in the afternoon and evening again, with a temperature of 15°C at T2. Site visited from 22:15h-23:25h.
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June 12th   0 2 6   Six females recorded this evening, two of which had males. A temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2, with heavy rain prior to visiting the site from 22:20h-23:25h.
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June 13th   0 0 8   Eight females recorded this evening, along with a glowing female pupa in section J of the survey area. A temperature of 13°C was recorded at T2. Site visited from 22:25h-23:25h.
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June 14th   0 1 10   Ten females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 13°C at T2. Site visited from 22:35h-23:40h.
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June 15th   0 1 7   Seven females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 13°C at T2. Site visited from 22:35h-23:40h.
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June 16th   0 1 12   12 females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 12°C at T2. Site visited from 22:40h-23:40h.
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June 17th   0 2 24   24 females recorded this evening, following a sudden increase in numbers. A temperature of 12°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-23:40h.
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June 18th   0 1 25   25 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 13°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:25h-23:35h.
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June 19th   1 4 44   An increase in numbers, with 44 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:20h-23:25h.
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June 20th   0 1 11   11 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 12°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:25h-23:45h.
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June 21st   1 5 21   21 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-23:40h.
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June 22nd   0 4 13   13 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:40h-23:45h.
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June 23rd   0 0 8   Eight females recorded this evening, as counts continue to drop. Eight males were attracted to artificial lures operated in two survey sections for around 15 minutes. A temperature of 17°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:20h-23:45h.
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June 24th   0 0 5   Five females recorded this evening. A temperature of 12°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:25h-23:30h.
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June 25th   2 1 12   12 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 12°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-23:45h.
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June 26th   2 2 24   24 females recorded this evening, with two larvae also found. A temperature of 14°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:20h-23:35h.
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June 27th   0 1 19   19 females recorded this evening. with a temperature of 13°C at T2 and the site visited from 22:25h-23:40h.
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June 28th   1 0 13   13 females recorded this evening and a single larva found glowing in section J of the survey area. A temperature of 11°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:20h-23:35h.
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June 29th   0 0 9   Nine females recorded this evening. A temperature of 11°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 23:00h-00:10h.
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June 30th   1 0 32   32 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 12°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:25h-23:45h.
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July 1st   2 0 11   11 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 10°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:50h-23:55h.
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July 2nd   1 1 21   21 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 11°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:25h-23:50h.
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July 3rd   0 0 40   An unexpected rise in numbers, with 40 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 10°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:45h-00:10h.
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July 4th   3 1 92   A huge rise in numbers this evening, with 58 new females accounting for over 50% of the 92 females recorded. A temperature of 16°C was recorded at T2 and the site was visited from 22:15h-00:20h.
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July 5th   0 0 28   With clear skies and a cool evening, just 28 females were present. A temperature of 11°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-23:59h.
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July 6th   0 1 94   Cloudy skies and a warm evening saw 94 females recorded, of which 43 were new. A temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site was visited from 22:25h-00:15h.
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July 7th   1 1 68   68 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 16°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:40h-00:28h.
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July 8th   0 1 44   44 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-00:10h.
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July 9th   3 1 39   39 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 18°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:40h-00:10h.
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July 10th   0 2 40   40 females recorded this evening. A temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-00:05h.
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July 11th   0 0 24   24 females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-23:50h.
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July 12th   2 0 23   23 females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 13°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:50h-00:20h.
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July 13th   0 0 11   11 females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 12°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-23:30h.
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July 14th   0 1 15   15 females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 12°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:25h-23:35h.
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July 15th   0 3 22   22 females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 18°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:00h-23:30h.
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July 16th   0 0 17   17 females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 16°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:10h-23:20h.
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July 17th   1 0 11   11 females recorded this evening, including the surprise reappearance of Female 198 after an absence of ten days. A temperature of 16°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:10h-23:20h.
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July 18th   0 0 8   Eight females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 20°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:10h-23:15h.
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July 19th   0 0 11   11 females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 23°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:30h-23:35h.
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July 20th   0 0 8   Eight females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 19°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:05h-22:50h.
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July 21st   0 0 2   Only F406 and F411 recorded this evening, with a temperature of 19°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:00h-22:45h.
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July 22nd   1 0 2   Two females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 19°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:05h-23:00h.
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July 23rd   0 0 2   Still the same two females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 19°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:05h-22:35h.
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July 24th   0 0 1   Just the one female recorded this evening, with a temperature of 17°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:00h-22:30h.
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July 25th   0 0 0   No females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:00h-22:30h.
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July 26th   0 0 0   No females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 17°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 21:50h-22:20h.
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July 27th   0 0 0   No females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 21:45h-22:30h.
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July 28th   0 0 0   No females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 17°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 21:55h-22:35h.
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July 29th   0 0 0   No females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 16°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 22:00h-22:40h.
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July 30th   0 0 0   No females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 15°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 21:45h-22:30h.
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July 31st   0 0 0   No females recorded this evening, with a temperature of 16°C was recorded at T2 and the site visited from 21:50h-22:25h.
 
 
Late start to the 2016 Glow Worm season

January and February 2016, maintained the extremely mild Winter period and it looked set to be an incredibly early Spring this year.

The promise of a very early start to our larval surveys, suddenly changed when it became much cooler and was extremely similar to the situation a year earlier.

The overnight temperatures were very low (although rarely with frost) and there were few invertebrates about generally. April continued the same climatically and it wasn't until the end of April that temperatures became warmer.

 
Average monthly minimum Winter temperatures 2008-2016
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    2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
Nov - Apr   2.80°C 2.08°C 2.35°C 3.28°C 1.55°C 3.33°C 2.93°C 3.59°C
Jan - Apr   2.80°C 1.62°C 3.67°C 2.75°C 1.05°C 3.62°C 2.45°C 2.35°C
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First date   May 27th May 24th May 13th May 30th June 8th May 18th May 23rd June 3rd
                   
Average monthly maximum Winter temperatures 2008-2016
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    2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
Nov - Apr   8.68°C 8.04°C 8.71°C 9.79°C 7.33°C 10.29°C 9.50°C 10.26°C
Jan - Apr   9.27°C 7.67°C 10.70°C 9.75°C 6.95°C 10.89°C 9.60°C 9.30°C
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First date   May 27th May 24th May 13th May 30th June 8th May 18th May 23rd June 3rd
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Despite the cooler temperatures, we felt that conditions on many evenings, were mild enough to have encouraged some larval activity at Clipstone Old Quarter. Surveying drew a complete blank on five March dates and it wasn't until April 5th, that we recorded our first Glow Worm larva of 2016.
     
    Glow Worm larval averages during Spring 2009-2016
Week/period . 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
March 22-31 . ..... ..... 18.03mm/27 21.16mm/6. ..... 17.90mm/13 . .
April 1-7 . 23.33mm/3. 21.27mm/13 18.64mm/70 19.00mm/5. .... 18.65mm/24 18.16mm/6. .
April 8-14 . 21.14mm/14 19.58mm/17 19.19mm/31 19.66mm/9. 17.11mm/9. 18.27mm/59 19.11mm/16 15.00mm/3
April 15-21 . 20.45mm/10 20.78mm/18 19.78mm/53 23.20mm/5. 18.34mm/34 18.62mm/22 20.66mm/8. .
April 22-29 . 23.32mm/25 18.74mm/53 19.97mm/39 18.77mm/9. 18.61mm/25 20.20mm/36 . .
April 30-May 6 . 22.95mm/20 23.20mm/5. 21.87mm/8. 20.95mm/22 19.85mm/16 21.87mm/21 . 17.66mm/15
May 7-14 . 22.08mm/17 23.25mm/4. ..... 22.30mm/10 21.62mm/21 21.25mm/4. . 18.22mm/22
May 15-22 . . 19.66mm/6 . . 21.71mm/8 . . 19.97mm/34
May 23-30 . . . . . . . . 19.11mm/9
.
Spring avg   22.21mm/89 20.92mm/116 19.58mm/228 20.45mm/66 19.52mm/103 19.53mm/169 N/A 17.99mm/83
 
April eventually produced just five larvae over 14 afternoon/evening surveys - our poorest total ever. We had our concerns by this point in time, as it seemed as though larval (and subsequently adult) numbers were going to be extremely low this year. The average larval size was also well below that normally expected for the period May 7th-14th. In previous years, average larval size had been recorded between 21.25mm and 23.25mm.

May saw an increase in the numbers of larvae found in Sections A, B, C and D of the survey site, but the totals were those we would usually record three or four weeks earlier. The following three graphs all show the larval sizes and totals found in 2016, in 2013 (our latest ever year for adult Glow Worms) and our earliest year for adult Glow Worms of 2011.

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