Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch

Sightings 2022

Welcome to the Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch sightings page for butterfly and moth news from around the area

NOTE - please read the latest Coronavirus update from the Government website.

Archive   2021  2020  2019  2018  2017 (Jan-Jun)  2017 (Jul-Dec) 2001-2016

Submission of records

Please include grid reference (6 digits preferred but 4 digits will do) or post code for your sightings. If you have the what3words app you can supply me with the 3 words denoting the site. Grid reference can be obtained using the Gridreferencefinder or Streetmap. If you need any guidance let me know. Most, if not all, sightings listed here with sufficient detail given, will be added to the branch database but see note below. Some sightings if deemed 'trivial' may not be posted here but will still be included on the database.

Wherever possible please use the iRecord website or app to submit your butterfly (not moth) records to reduce the possibility of transcription errors - please read the General Recording page for details. If you are using a spreadsheet please enter your records in the correct format - see following example; this will ease the amount of work for the county recorder.

For moths however, the much preferred method is to submit your moth records on a spreadsheet, if you can, in the format shown here. More information can be found on the Moths - Introduction page.

NOTE: To avoid any duplication, if you are submitting records via a spreadsheet to the Branch Recorder (Andrew Wood) and also have emailed me for the sightings page please let Andrew or me know. Records entered on the iRecord and iNaturalist databases, for example, will be picked up and verified by Andrew.

Photos are welcome and a selection will be posted on this webpage but please keep these to a reasonably small size. Provide a link if your photo is on an external application like Flickr. Alternatively post your photo on , or

Please email Peter Clarke (peter.clarke4@ntlworld.com) to send in your news.

December Date Description Recorder 4 Dec Branch Event The Brown Hairstreak egg hunt at Stafford Road Open Space was not as successful as previous years with just four people helping to look. Our plan was to check the hedge lines of the field system as systematically as possible but unfortunately we found that some of the hedges had been flailed (as has been agreed). One egg was found in the corner by the railway line but nothing further along that line. The next hedge line at right angles was still intact but only 3 viable eggs were found! A splinter group returned to the scrub area and were more successful in finding eggs - with 8 eggs being found in a relatively small area and myself and Ian Watts found several from a previous visit along another path. On the actual Open Space we found 6 eggs but we were taking a more casual approach and just sampling bit of blackthorn Liz Goodyear November Date Description Recorder 25 Nov 1 Red Admiral flying around a garden in Bengeo, just west of St. Leonard's Church this lunchtime Liz Goodyear 23 Nov St Albans - Peacock fluttering around houses in the morning sunshine with air temperature at 11 degrees Malcolm Hull 20 Nov Pair of Red Admirals on buddleia in Northaw garden this weekend both days Sam Fuller 16 Nov Red Admiral feeding on Spider's Web Fatsia japonica at 1:15pm in Fairlands Valley Park (TL 253 242) by bridge on the northern side of the main lake Peter Clarke 13 Nov Common Blue at Stanwell Moor Dave Miller 12 Nov Red Admiral fluttering in and around my front garden in Ware this afternoon Liz Goodyear 12 Nov A Red Admiral settled on my arm near Watery Grove, Stevenage at 1:45 pm Peter Clarke 11 Nov Small White at Stanwell Moor Dave Miller 9 Nov Holly Blue at Stanwell Moor Dave Miller 9 Nov 1 Red Admiral in my moth trap this morning in Bengeo Andrew Wood 4 Nov Red Admiral wing-drying on park bench by Frobisher Drive, Stevenage early afternoon. When it was cast in my shadow a few times, it took circular flight then realighted Stefan Hunt 1 Nov Elton Court, Bengeo, Hertford. Cypress Carpet Thera cupressata moth. Chris Benton October Date Description Recorder 29 Oct Hounslow. A Brimstone made the most of afternoon sushine and temperatures above 20°c on the heath near the railway and a little later two Small Coppers, a Common Blue and a Red Admiral all flew on the Marshalling Yards. I counted around 50 different plant species still flowering and have no doubt the actual number is a lot higher Peter Gore 29 Oct My first Clouded Yellow of the year in field south of Watery Grove flying west and female Brimstone on the woodland edge, both at 2pm Peter Clarke 28 Oct Something I had only read about until today, a faded but strong flying Holly Blue around a flowering garden shrub in Elderberry Drive, St Ippolyts, Hitchin, good views Stuart Pittman 28 Oct Hounslow. Yet another very pleasant autumn afternoon here. It was good to see two Speckled Woods still around on the heath. A white butterfly and an orange something remained not properly identified but here's those that were: Speckled Wood: 2, Small Copper: 1, Red Admiral: 2 Peter Gore 27 Oct 19 degrees and sunny this afternoon in St Albans, so worth a look to see what's still flying. Disappointment at Nomansland Common, where the Small Coppers have finished and just saw an elusive silvery grey moth twiddling high above the ground. Better luck near Symonshyde Wood, where I saw 2 Clouded Yellows, my best total for the year! One was flirting from one Cat's-ear flower to the next, though pausing at each for just a few seconds. So no photo possible, but I did catch a Peacock, nectaring on Michaelmas Daisy. It looked rather worn and I suspect had just popped out of hibernation in the warm weather for a snack. Finally, I counted 7 Small Whites in the cabbage field Malcolm Hull 26 Oct Hounslow. Despite better weather conditions just two butterflies seen, a female Small Copper on the Marshalling Yards and a Red Admiral nectaring on ivy flowers in the Pevensey Road woodland area. One kingfisher flew rapidly upstream in the same area as yesterday's Peter Gore 26 Oct One Red Admiral at St Leonards, Bengeo, Hertford Chris Benton 25 Oct Hounslow. Wet underfoot but autumn sunshine made for an enjoyable walk which included the first Small Heath I've seen this month: Small White: 1, Small Heath: 1, Red Admiral: 2, Brown Argus: 1. The drainage channels on the Richmond side of the river are now back to fulfilling their role and making walking along the path difficult. I felt rewarded for my efforts in replacing as many of the stepping stones as I could find back to where they are useful by the sight of two kingfishers near where the river exits the culvert Peter Gore 24 Oct I saw my first butterfly for a couple of weeks - a Red Admiral nectaring on a Yarrow flower on the green space near our house - Spring Fields, Gadebridge Chris Ridley 23 Oct Box Tree Moth, Stevenage High Street on belisha beacon, outside Marquis of Lorne pub Stefan Hunt 18 Oct 3 Brimstones, 2 Small Copper and a late Meadow Brown settled on Jane's leg on a walk around Nomansland Common Andrew Wood 18 Oct St Albans - Male Brimstone flew out of Ivy growing on a wall in the Abbey Orchard. It was in bright sunshine and 17 degrees. It proceeded to fly very closely round the Ivy for 5 minutes, several times disappearing into the bush. It didn't identify a suitable hibernation spot and eventually flew off. It appears to be an example of hibernation interrupted by warm weather. A late Box tree moth was sunning itself in the same spot Malcolm Hull 17 Oct I noticed a couple of Red Admirals just near Great Offley TL161271 & managed to get a picture of one of them Phil Barron 16 Oct A Camberwell Beauty in my Abbots Langley garden this morning Jane Lay 16 Oct A stroll around the edge of Symonshyde Great Wood produced my first Clouded Yellow of the year! A profusion of Small Whites in a field of brassicas - I counted 34, but am sure there were far more. Also singles of Large White, Red Admiral, Peacock and Silver Y moth Malcolm Hull 15 Oct I was out on a litter pick this morning in Cassiobury Park and saw 3 Speckled Wood and after joining Rick in the afternoon a single Red Admiral was sighted. All close to the river Peter Fewell 11 Oct Elton Court. Bengeo. Hertford. 1 Red Admiral Chris Benton 11 Oct Hounslow. Two Red Admirals today on the same patch of ivy where yesterday there was one. Elsewhere two Small Coppers disputing a Trefoil plant was also nice to see : Speckled Wood: 3, Common Blue: 4, Small Copper: 2, Red Admiral: 2 Peter Gore 11 Oct Two Red Admirals on the ivy flowers in my Harpenden garden on a sunny afternoon Robin Pearson 10 Oct Hounslow. After yesterday's comment about the absence of butterflies on ivy, today a Red Admiral duly appeared in the usual most favoured area within the Pevensey woodland. Unlike the Holly Blue seen briefly yesterday this individual stayed longer, still there when I moved on, no doubt fortifying itself for whatever lies ahead. It meant I achieved a modest October target of ten species shortly after the ninth had been seen, yet another Clouded Yellow. This one settled briefly on the allegedly insect-repelling Tansy before heading strongly off on its own journey. A good day: Speckled Wood: 3, Small White: 1, Common Blue: 8, Clouded Yellow: 1, Red Admiral: 1 Peter Gore 10 Oct At last, a Red Admiral on flowering ivy - this afternoon at Roebuck, Stevenage. Very few Red Admirals about - only my second one in the last few weeks Peter Clarke 10 Oct One Holly Blue fluttering around the ivy in my Ware garden this lunchtime Liz Goodyear 9 Oct Hounslow. A Brimstone fluttering amongst still green oak and hawthorn leaves on the heath was the first butterfly of the day. Much later on Hounslow's side of the river within the Pevensey Road loop a Holly Blue became the first butterfly of any sort I've seen showing any interest in the heavily flowering ivy. Another eleven butterflies make up the full list today: Brimstone: 1, Speckled Wood: 4, Small White: 1, Common Blue: 6, Holly Blue: 1 Peter Gore 8 Oct Hounslow. A sunny day but butterflies possibly discouraged by the amount of moisture clinging to the meadow plants. Nevertheless a female Small Copper on the heath near the railway line, a Speckled Wood and a Brown Argus on the Marshalling Yards and finally two duelling Speckled Woods seeming almost transparent a few inches in front of my face in a bright patch of sunlight near the river on the Richmond side of Pevensey woodland, provided enough entertainment for me on this October afternoon Peter Gore 8 Oct Nomansland Common, St Albans - More sun than my last visit and the Small Coppers were still active around the heather. 9 seen in total, including a couple of females laying on sheeps sorrel. Although some of the coppers appeared faded, others looked remarkably fresh. If the frost stays away, they could still be flying for a few weeks. Two other butterflies at this site today - Common Blue and Green-veined White Malcolm Hull 7 Oct Hounslow. Another pleasant afternoon with a late sighting of a Painted Lady the highlight. It landed near me and looked in good condition; it soon flew off strongly so may still have a chance of reaching a suitable habitat before temperatures fall too far. All the butterflies were seen on the Marshalling Yards again: Speckled Wood: 4, Common Blue: 5, Brown Argus: 1, Painted Lady: 1 Peter Gore 6 Oct Hounslow. A pleasantly sunny afternoon and a few more butterflies: Speckled Wood: 4, Common Blue: 1, Small White: 2 Peter Gore 6 Oct Spotted Death's-head Hawk-moth yesterday in next door neighbours driveway and this morning on my rear garden patio in the Old Town, Stevenage Emma Pitcher 3 Oct Therfield Heath. At least 10 'blues' (Adonis Blue and Common Blue) were flying on the west-facing bank of the Old Rifle Range in warm sunshine this morning. Some were so tatty that they could not be identified to species level - all were females. However, one female Adonis Blue (image) was in surprisingly good condition. I paid a late afternoon visit to Church Hill as well, finding just two roosting male Common Blues there. A few unidentified whites and a single Comma were the only other species seen. Martin Johnson 4 Oct Hounslow. Warm but no sunshine, a rare day when every butterfly spotted was identified but in truth that didn't require too much patience or attention: Small White: 2, Speckled Wood: 3. The first Small White was on the heath near the railway, the other four butterflies were on the Marshalling Yards where there remains plenty of revived flowering plants, a little like a second, gentler, summer Peter Gore 2 Oct Hounslow. This afternoon's sightings, all on the Marshalling Yards: Common Blue: 3, Speckled Wood: 2, Brown Argus: 1. Only half a dozen but not quite as limited as that suggests: 2 or 3 unidentified whites, a glimpse of two blue butterflies pursuing one another above a Buddleia: not enough to confirm or eliminate either of our two local species, and whilst I was identifying one of the Speckled Woods (half-sized) a larger more colourful butterfly shot straight past: probably a Comma; so potentially several more species to be seen this month yet Peter Gore 1 Oct Heavy rain last night didn't dampen Irene and my enthusiasm to walk the transect this afternoon. Here's what we saw: Speckled Wood 8, Large White 3, Small White 2, Peacock 1. It was nice to see a Peacock, our first for several weeks Chris Hankinson 1 Oct Hounslow. A new month began with a Brimstone pursued by a Small White near the Cavalry Tunnel. These two and another dozen on the Marshalling Yards being today's sightings: Brimstone: 1, Small White: 7, Speckled Wood: 2, Common Blue: 4 Peter Gore 1 Oct On my morning walk I saw my first ever Hertfordshire Clouded Yellow. It was near Charlton, Hitchin (TL 167271): a great start to October Phil Barron September Date Description Recorder 28 Sep Hounslow. What little sun there was appeared too late for the butterflies but in gloomy conditions on the Marshalling Yards earlier the following were seen: Green-veined White: 1, Small Copper: 1, Small White: 2, Common Blue: 1 Peter Gore 22 Sep At least 2 Adonis Blue (male and female) and 1 Common Blue at Therfield Heath (Church Hill) in the afternoon Paul Why 25 Sep On my last transect day of the year I found an unusual female Common Blue (ab. apicata) in Knebworth Park as well as 2 Small Copper. Also saw several Speckled Wood in the wooded areas plus a Comma at Norton Green Peter Clarke 25 Sep Field by Selebroom Wood [TL296134]. Male Common Blue x2. Bramfield Park Wood. Comma x1, Speckled Wood x2. Bramfield Churchyard. Angle Shades moth x1 Chris Benton 25 Sep Hounslow. Not as sunny as expected and just the following butterflies seen, all of them on the Marshalling Yards: Speckled Wood: 4, Common Blue: 6, Small White: 5, Brown Argus: 1 Peter Gore 25 Sep Branch Event Nomansland Common, Sandridge - A beautiful sunny morning encouraged ten of us to meet up for the last branch walk of the season. Sadly the clouds rolled over before we set off and there was not even a glimpse of sunshine all afternoon. Butterflies were in equally short supply until we reached the heather area. First one Small Copper was spotted, followed by a Small Heath. Two more Coppers were seen clashing repeatedly and spiralling upward into the canopy of the surrounding oak wood. The heather (main nectar source) appeared in good condition, with thousands of small Sheeps Sorrel (larval foodplant) sprouting after the drought. Altogether we saw 6 Small Coppers on the north western part of the site and also added a single Meadow Brown. Moving onto the east side the cloud thickened. Only one further Small Copper was seen, in the heather area fenced off as protection against rabbits. We also spotted hundreds of mining bees and some unusual fungi. Undoubtedly we would have seen more Coppers at a sunnier time. We met David Hunt who regularly monitors the site. He had also recorded white species that day and observed that numbers of coppers on the east side seemed lower this year - I suspect due to a shortage of nectar and Sheep Sorrel plants being killed off in the drought. Photo © Cath Walter Malcolm Hull 24 Sep A single Speckled Wood in All Saints Churchyard, Hertford Chris Benton 7 Sep A couple more pictures of the Camberwell Beauty found by Simon Crockford, tweeted and initially relocated on Bowyer Drive, on the 7th of September. Thank-you for putting the news out Simon Philip Rhodes 24 Sep Hounslow. Highlight this afternoon was just one of the currently commonest species, Common Blue. This was a female I watched on a Hawkbit flower for a few moments. She only momentarily opened her wings but it was enough to provide a glimpse of a stunningly beautiful combination of blue and brown, as far removed from resembling either a Brown Argus or a male Common Blue as she could possibly get. Another good day all told: Green-veined White: 2, Speckled Wood: 9, Small White: 2, Common Blue: 20, Brown Argus: 2 Peter Gore 22 Sep Hounslow. Another very enjoyable walk, mostly in sunshine, threatened for quite a while to restrict me to just two species but late sightings added three more including a couple of surprises. The first of these occurred in the Pevensey Road woodland area when a small orange butterfly flew up into an old apple tree. I was expecting a Small Copper whilst hoping, as ever, for a Hairstreak (not fussy on species!) but when the butterfly subsequently landed in the grass next to the tree its very distinct black eyespot on the forewing quickly eliminated hopes and expectation. The butterfly and its behaviour seemed a little out of place in this bit of woodland and it had very orange forewings too but since I can't mount any sort of case for a half-sized Gatekeeper at least a month late or a regionally extinct Wall every bit as misplaced here, Small Heath gets the record. They have been around fairly recently and given their drought afflicted usual areas it's easy to imagine why a male might be flying further afield. To this human's eyes he seemed an appealing specimen so I hope he succeeds in finding a mate or two: the species has not had a good year here this summer. He was last seen flying strongly on over the trees. The second surprise presented no identification problems whatever; stretched out on the path in front of me as I trudged along over the top of the culverted river, an immaculate Peacock. This butterfly, too, flew strongly away but no doubt with different intentions to those of the Small Heath."See you next spring!" I thought to myself as it disappeared. Here's the full list: Speckled Wood: 13, Common Blue: 11, Small Heath: 1, Peacock: 1, Large White: 1 Peter Gore 21 Sep Weedy/scrubby field by the B653 road, Batford - 1 Clouded Yellow feeding on hawksbeard in centre of field (TL153149) Darin Stanley 21 Sep Hounslow. This afternoon the whites were even more uncooperative than yesterday: Speckled Wood: 10, Common Blue: 9, Small Copper: 3, Brown Argus: 1 Peter Gore 20 Sep Hounslow. Another autumn day with sunshine. Butterfly numbers slightly lower but only because I didn't manage to identify several whites properly: Speckled Wood: 10, Small White: 1, Small Copper: 1, Brown Argus: 2, Common Blue: 14 Peter Gore 19 Sep St Albans – An unexpected sunny spell after the Queen's funeral brought out the butterflies for my walk alongside the River Ver through St Albans. My first Holly Blue for a while, perhaps an indication of a new brood emerging? Good numbers of Speckled Wood (7) Small White (8) and Large White (3) No sign at all of the usual September brood of Commas. I wonder if they may have followed the behaviour patterns of Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks and gone into hibernation early this year Malcolm Hull 18 Sep Hounslow. A morning walk to catch the sun which persisted for longer than forecast. Another instance of species seen seeming to respond to time of day as much as conditions: Speckled Wood: 12, Small White: 7, Common Blue: 9, Brown Argus: 3, Green-veined White: 1 Peter Gore 18 Sep Bedmond Lane Meadow, St Albans - 2 Small Coppers nectaring on water mint, 1 Speckled Wood and 1 Common Blue. This old meadow is full of anthills and covered in butterflies during the summer. Unfortunately recent press reports say that it is threatened by development Malcolm Hull 17 Sep Only six butterflies in the north-west section of Knebworth Park but all Small Coppers including a female egg-laying (the one below on the left) on sorrel Peter Clarke 17 Sep Hounslow. The butterflies seen almost completely limited to the Marshalling Yards with Common Blue dominant: Speckled Wood: 2, Small White: 4, Brown Argus: 3, Small Copper: 1, Common Blue: 19, Large White: 1 Peter Gore 17 Sep Bunkers Park, Leverstock Green - Small Copper (3), Red Admiral (2), Meadow Brown (1), Speckled Wood (3), Green-veined White (1), Large White (3). One of the Red Admirals was nectaring on Ivy, high up in a tree. Most of the butterflies were on the chalk slope in the Bottom Meadow Malcolm Hull 16 Sep Hounslow. Lower temperatures and a gentle breeze but plenty of sunshine made this another enjoyable walk. Two Red Admirals were a minor change but still none on the flowering ivy yet. Small White: 5, Green-veined White: 4, Speckled Wood: 6, Red Admiral: 2, Brown Argus: 5, Common Blue: 12, Small Copper: 1 Peter Gore 12 Sep Batford - 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth seen feeding on Buddleia Bush at rear of property Darin Stanley 14 Sep Clouded Yellow in field back of Braemar Close, Stevenage (TL256211) Paul Lawrence 14 Sep Hounslow. A pleasant sunny afternoon walk. Slightly more than usual identified whites included two mating Small Whites; not included is a yellowish butterfly that flew high across the main road as I was returning home: almost certainly yet another Clouded Yellow and would have been the first I'd ever seen in a more urban setting although a few must cross many of our roads to reach the places I do see them most years. Speckled Wood: 7, Common Blue: 15, Small Copper: 1, Brown Argus: 5, Small White: 6, Large White: 1, Green-veined White: 1 Peter Gore 12 Sep A tip off for Clouded Yellows in a field of Lucerne just outside Hitchin (TL17643276). I spotted 10+ and 50+ Common Blues alongside them. I veered off the track into the field and caught the attention of the farmer and her Alsatian. She was friendly when I explained I was butterflying but take heed! Lucy Claxton 12 Sep I was surprised to see a Clouded Yellow on my Alexandra Park transect. I didn't manage a photo. There are still a fair few Common Blues around, saw this lovely fresh one in the anthill meadow Dee Cullen 12 Sep Hounslow. A Clouded Yellow was a brief acquaintance on the heath, elsewhere Speckled Wood and Common Blue competed for numbers albeit in their typical separate habitats: Speckled Wood: 9, Brown Argus: 3, Common Blue: 14, Small Copper: 1, Comma: 1, Large White: 3, Holly Blue: 1, Small White: 1, Clouded Yellow: 1 Peter Gore 11 Sep Hounslow. Not quite as exciting as yesterday but a very pleasant walk nevertheless. I spent quite a bit of time looking for Brown Hairstreaks where I saw them yesterday without seeing the slightest sign despite ideal conditions. I did however note the presence of heavily laden fruit trees (not Prunus) close by and reminded myself that the nearest blackthorn is a substantial area on the heath. This often gets pruned or burnt but not so far this year and together with the hedge on the ex golf course will provide an egg-hunting task once the leaves have all fallen. Today's butterflies, a Speckled Wood day: Green-veined White: 3, Speckled Wood: 14, Large White: 1, Small White: 2, Common Blue: 8, Brown Argus: 4, Small Copper: 2 Peter Gore 10 Sep Hounslow. I was trudging back through the former golf course and reflecting that all my sightings had been limited to the Marshalling Yards when ahead of me someone disturbed a butterfly. It had actually been a very pleasant day in my one successful area with Common Blue notable and seven species seen but this later sighting took things to another level wholly unexpectedly. The butterfly seemed quite large and orange brown: plenty of candidates suggested themselves but this individual flew into the nearest tree and settled. I drew a little closer and focused my binoculars, for once with the greatest of ease, on my first ever Brown Hairstreak, a female who obligingly opened her wings as I looked and removed any doubt whatsoever on the matter. I had only a moment to look at her before I became distracted by a second butterfly in the tree, this one slightly behind me. Smaller and rather dull but with the 'streaks' characteristic of this group of butterflies it did not oblige by opening its wings. I assume this second one was a male. The tree they were both in was to the best of my knowledge a Goat Willow, one I must have passed several thousand times over the years without ever seeing anything noteworthy. The male butterfly seemed to be interested in something on a leaf - honeydew I would guess. I too quickly lost sight of both of them. A blackthorn hedge is quite close by on the accessible part of the former golf course so I expect to be exploring that closely from now on as well as scrutinising the willow more carefully. This new butterfly is the 28th species here this year (a new high) and the 31st since 2017. Here's the list of today's sightings: Speckled Wood: 2, Small White: 6, Common Blue: 18, Brown Argus: 4, Small Copper: 2, Meadow Brown: 1, Green-veined White: 2, Brown Hairstreak: 2 Peter Gore 6 Sep St Albans - Convolvulus Hawkmoth discovered underneath my wheely bin. Sorry to say it was dead, although the local ants were pleased and tucking in Malcolm Hull 7 Sep Camberwell Beauty in the car park in Amor Way, Letchworth (TL228328) at 10:19 am. See Simon's tweet with video clip Simon Crockford 5 Sep Ash Valley Golf Course (TL425211). Clouded Yellow – 1, Small Heath – 4, Speckled Wood – 3, Meadow Brown – 1, Large white – 1, Red Admiral – 3, Small White – 5. The Clouded Yellow was good, on the fairway of the 6th hole, where there was a small amount of clover Phil MacMurdie 4 Sep Nomansland Common, Sandridge - Small Heath (7) and Small Copper (7) were concentrated around the heather areas. Meadow Brown (8), Small White (2) and Speckled Wood (1) were the only other species on the common. Close by on Heartwood Common I added Red Admiral to the days list. Numbers of Small Coppers will be increasing over the next few weeks. Join me for an end of season walk on Sunday 25th September, details on the events page Malcolm Hull 4 Sep Hounslow. When I looked at the weather forecast for today I thought it looked distinctly unpromising but I set out nevertheless, reaching a quarter of the way across the Marshalling Yards one and a half hours later without a single butterfly making itself known to me. A Speckled Wood landed on the path in front of me,"Thank You!" I said out loud and thereafter as if in appreciation of gratitude even from an obvious madman I seemed to step into an entirely different unscheduled day. The little hits kept coming, not all of them butterflies, and I kept extending my planned walk like some mad gambler but with nothing to lose except time and energy. The two butterfly highlights were my second Clouded Yellow of the year, this time one with a bit more time to spend on the Marshalling Yards, looping around and briefly settling on a Hawkbit flower just long enough for me to appreciate its beauty. On one of the Pevensey Road loops an immaculate Peacock was a considerable welcome surprise. 10 species today, 14 in the month to date: Speckled Wood: 8, Brown Argus: 7, Common Blue: 10, Clouded Yellow: 1, Small White: 3, Small Copper: 5, Meadow Brown: 2, Peacock: 1, Large White: 2, Small Heath: 1 Peter Gore 3 Sep Hounslow. Weather not quite as good as predicted this afternoon but we got our Speckled Woods back so no real complaints: Speckled Wood: 2, Common Blue: 4, Small White: 2, Green-veined White: 2, Small Copper: 1, Brown Argus: 3 Peter Gore 3 Sep In wild flower meadow at Stony Hills (TL324168). 2 Common Blues, 7 Small Heath and a Silver Y moth Steve Kiln 3 Sep On my transect at Alexandra Park, I was surprised and delighted to see a Small Heath after a gap of two years. It was where I used to see them, at the corner of cricket pitch. I also saw two Small Coppers Dee Cullen 2 Sep Hounslow. Fared slightly better today on an afternoon walk. Unusual for us to see Common Blue more than any other butterfly which would likely still be the case if I'd managed to identify every white butterfly. Also I suspect this may be the first 'miss' for Speckled Wood for some months : Large White: 4, Common Blue: 14, Brown Argus: 2, Meadow Brown: 2, Small White: 6, Small Copper: 2, Green-veined White: 1, Comma: 2, Red Admiral: 1 Peter Gore 2 Sep Folly Lane Allotments, St Albans - Large White and Small White were the dominant species this afternoon, with several dozen of each spotted. A single Red Admiral was eyeing up rotting apples and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth kept hovering round the Buddleia. In the pollinator patch half a dozen Toadflax Brocade caterpillars were showing their appreciation of the Spring planting. Yesterday in Whippendell Woods Watford with Pete Fewell and Rick Villiers - a dozen Speckled Woods Malcolm Hull 1 Sep Hounslow. The new month began with a dull morning, a little rain and no butterflies whatsoever for the first third of the walk. Fortunately around midday the sun came out and sightings began: Small Copper: 1, Common Blue: 5, Large White: 2, Small White: 5, Speckled Wood: 3, Holly Blue: 1, Meadow Brown: 2 Peter Gore August Date Description Recorder 30 Aug Small Copper butterflies were landing at my feet while I was working in Halsey Field (4 in all), but seldom appear when I'm walking the transect. I also saw 2 Common Blues, 3 Meadow Brown and a few Whites, but numbers of butterflies seem to be well down on previous years at this time of year. Are others finding this or is there just a scarcity in Hemel? Chris Ridley 30 Aug Clouded Yellow at the field east of Selebroom Wood, near Hertford (TL296134) Chris Benton 30 Aug I have just seen a freshly emerged female Brown Hairstreak in Darby Gardens, Sunbury-on-Thames. It was on a pear fruit in a front garden and had its wings open. I am very familiar with the butterfly which my father (Peter Cribb) bred in the 1960s. Hawke Park, a road away, was planted up with hedgerows rich in Sloe a few years ago and that may be the source of this specimen Phil Cribb 28 Aug Cassiobury Park Large White 2 other Whites 3, Small Copper 3 Lime Avenue area near canal Speckled Wood 1 Whippendell Woods no butterflies seen but it did cloud over which didn't help Peter Fewell 27 Aug Rick Vickers and I went rambling through South Oxhey and through Merry Hill and into Little Hartsbourne Wood in search of blackthorn. Footpath 7 to Prestwick Road 2 Speckled Wood and 2 Whites seen blackthorn also noted along route. Rural 8 footpath a further 2 Whites seen, more butterflies would have been around a few weeks back judging by the wildflowers that have now gone to seed. More blackthorn also noted. Bridleway 17 we saw another White. Footpath 13 into Merry Hill Speckled Wood 29, Small Heath 2, Large White 1, Comma 2, Meadow Brown 1, Common Blue 1, Green-veined White 1 + 2 other Whites. Blackthorn abundant around the site we didn't see any Brown Hairstreak but Merry Hill may have potential Peter Fewell 28 Aug Hounslow. Not quite as sunny or as many butterflies as Friday: Speckled Wood: 3, Meadow Brown: 3, Common Blue: 9, Green-veined White: 4, Brown Argus: 6, Small White: 2, Small Copper: 2, Large White: 4, Holly Blue: 1 Peter Gore 27 Aug Field next to Southfield Wood, Hertingfordbury (TL305112). Brown Argus x3, Common Blue x15, Meadow Brown x2, Small Heath x1, Large White x1, Clouded Yellow x1 Southfield Wood (TL305108). Speckled Wood x3 Field next to Grotto Wood (TL302105). Holly Blue x1, Brown Argus x2, Comma x1, Meadow Brown x1, Speckled Wood x1 Chris Benton 27 Aug Bourne End Junction of A41. Had one conclusive sighting of a very worn Small Blue. I did have three other probable sightings, but in flight so not conclusive Rohan Harris 26 Aug Hounslow. A beautiful sunny morning and a thoroughly enjoyable walk with over a dozen species flying including the first Clouded Yellow seen this year. Whilst this was not the best sighting of this species I've had, being limited to a rapid fly past, it was out in an open meadow alongside me at below head height and an unmistakeable rich deep yellow. Otherwise whites lead the list, a rare occurence this year and as usual a few more of them remained unidentified: Small White: 12, Speckled Wood: 2, Brown Argus: 4, Common Blue: 7, Comma: 1, Meadow Brown: 6, Small Copper: 1, Small Heath: 1, Large White: 3, Red Admiral: 1, Holly Blue: 3, Clouded Yellow: 1, Green-veined White: 6 Peter Gore 24 Aug I took a local walk from Ware to Stanstead Abbotts and back via the Easneye Estate to check out the clover rich fields for Clouded Yellow. Just one area beside the Hollycross Road had a Clouded Yellow that I could see but it was nice to see that two clover/birds-foot trefoil rich plots in TL3812 had been colonised by Common Blue. A local 2km square that in 2020 had been one of the hardest to find the species Liz Goodyear 23 Aug A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was laying eggs on Red Valerian in my Ealing garden John Eborall 22 Aug Branch Event Royston missed all the thunderstorms and rain last week and is still parched, but nevertheless I was very pleased that the forecast rain stayed away for our branch event on Therfield Heath. Ten enthusiastic participants enjoyed good views of about 30 Adonis Blues (mostly males) on Church Hill and we were lucky enough to find a mating pair. A couple of Adonises were seen in an adjoining field. A few well-worn Chalkhill Blues were also seen, as were Common Blues and Brown Argus (the last mainly in a small colony to the west of the Therfield Road, where a single Small Copper was found). Good numbers of Speckled Wood butterflies were spotted in the adjacent woodland. Other species recorded on the day were Small White, Green-veined White, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper (just one) and Comma. Now let it rain..... please! Martin Johnson 18 Aug Brown Hairstreak at Horsenden Hill on transect walk Martin Smith 21 Aug Precious little around, but Clouded Yellow in Ware Park on 20th Aug and this one just off Tattle Hill north of Hertford Andrew Wood 21 Aug Hounslow. Whilst the best of the sun came after I'd completed my walk, butterflies were still flying in reasonable numbers earlier: Speckled Wood: 3, Green-veined White: 3, Common Blue: 4, Meadow Brown: 11, Small White: 6, Large White: 1, Brown Argus: 2, Small Heath: 1, Red Admiral: 1 Peter Gore 20 Aug A tall order day to photograph Brown Hairstreak three weeks on the trot, weather conditions not ideal this Saturday either. Cloudy once arrived after the horrendous road works, the sun did come out however quite breezy with it. No photos this week week of Brown Hairstreak as they were doing what they are renowned for staying elusive! But we did get a couple of brief sightings at the most sheltered and dead end of the path with blackthorn all around. The day went to the Speckled Wood with 13+ seen, Green-veined White 3+, Small White 1 confirmed, Comma 1, Meadow Brown 2. I put down 2 Brown Argus in my notes but on checking my photos found that they were female Common Blue but with more pronounced orange spots on the upper forewing. This now takes the Common Blue sightings to 8. A few other whites were also seen Other points of interest include several species of hoverfly and a wasp spider spotted by Rick, the most northern one we have so far seen Peter Fewell 19 Aug Hounslow. Mostly a morning walk and unfortunately mostly in cloud with just the following recorded: Large White: 1, Red Admiral: 2, Meadow Brown: 8, Common Blue: 4, Green-veined White: 2, Brown Argus: 1, Speckled Wood: 4, Holly Blue: 1 Peter Gore 9 Aug Adonis Blue at Therfield Heath James Somerville 18 Aug Saw my third Hummingbird Hawk-moth of the year, this time visiting flowers in the garden at the rear of the Thai restaurant in George Street, St Albans Alan Jackson 18 Aug Hounslow. An early morning walk, as much as anything else for the sheer novelty of seeing a wetter environment and I was not disappointed. The Crane was once again a fast flowing murky river and the Mill Stream replenished, along with the Pevensey ponds for the first time in months. More surprisingly there was unforecasted sun and with that came more butterflies than I'd expected on a relatively short walk: Green-veined White: 4, Common Blue: 8, Meadow Brown: 8, Small Heath: 3, Brown Argus: 2, Small Copper: 1, Red Admiral: 1, Speckled Wood: 1, Small White: 1 Peter Gore 17 Aug St Albans - Great to see some rain both today and yesterday. Rather overcast all day, but pleased to see a Hummingbird Hawk-moth (video clip below) outside my office window. Also picked up a Small Heath in Verulamium Park at lunchtime - I've seldom (if ever) recorded that species there before Malcolm Hull 15 Aug My garden heatwave butterfly species list increased to 21 with the arrival of an immaculate Speckled Wood. The species list for 2022 is now 22 but totally missing were sightings of any confirmed golden skipper species Liz Goodyear 15 Aug Another Hummingbird Hawk-moth spotted in our garden in Hemel, this time around the Honeysuckle flowers. He fed very quickly and sped off but kept returning for more. Only two other garden sightings - a Large White and a Meadow Brown Chris Ridley 15 Aug St Albans - Large Whites, Small Whites and Holly Blues are the main species flying in the City today. Also had my first sightings of Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell in flight for 3/4 weeks. Numbers of both species in my hibernation shed have been fairly stable over the same period with 7 Peacocks and 7 Small Tortoiseshells recorded in hibernation today Malcolm Hull 14 Aug There was a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in our Harpenden garden mid-evening at exactly the same spot where I saw the considerably more unexpected individual on 8 March Alan Jackson 14 Aug Hounslow. Last of the four extra-hot days and a slight increase in numbers of butterflies seen with no further damage to the site in the areas walked: Speckled Wood: 3, Small White: 4, Brown Argus: 7, Meadow Brown: 9, Common Blue: 5, Large White: 1, Red Admiral: 1, Green-veined White: 2, Small Heath: 1.The Red Admiral was spotted in very deep shade, effectively flying just a little, in the dark Peter Gore 13 Aug Another adventure to Ruislip Gardens Stafford Road with Rick Vickers. We didn't arrive until the wrong side of 2.30 PM but being a hot day we didn't fancy going too early and enduring the heat for a few more hours. With Brown Hairstreak we still managed to see 7 and maybe 8. It took a while to get our first sighting and was beyond 3pm. There is a path there that takes you to a dead end unless your short and very good at limbo dancing! Anyway the first sighted was resting up in shade on a small holly bush, then Rick spotted another in shade again resting up on a bramble leaf. On continuing our search which brought us back to where we had already previously looked we found another that was obviously thirsty feeding up on a thistle close to a good bramble patch. This one provided the best photo opportunity and stayed feeding long enough to get a good photo on my compact camera. A few other low sightings brought the count to 5. Looking up at the patch of oaks we sighted 3 last Sunday a further 2 were seen and possibly another last seen around 6.30 pm. At least 2 Purple Hairstreak were sharing the oaks which remained more elusive than the Brown. Other butterflies seen Peacock 1, Speckled Wood 6, Meadow Brown 2+, Common Blue 5+, Holly Blue 2, a single Gatekeeper was spotted by Rick and a mixture of Large White, Small White and Green-veined White. The fissures in the ground had opened up even more this week due to the drought so mind your step if visiting the site Peter Fewell 12 Aug Hounslow. The second of our four consecutive days with temperatures in the mid-thirties and I managed a shorter walk on which I saw the following: Speckled Wood: 4, Meadow Brown: 6, Brown Argus: 5, Common Blue: 3, Large White: 4, Comma: 1, Holly Blue: 2, Small White: 1 and one Jersey Tiger. I was able to cross the Mill Stream on the Marshalling Yards without getting my shoes wet, the River Crane is at the lowest level I've ever seen. In quiet spots the numerous fish are enjoyable to watch but they're also being appreciated by egrets and herons and less quietly the river also has a large number of small children, dogs and their attendant adults in it so I imagine if fish features could display stress these would be doing so. On the opposite side of the river from path a large stretch of grassland and scrub had burned, probably after my outward journey but before my return so that particular golf course loop was easy to dismiss from my walk. In truth butterfly numbers are low everywhere now Peter Gore 12 Aug This morning at Rickneys quarry 10 Meadow Brown and a Clouded Yellow flying through Steve Kiln 11 Aug As well as several Small Whites, a couple of Large Whites and a Holly Blue, I saw my first Hummingbird Hawk-moth in my Hemel Hempstead garden on the Buddleia Chris Ridley 10 Aug Branch Event This event at Stafford Road Open Space, Ruislip Gardens attracted eight of us prepared to put up with the heat forecasted, it was to reach at least 29 degrees by 2pm when we officially finished. After a slow start the main target was seen low down in a Blackthorn bush and, eventually, 8+ Brown Hairstreaks were reliably seen. Several of these presented photographic opportunities with two on Creeping thistle (not much left in flower) but others, having been seen in flight, were found sitting just inside blackthorn/bramble bushes in the shade. At least one female showed signs of potential egg laying. The rest of the butterfly list consisted of 7 Speckled Wood, seen along the tree lined path as we walked from the station, 10+ Meadow Brown; Large White; Small White; Green-veined White; 6 Common Blue; 2 Gatekeeper; 5+ Purple Hairstreak; Comma and Red Admiral and a Jersey Tiger moth. Nick Furtek, whose local knowledge proved invaluable, and two others stayed on afterwards. They added 1 Small Copper; 5 Holly Blue; 1 Peacock; 25 more Common Blue and 15 Brown Argus Dick Middleton 11 Aug Heatwave butterfly watch 2 is considerably quieter than heatwave 1! However, my all time garden list increased by one with a sighting of a Purple Hairstreak taking moisture from the pond just after 5.30 this evening! Also repeat sightings of a Hummingbird Hawk-moth since Saturday. Painted Lady on Monday Liz Goodyear 9 Aug Bedstraw Hawk-moth came to a Light Trap in my Letchworth garden. A rare migrant, only 4 Herts records in the last 20yrs Roger Millard 9 Aug Hounslow. Another sunny day and sadly another fire, this time a big one. Whilst the burning of the Brambles, Buddleia and Broom above the culverted River Crane has occurred at least twice before in recent years, the damage beyond the fence in the older established (60 years) part is more severe than anything I've seen there: grassland, scrub and many mature trees destroyed. Some of the newly planted area re-established by Network Rail has also been damaged. With drought and dryness worsening I felt fortunate to see the butterflies I did: Speckled Wood: 9, Gatekeeper: 2, Small White: 3, Large White: 9, Brown Argus: 3, Common Blue: 5, Small Heath: 2, Meadow Brown: 24, Holly Blue: 1, Comma: 1 and two Jersey Tigers Peter Gore 8 Aug Had a Hummingbird hawk-moth feeding on the buddleia in my garden in South Harrow at dusk. Also had a Small Tortoiseshell, a Red Admiral and 2 Holly Blue earlier in the evening Michael Robinson 8 Aug We arrived at the Stafford Road Open Space near Ruislip at around 10:30 in warm sunshine. Very little butterfly activity to start with but at 11:00 Bob spotted our target species, the Brown Hairstreak, feeding on thistles (TQ091 856) and in the next hour or so we saw another 8 of which at least 2 were feeding also on bramble flowers and blackberries. The last two we saw, were jinking around the blackthorn thickets quite low down (TQ092 856) but by now the heat was perhaps getting too much for them. Species seen: Brown Hairstreak 9, Speckled Wood 1, Gatekeeper 5, Common Blue 2, Holly Blue 2, Meadow Brown 10+, Large White 1, Small White 4, Brown Argus 1 Peter Clarke Bob Clift 7 Aug Saw a Jersey Tiger on a fir tree near our hedge in Welwyn Garden City Melvin Jack 7 Aug Following up on the egg hunt for Brown Hairstreak it was time to investigate Ruislip Gardens with Rick Vickers. It turned out to be a fabulous afternoon. In total 5 Brown Hairstreak seen and they looked fresh too. The first photographed was a female found feeding on a thistle flower and quite obliging too! The second with more pronounced tails was a little further up a tree. We returned to a spot we had seen hairstreaks in the top of an oak but wasn't entirely certain of identification. With the sun shining on this spot late afternoon a further 3 were sighted with what looked like some amorous courtship behaviour going on we were not sure if we witnessed any mating but worth straining our necks to see. There were also a couple of Purple Hairstreak up there as well, they seem to be playing hard to get this year with me and not managed to take a single photo of the one. Anyway I shall enter Purple Hairstreak at 3+. Other butterflies seen Comma 3, Red Admiral 1, Holly Blue 2, Common Blue 3+, Speckled Wood 3+, Small Heath 1, A good number of Whites on the wing with confirmed sighting of Large White and Green-veined White, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper butterflies both present in double figures Peter Fewell 7 Aug Broxbourne Woods NNR. Silver-washed Fritillary =2, Purple Hairstreak =2, Common Blue (male) =3, Comma =1, Peacock =1, Speckled Wood =5. Lots of Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and whites. Jersey Tiger moth =1. The best locations (by far) were the flower patch at the west carpark and the boardwalk near the east carpark Chris Benton 7 Aug Hounslow. A warm sunny day but numbers seen reducing, in particular as the Gatekeepers near the end of their season: Speckled Wood: 6, Meadow Brown: 46, Small White: 2, Large White: 2, Common Blue: 6, Brown Argus: 5, Gatekeeper: 3, Purple Hairstreak: 1, Red Admiral: 1, Holly Blue: 2 and two Jersey Tigers Peter Gore 5 Aug An unusual Chalkhill Blue seen on Therfield Heath (Church Hill). I believe it is the aberration obsoleta Nick Mann 6 Aug Therfield Heath. At least 5 Adonis Blues visiting flowers at the botton of the Rifle Range area. And hundreds of Chalkhill Blues. Also 1 Painted Lady, 3 Brimstones, 1 Comma Chris Benton 6 Aug Ickenham Fields - 7 Brown Hairstreak, four of them up in the trees and three low down on Blackthorn hedges this afternoon. Got some fabulous close up views, but regrettably they didn't hang around for photos. Also new for me today, summer brood Small Copper (5). Other notable sightings include 9 Common Blues, 7 Brown Argus, 1 Small Heath, 2 Purple Hairstreak, 1 Jersey Tiger and 1 Comma Why not join Dick Middleton at the Stafford Road Open Space this Wednesday or Dave Howdon at Horsenden Hill next Saturday to find the Brown Hairstreak - for details click here Malcolm Hull 5 Aug I saw the first of the second-generation Adonis Blues today on Therfield Heath - here's hoping for a good showing over the next few weeks. Here's the report: Therfield Heath (Church Hill: TL332397). A second-generation Adonis Blue was on the wing today. Chalkhill Blue numbers have, predictably, declined considerably although there are still plenty about. Common Blue and Brown Argus numbers are still on the increase. There was no sign of any Skippers, Marbled Whites or Fritillaries. Species seen: Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood (in Fox Covert), Small Heath, Meadow Brown (lots), Gatekeeper, Brown Argus (20+), Common Blue (20+), Chalkhill Blue (40+) and Adonis Blue (1) Martin Johnson 5 Aug Hounslow. Fifteen species seen which has slightly surprised me and also an increase in the number of white butterflies, one of the few occasions this year when the usually commonplace remark that there was a significant number of unidentified whites applies. Here's today's list: Large White: 3, Speckled Wood: 9, Meadow Brown: 65, Green-veined White: 4, Red Admiral: 2, Gatekeeper: 19, Brown Argus: 7, Common Blue: 4, Purple Hairstreak: 1, Holly Blue: 2, Small Heath: 2, Small White: 5, Comma: 1, Painted Lady: 2, Brimstone: 1 Peter Gore 5 Aug Bourne End junction - My first sighting of a second generation Small Blue - in fact 3 seen at this site in total. Common Blue (4) and 6-spot Burnet (7) also spotted at this site. At the northern section of Aldbury Nowers Chalkhill Blues were out in force. I counted 84, easily the highest total I've ever recorded at this site. The larval plant, Horseshoe Vetch is becoming plentiful as is wild marjoram, a favoured nectar source. Other notable sightings at this site included Common Blue (42), Brown Argus (13), Dark Green Fritillary (2), Brimstone (7) and Small Heath (2) Malcolm Hull 4 Aug Hounslow. A much pleasanter sunny day with a breeze, so a full walk and the increased numbers reflect that rather any other trend: Green-veined White: 6, Speckled Wood: 13, Large White: 2, Gatekeeper: 22, Small White: 1, Painted Lady: 1, Common Blue: 6, Brown Argus: 5, Meadow Brown: 49, Comma: 1 and four Jersey Tigers Peter Gore 4 Aug Heartwood Forest, Sandridge - Common Blue (88), Small Heath (34), Brown Argus (5), Painted Lady (2) and Purple Hairstreak (2) were the highlights of this mornings walk. Small Skipper and Essex Skipper both still flying in low numbers. Meadow Brown Speckled Wood and Gatekeeper still in reasonable numbers. Very few whites Nomansland Common - a similar mix of species but numbers were low - just 11 Common Blue and 11 Small Heath. Also 2 Green-veined Whites and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Both sites are worryingly dry. With no rain forecast, I am concerned that butterflies will suffer from a shortage of nectar and caterpillar food plants Malcolm Hull 3 Aug Hounslow. A warm humid day lacking much sun and a walk similar to the last shorter version. More stretches of burnt grass around. This was the butterflies seen: Speckled Wood: 5, Meadow Brown: 34, Green-veined White: 1, Small Copper: 1, Common Blue: 10, Gatekeeper: 7, Small White: 2, Brown Argus: 1, Large White: 4 and one Jersey Tiger Peter Gore 3 Aug Verulamium Park, St Albans - Blues still on the way up with 18 Common Blues and 8 Brown Argus at lunchtime. Also my first Painted Lady of the summer. Numbers of other species reducing with Meadow Brown, Comma, Gatekeeper all well down. A different story on the Folly Lane allotments where more watering takes place and there are more nectaring opportunities and cabbages. Here Large White and Small White are dominant and Gatekeepers still out in force. Gypsy Moths are back, with several bombing up and down the road outside my house all afternoon Malcolm Hull 2 Aug We decided to visit Stafford Road Open Space at Ruislip Gardens as it was very warm, even if rather dull and windy. We were rewarded with 3 Brown Hairstreaks, as well as Holly Blue, Common Blue, Comma, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood. Also Jersey Tiger and Common Footman moths. If you are visiting take a box as there are superb blackberries there Andrew Wood 1 Aug Norton Green near Pigeonswick Cottage.. Small Skipper x1, Meadow Brown x1, Gatekeeper x5, Painted Lady x2, Red Admiral x1 Norton Green Common. Comma x1, Speckled Wood x1, Small Skipper x2, Gatekeeper x3, Silver-washed Fritillary x4 plus 1x Hummingbird hawk-moth Richard Best 1 Aug An early afternoon walk from the house down to the Old rivers orchard and fields Sawbridgeworth, August has brought the Painted Ladies out... 1 Essex Skipper, 3 Brimstone ( 2 f 1 m), 1 Brown Argus, 5 Common Blue (4 m 1 f), 4 Painted Lady (4 very bright and lively individuals), 1 Speckled Wood, 26 Gatekeeper, 9 Meadow Brown Laurence Drummond 1 Aug A stunning Jersey Tiger in my North Watford this afternoon John Liberty 1 Aug Verulamium Park, St Albans - rather overcast at lunchtime, with butterflies harder to find. A new flush of Brown Argus (3), Common Blues (6) and Large Whites (5) were the highlight. Numbers of all other species well down including Essex Skipper (2), Small Skipper (1), Meadow Brown (4), Gatekeeper (5), Comma (1), Green-veined White (1) and Small White (2). Thistles and Knapweed still seem to be holding nectar, but all other vegetation is now looking parched Malcolm Hull July Date Description Recorder 31 Jul Branch Event Millhoppers' Walk. The weather forecast did not look very good at all for our annual walk but despite this 6 people did turn up. A family group from the local area and a couple all the way from Barnet. Thankfully the rain stayed away and there was some brightness so 7 species were seen. Small White 2, Brimstone 1, Common Blue 2, Gatekeeper 13, Meadow Brown 7, Ringlet 1 and Speckled Wood 2. The stars of the day were the moths from the previous nights trap. Highlights of these were the Gypsy Moth, Black Arches, Magpie, Straw Underwing, Copper Underwing and a male Yellow-tail. The children were especially excited by them and even helped us release them back into the vegetation Chris Hilling 31 Jul Jersey Tiger seen on box shrub in our Hitchin garden Susan Smith 30 Jul Cassiobury Park. Gatekeeper 7, Meadow Brown 5, Antler Moth 1, Large White 3, Common Blue 2, other Whites on the wing. Lime Avenue, It took a while in warm but cloudy conditions but we did see a single which flew from the lime tree nearest the canal where previous sightings from this year happened into another lime on the opposite side. So Purple Emperor 1, Gatekeeper 1, Meadow Brown 1, we put down Purple Hairstreak 1, a brief flypast but after what happened in Whippendell Woods I would say that is questionable. A few more whites spotted along the Lime Avenue. Whippendell Woods. The continued dry spell has taken its toll on the butterfly numbers and I don't think it was just down to the cloudy conditions. Silver-washed Fritillary 4, Green-veined White 4, Comma 3 including a good example of the hutchinsoni form, Gatekeeper 2, Red Admiral 1, Meadow Brown 2+, Small Skipper 1, Ringlet 1, Speckled Wood 1 and several other whites. Last but not least a White-letter Hairstreak showed up! It may not be pristine but it is the first one we have seen in Whippendell Woods since 2019. I consider that a result as they haven't gone extinct here after all Peter Fewell 30 Jul Hounslow. Numbers of butterflies seen today not comparable with recent walks since despite spending time in each of the usual 4 squares this was a much shortened walk (and in dull conditions) : Speckled Wood: 6, Gatekeeper: 23, Meadow Brown: 44, Brown Argus: 6, Common Blue: 11, Green-veined White: 2, Small Heath: 1, Large White: 1 and two Jersey Tigers Peter Gore 29 Jul Hounslow. Overall a similar pattern of sightings and weather to yesterday: Gatekeeper: 69, Meadow Brown: 64, Speckled Wood: 8, Red Admiral: 2, Common Blue: 19, Green-veined White: 4, Holly Blue: 6, Peacock: 1, Large White: 5, Ringlet: 2, Brown Argus: 8, Comma: 2, Small Copper: 1, Brimstone: 1 and five Jersey Tigers Peter Gore 29 Jul We had our first ever record of Silver-washed Fritillary (Fem) in our St Albans garden in 26 years! Also Gatekeeper 4, Large White 1, Brimstone 1, Peacock 1 & Holly Blue 1 Peter Ewer 28 Jul Hounslow. Mostly sunny and numbers flying reflect that. Small increases for Comma and Holly Blue are welcome, whites continue to be very poor producing the odd effect for us here of Large White apparently outnumbering the others: Red Admiral: 3, Speckled Wood: 15, Gatekeeper: 56, Meadow Brown: 74, Small White: 2, Large White: 5, Comma: 9, Brown Argus: 7, Common Blue: 17, Holly Blue: 7, Small Copper: 2, Small Heath: 1 and two Jersey Tigers. As far as my extensive walk is concerned, it's little damaged so far by fires with a small patch of grass on the Marshalling Yards and a larger one of brambly scrub on the Pevensey Road loops the only casualties. Very very dry and autumnal though Peter Gore 28 Jul Branch Event Grand Union Canal, Park Royal - 4 people joined today's Big City Butterflies walk, arranged by the Canals and Rivers Trust We met in the car park at Wormwood Scrubbs and we're greeted by a passing Red Admiral. The meadows at the Scrubbs are now quite dry, with cracks in the earth 2 inches wide. We saw good numbers of Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns, but no other species. Up Old Oak Lane and onto the canal towpath, there were several lively whites - both Small White and Large White were eventually identified. We had multiple sightings of Common Blue, also Holly Blue, Comma and more Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns. Returning to the Scrubbs I added two Holly Blues and 3 Purple Hairstreaks to the days total Malcolm Hull 27 Jul I saw several interesting species at Rotten Row between Braughing and Furneux Pelham. I was looking for Common Blue which like the blue coloured crop which has recently been harvested but the farmer has left a good strip around the edge. There were about 8 male Common Blues but I was delighted to see a male Clouded Yellow chasing what could have been a female (a paler yellow butterfly of similar size). They were very mobile - I am certain the male was a Clouded Yellow though I also found a Silver-washed Fritillary on the edge of the field. There were lots of Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns, several Peacocks and a Red Admiral, and plenty of Large Whites and Small Whites Paula Moore 25 Jul Norton Green (TL225227). Small Skipper x2, Marbled White x1, Meadow Brown x1, Gatekeeper x10 plus Hummingbird hawk-moth Richard Best 25 Jul Today's Alexandra Park Transect saw fewer flying, I can't help wondering if the intense heat last week killed some off. Definitely fewer Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers. Good to see a Small Copper they've been scarce. I was pleased to see 8 or so male Common Blues, and my first female today. The surprise of the day was when I was walking up through a gap in Oak trees a Purple Hairstreak landed very close low down on an oak leaf. First closed its wings, and then opened them. I believe it was a female. Was pleased to have had my phone handy for a quick shot. I've seen them sporadically this season high up Dee Cullen 24 Jul Millhoppers Reserve. Late morning just before I was going to leave I checked the footpath on East side of reserve. Approaching a Greater Burdock plant I saw a large orange butterfly nectaring. I realised quickly that it was not a Comma as I first thought but a female Silver-washed Fritillary! As far as I know, never before recorded at the reserve Chris Hilling 24 Jul Hounslow. A sunny day but with a fairly strong breeze discouraging to butterflies in open spaces so perhaps not too too surprising to see another sharp drop in numbers seen. Towards the end of my walk the heath began to fill with smoke and the smell of burning grass. Everything is very dry here with trees as well as shrubs beginning to die. These were today's sightings: Speckled Wood: 13, Meadow Brown: 56, Gatekeeper: 57, Small White: 6, Large White: 6, Red Admiral: 1, Common Blue: 14, Brown Argus: 6, Ringlet: 1, Small Heath: 2, Comma: 2, Purple Hairstreak: 1, Holly Blue: 4, Small Copper: 3, Small Skipper: 2, Painted Lady: 1 and three Jersey Tigers Peter Gore 24 Jul White-letter Hairstreak on a car tyre in Northaw plus Silver-washed Fritillary in my Northaw garden Sam Fuller 23 Jul I spotted a rare visitor to Therfield Heath. Therfield Heath (Old Rifle Range, TL 348 402) - one Clouded Yellow in very good condition, so presumably it hasn't travelled far! Also increasing numbers of Common Blue and Brown Argus amongst the clouds of Chalkhill Blues, the males of which were seen flying some distance away in the surrounding fields. I also spotted a single Small Copper, quite a rare butterfly hereabouts, amongst 19 species seen this morning Martin Johnson 23 Jul I had my season's first Jersey Tiger in my South Mymms front garden at 10:15 this morning Terry Wood 17 Jul Cassiobury Park. On a return visit with Rick Vickers a number of species were seen in the park starting with the expected at this time of year. Meadow Brown, Ringlets, Gatekeeper, Small/Essex Skipper, Large Skipper 1, Whites numerous, Speckled Wood 1, Peacock 1, Small Copper 1, Common Blue 1 male + a probable female sighted, Brown Argus 1. Whilst looking at the scabious flowers an anomaly showed up! I only saw the orange wings and realised that it wasn't a comma by wing shape and wasn't big enough to be a Silver-Washed Fritillary. Rick managed to get a view of the underwing just enough to confirm a Dark Green Fritillary sadly no photo and flew off over the back gardens. Cassiobury Park is not the place for a Dark Green so does seem to suggest that some species of butterfly do venture further during good warm dry spells as with the Brown Argus. Lime Avenue. Further investigation for the Purple Emperor we found a further lime tree with a Purple Emperor in the canopy. On this occasion we saw 4 in total with two sighted by the original tree on the way back, along with Speckled Wood 1, Large White 1, confirmed as well as other whites seen, Purple Hairstreak 1. Whippendell Woods. Peacock 4, Silver-washed Fritillary 20+ Holly Blue 7, Large Skipper 1, Green-veined White 1, Gatekeeper 7, Speckled Wood 2, Small Skipper 1, White Admiral 1 at "Camilla Oak" (same one from the day before) Rick spotted a potential second in that area. Large White 3+ many other whites on wing, Ringlets, Meadow Brown, and Commas in good numbers! Peter Fewell 16 Jul Whippendell Woods/Lime Avenue. After the sightings of Purple Emperor on the previous weeks butterfly walk I was keen to investigate further. I met up with Jarek to mark out with purple ribbon the spots where the Purple Emperors had been seen this year and past sightings. It didn't take long to see one where sighted the week before high up patrolling a territory around a lime tree. A little further up near the signs warning of golf balls a second lime tree was found to have 2 more seen high up. In total 3 Purple Emperor seen. With stiff necks we looked along the river briefly a marked a spot I saw a female in 2017 with the dense vegetation and no females sighted moved on into Whippendell Woods to mark out where Jarek photographed a Purple Emperor last season. Other butterflies seen Red Admiral 1, White Admiral 1 at "Camilla Oak" and a couple of possible glimpse sightings. Silver-washed Fritillary 15+ Small Skipper 1, many whites on the wing along with Comma, Peacock, Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Purple Hairstreak. Also noted Cinnabar Moth larva. Cassiobury Park. We didn't do too much searching in the park due to heat but in the same spot as has occurred in similar weather conditions in past seasons Brown Argus 1, Common Blue 2, Small Copper 1, along with Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small/Essex Skipper Peter Fewell 23 Jul Hounslow. A sunny morning with the following identified: Speckled Wood: 16, Meadow Brown: 64, Gatekeeper: 77, Red Admiral: 1, Small White: 2, Small Heath: 2, Comma: 1, Small Copper: 2, Brown Argus: 14, Small Skipper: 1, Essex Skipper: 1, Green-Veined White: 1, Peacock: 1, Common Blue: 25, Large White: 1, Brimstone: 2 and three Jersey Tigers Peter Gore 23 Jul 3 Clouded Yellow in Rickneys Quarry this afternoon Steve Kiln 23 Jul Branch Event - New Members' Walk We were joined by six newer members this morning for a walk around Greenwood Park. Unfortunately the hot dry weather meant butterflies weren't numerous but we were pleased to see several Meadow Brown, at least 20 very fresh Common Blue, 2 Brown Argus, 2 Gatekeeper, 2 Large White, at least 5 Small/Essex Skippers - several were probably Essex and a Comma. The star find was a very fresh Small Copper! Before the walk we were joined by John Murray who brought along some moths that had been recorded the previous night in his garden. Despite the lack of butterflies everyone had a very enjoyable walk Liz Goodyear Ian Small 22 Jul Hounslow. Cloudy again and gloomy enough in woodland areas to discourage even Speckled Wood from flying: Gatekeeper: 98, Meadow Brown: 56, Small Heath: 6, Speckled Wood: 6, Green-veined White: 4, Red Admiral: 2, Ringlet: 2, Small White: 2, Brown Argus: 2, Common Blue: 20, Comma: 1, Large White: 1, Peacock: 1, Painted Lady: 2, Small Skipper: 1 Peter Gore 21 Jul Visited Hexton Chalk Pit with Chris Hankinson. The place still teems with Chalkhill Blue. Also Comma, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, 6-spot Burnet & a rather golden Silver Y. Plus a great video of Chalkhill blue on poo Dick Ashford 21 Jul Grand Union Canal, Harlesden - Out looking for Big City Butterflies with Eashani Haria of Canals and Rivers Trust and Steve Bolton. We spotted 4 Holly Blues, 1 Comma, 1 Large White and 1 Green-veined White Malcolm Hull 21 Jul Hounslow. Not much sun but numbers of butterflies seen still holding up well although variety declining. There are a very few Skippers still remaining but with bodies much reduced in size after mating and egg laying and wings sustaining the usual damage typical of 'old' butterflies they're actually really small and difficult to spot and identify. Here's today's list: Speckled Wood: 7, Meadow Brown: 71, Common Blue: 21, Red Admiral: 2, Ringlet: 2, Brown Argus: 14, Small Heath: 3, Gatekeeper: 138, Large White: 1, Comma: 2, Peacock: 2, Holly Blue: 5, Small White: 1, Green-veined White: 4 and one Jersey Tiger Peter Gore 21 Jul I have seen a Long-tailed Blue in my Ealing garden again today, both in the morning and in the afternoon. Presumably the same individual as yesterday John Eborall 20 Jul A Long-tailed Blue seems to have settled down to spend a night in my Ealing garden John Eborall 20 Jul St Albans Shed - the temperature in the shade of my garden reached 37.5C yesterday. This triggered a mini rush of Peacocks into hibernation positions with 5 recorded this morning, joining the 8 Small Tortoiseshells already hibernating. Once in the shed the Small Tortoiseshells seldom emerge before the next Spring. A majority of Peacocks will do the same, but based on past years I expect a minority will emerge for supplementary feeding in the next few weeks before returning to their winter quarters Malcolm Hull 20 Jul Not strictly a garden heatwave butterfly watch in Ware as it was a more tolerable temperature but I did increase my now 5 day garden total to 18 when a male Brimstone flew through. Of additional note 46 Jersey Tigers came to light last night. 42 more than the previous night Liz Goodyear 20 Jul Hounslow. Back to walking after a unique two day enforced break due to the high temperatures and it was fairly unpleasant overcast humid conditions still but of course positively refreshing compared to Monday and Tuesday. Sightings show no obvious dramatic effects since the last walk: no Marbled White or Ringlet recorded as the trend suggested, the browns continuing to do well and the whites poorly: Gatekeeper: 92, Speckled Wood: 27, Meadow Brown: 82, Green-veined White: 7, Common Blue: 15, Brown Argus: 9, Holly Blue: 3, Small White: 5, Small Heath: 5, Small Skipper: 1, Peacock: 2, Comma: 3, Purple Hairstreak: 2, Red Admiral: 2, Small Copper: 3 and three Jersey Tigers Peter Gore 20 Jul Did my annual count for Chalkhill Blues at Hexton Chalk Pit, where I try to find decent conditions near the flight peak. I walk the length of the pit in each direction counting all Chalkhills within 5 metres. This year gave an average of 202 which is up from 155 in 2021 and 88 in 2020, so as at Therfield Heath this species seems to be doing well. I would estimate a peak population across this whole small site of near 1000 adults. I also saw Dark Green Fritillary, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Comma, Peacock and Six-spot Burnet Andrew Wood 19 Jul Day 4 of the garden heatwave butterfly watch in Ware was very poor - totally heat related but the 4 day count increased to 17 with the arrival of a Small Tortoiseshell. 3 potential species could still arrive but very satisfied with the species! Liz Goodyear 18 Jul Branch Event As we walked across Therfield Heath I was reminded of the very first Branch Event that I led, some years ago. Then, as now, only one other person turned up - a lady, who was keen to see and photograph a Chalkhill Blue. It was pouring with rain, and we managed to find a solitary male roosting in the wet grass. Success! I was home half an hour later. On this occasion, accompanied by a good friend, clouds of Chalkhill Blues were swirling around us wherever we went although, with temperatures in the low 30s, they weren't keen to settle. After 40 minutes of walking, we had seen enough and went our separate ways. I stayed on for a few minutes in order to photograph a mating pair of Chalkhill Blues and to prove that I was either a mad dog or an Englishman (or both). The following species were seen: Small/Essex Skipper, Large White, Small White, Brimstone, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Marbled White, Dark Green Fritillary, Peacock, Comma, Holly Blue (1) and Chalkhill Blue. This has been a vintage summer for Chalkhill Blues. At a very rough estimate I reckon that around 2,000 may be flying across the heath at present. We also saw 6-Spot Burnet Moths and an unidentified hawker dragonfly. Unfortunately, the Turtle Dove that had been present here over the weekend had gone (we are both bird watchers). On returning home I found an unusual garden visitor in the form of a White-letter Hairstreak butterfly. It stayed around long enough for me to take a few 'record shots' Martin Johnson 19 Jul This morning I was enjoying breakfast in our Harpenden garden before the heat of the day became too intense when I caught sight of a small butterfly with a light brown underside at rest on a stone path. I crawled towards it and to my astonishment saw it was a Purple Hairstreak - the first I've seen in the garden in 36 years. It stayed around for about 20 minutes, with the undersides of its wings angled towards the sun. As a youngster in the 'fifties I'd have been incredulous if you'd told me that in my retirement I'd have PH, Commas and Speckled Woods in the garden and PEs only a mile away, not to mention the Red Kites and Common Buzzards overhead. From time to time we need to remind the environmentalists that it's not all doom and gloom! I do miss the sight of Sedum spectabile plants smothered in Small Tortoiseshells in the autumn, though Following this morning's sighting of the first Purple Hairstreak in our garden in 36 years I now have another to report! I was walking past our metal garage door at the front of the house (with the sun shining directly on it on the hottest day ever experienced here the door was radiating fierce heat in an air temperature of 36.9°C when I looked down in disbelief and saw another small, light brown butterfly on the ground: PH no. 2. This one was pristine, unlike the first which was well worn - definitely a different individual. It's possible that both were attracted to something in the cracks between the block paving. But what might the second one have been doing at ground level at that time of day? Alan Jackson 18 Jul Day 3 of the garden heatwave butterfly watch in Ware was generally quieter, presumably the heat having an effect. However a wow moment occurred when the 'comma' fluttering around my garden turned into a female Silver-washed Fritillary - she then laid an egg on the dead stem of a hebe next to my violet patch!!! No photo but my home square in Ware is now up to 28 species! Liz Goodyear 17 Jul Day 2 of the garden heatwave butterfly watch in Ware increased to 12 species today but 4 differed from yesterday with Ringlet, Small White, Holly Blue being added, Small Copper returned. But the star was being buzzed by at Purple Emperor at 10:45 (sex unknown as so quick). Current total now 15? Two more days to go! Liz Goodyear 17 Jul Hounslow. An identical walk to yesterday other than a half-hour earlier start so I was slightly surprised to end with a sharp drop in numbers recorded. Two possible causes suggest themselves: although most species are down the biggest fall is in Gatekeeper numbers. Like Marbled White and Ringlet before this tends to happen with Gatekeeper but I wouldn't have expected it so soon. The other factor may be the relative absence of sun in the latter part of the walk with hazy cloud preventing it cutting through and discouraging butterfly activity. The variety of species around is still high though: Meadow Brown: 83, Gatekeeper: 124, Speckled Wood: 21, Green-veined White: 7, Purple Hairstreak: 4, Holly Blue: 4, Large White: 2, Common Blue: 27, Ringlet: 3, Small Skipper: 7, Brown Argus: 11, Brimstone: 1, Small Copper: 1, Painted Lady: 2, Small White: 3, Small Heath: 2, Marbled White: 1, Comma: 3, Red Admiral: 3, Peacock: 4 and one Jersey Tiger Peter Gore 17 Jul Branch Event Bricket Wood Common - Another superb day for todays branch walk led by Chris Newman and Malcolm Hull. 17 of us set off towards the Common, stopping at Bricket Wood Station to admire several Peacocks on Buddleia and learn about the project to restore the station building into a community hub. Onto the Common butterflies were hard to come by at first. The canopy is slowly closing over the ride and there are just a few sunny pockets left. We soon identified Ringlets, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper, also Large White, Small White and Green-veined White. Our next butterly was a female Silver-washed Fritillary, the first of 12 of this species we saw in total. Continuing along the ride we found Straw Dot, Speckled Wood, more Peacocks, a White Admiral, Small Skipper and Large Skipper. Into the clearing we added Marbled White, Brimstone and Purple Hairstreak as well as seeing far more Gatekeepers and skippers. Those we identified were all Small Skipper with no Essex. Stopping at the pond to admire the dragonflies we spotted a Comma. A few of us then went on to Mutchetts Wood and were rewarded with some great views of Purple Emperor in the newly created canopy gap. We had nearly continuous views of one or more for a whole hour, starting at 12.45pm. Flights around the edge of the canopy gap were interspersed with great views of the Emperor perched on top of the oaks and spruce. A second PE appeared and after a period of 30 seconds ignoring each other, a very brief clash occurred, followed by a relatively low speed chase. This lasted less than a minute before the victor returned and resumed perch band patrol activities. Purple Hairstreak and Silver-washed Fritillary were also seen in the wood. A magical day, I feel so lucky to have had two so successful PE trips on successive days. Many thanks to all those members who came along Chris Newman Malcolm Hull 17 Jul A sighting that's a first for me - saw a White-letter Hairstreak this morning in Crane Park (on low-down riverside foliage by the underpass that goes under the A316) - TQ 13562 72684. I'm going to have to go back to find more now - I didn't know they were here Sally Ewen 15 Jul I took a brief trip out to Aldbury Nowers to see a Chalkhill Blue as I had yet to see one this season. I was hoping to see a Dark Green Fritillary too but that didn't happen and only one sighting of a Silver-washed Fritillary along the Ridgeway path. But I did get to see some chalky's. Also at Aldbury Nowers there is the mite thing going on! Of all the visits made by Rick and I there seems to be a concentration of these parasites at the southern end during the butterfly season at this time of year. I have not noticed this so much on the northern part where you're likely to see a Chalkhill Blue. I don't get out there enough to find out, I hope someone who does know the area better than I can comment on that at some point. There was a Gatekeeper at the southern side with mites, I've also seen them on Common Blue, Marbled Whites and a number of other species too in the Southern section. But less so in the northern section! Species seen before it overbakes! Meadow Brown and Ringlets seen but predominantly out of the two species Ringlets more prevalent, Gatekeeper 30+, Marbled White 15+ more seen at northern end. Second emergence of Peacock and Brimstone has been happening and good numbers seen of both species! Comma 2+, Common Blue 2+, many whites also present but can confirm at least one was a Green-veined White. Red Admiral 1, Large Skipper 1 sighted, Small Skipper numerous, Brown Argus 3+ all really small!, Chalkhill Blue 20+. Although brief glad I went! Peter Fewell 16 Jul Heartwood Forest. 2 Purple Emperor, 5 Comma, 5 Peacock. As already reported by others, strong numbers of Silver-washed Fritillary at Symonshyde Wood. I estimate seeing 30+ Simon Mavin 16 Jul Norton Green (TL229232) Speckled Wood x2, Ringlet x6, Comma x2, Purple Hairstreak x8, Peacock x10, Small Skipper x1, Marbled White x7, Meadow Brown x4, Gatekeeper x8, Silver-washed Fritillary x4, Large Skipper x1 Norton Green outside Pigeonswick Cottage (TL22482275) White Admiral x1, Speckled Wood x1, Red Admiral x4, Green-veined White x1, Peacock x10, Small Skipper x2, Marbled White x2, Meadow Brown x6, Gatekeeper x14, Silver-washed Fritillary x1, Purple Hairstreak x1 Richard Best 16 Jul Hounslow. An earlier start with similar results to yesterday, an unlikely Purple Hairstreak landing on the centre of a Japanese Knotweed leaf 6 inches in front of my face pleased me more than anything else even though it kept its wings closed as ever. Here are today's sightings: Gatekeeper: 170, Speckled Wood: 28, Meadow Brown: 85, Small Skipper: 9, Holly Blue: 4, Peacock: 8, Ringlet: 5, Marbled White: 2, Brown Argus: 9, Common Blue: 25, Small Copper: 2, Small White: 4, Small Heath: 3, Green-veined White: 6, Comma: 1, Large White: 7, Purple Hairstreak: 6, Red Admiral: 1 and a Jersey Tiger Peter Gore 16 Jul A day sitting in the shade in my Ware garden watching butterflies. Total number of species was 11 but highlights were a White-letter Hairstreak nectaring on recently watered Hemp Agrimony and brief stops by a Small Copper and Brown Argus. Unfortunately this was over several hours so can't be submitted to the Big Butterfly Count! Liz Goodyear 16 Jul Branch Event Heartwood Forest, Sandridge - Success with our Summer Butterfly walk to see Purple Emperors! 28 of us and 1 well-behaved dog set off in sunny conditions and in the first meadow were treated to views of several freshly emerged Common Blues, along with Ringlets, Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, orange skippers and whites Turning on to the track alongside Langley Wood, we added Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Comma, Large Skipper, Green-veined White, Large White and Purple Hairstreak, one of several today which came down low and posed for photos. Further up the track we saw Peacock, Marbled White, Holly Blue and Shaded Broad-bar. A small orange skipper finally stopped and turned out to be Small Skipper. In fact so did the next 5 and it was only on the way back I finally confirmed one as Essex Skipper Arriving at the Dog Pond by Well Wood we searched carefully for mud-puddling butterflies around the edge of the pond. There were several - but all skippers and not Purple Emperor. Suddenly a shout went up, followed shortly by fantastic views of a Purple Emperor gliding majestically around an oak near the pond, staying in view long enough for nearly everyone to see it. We then moved along the track, stopping to see a Brown Argus and arrived at the eastern tip of Pudler's Wood to watch for territorial activity in the assembly area. There were a few flickers of movement in the tree tops, but then we were told a passer-by had seen 2 Purple Emperors low down in a nearby oak tree. We quickly relocated 20 yards along the track and there they were, 2 Emperors feeding just above our heads on sap runs on branches of an oak. We had excellent views and photo opportunities, particularly when one Emperor landed just above head height on a nearby oak. The other kept feeding and we could clearly see the yellow proboscis feeding off the sap. Competition for the sap came from 2 Commas, a Speckled Wood, a Hornet and a range of fly species. All were seen off with the Emperor moving its position and flicking its wings to drive the other insects away from its feast. The Emperor was still feeding in exactly the same spot an hour later. By then most people had gone, but I stayed on hoping to see some tree-top activity. Just after 2pm a high speed chase erupted with one male chasing another around the assembly area and off out of sight. I waited for the victor to return and 4 mins later was amazed to see both butterflies, still chasing at top speed, zoom round the canopy high point and again disappear into the distance. A minute later the victor returned on his own, flying very slowly! He may have won mating rights, but looked as though he needed a while to get his breath back before exercising them. Soon after that a female Purple Emperor flew out of Pudler's Wood into Magical Wood to lay on the Sallows. I set off back down the track with another Emperor gliding 30 feet above my head in the same direction. On the way back I saw a Peacock had joined the skippers mud-puddling by the pond. Also added Small Heath, Oak Eggar, 6-spot Burnet and Purple Mint Moth to the days species list Andrew Steele Malcolm Hull 16 Jul This morning at Newton Farm Ecology Park I saw: 1 Comma, 2 Small White, 2 Large White, 3 Green-veined White, 1 Ringlet, 6 Speckled Wood, 14 Gatekeeper, 4 Meadow Brown, 4 Common Blue, 1 Small Skipper. Across the road at Newton Park West I saw: 24 Gatekeeper, 1 Small White, 1 Large White, 2 Speckled Wood, 8 Meadow Brown, 3 Small Skipper, 1 Common Blue Michael Robinson 16 Jul Spotted this Clouded Yellow at Heartwood Forest (Hamm Wood) (TL17551119) this morning Ian Carle 15 Jul Heartwood Forest. 2 Purple Emperor, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Comma, 10+ Peacock, 1 Speckled Wood Simon Mavin 15 Jul Hounslow. For once, start with a moth, or rather with three of them: Jersey Tiger moths dispersed widely across the area as is often the case but none in streets or gardens so far. Butterfly numbers were down a little, a large part of the fall attributable to the rapid departure of Ringlet a usual occurence that invariably shocks me. It didn't stop the species count from reaching 20 for the first time this year, a target I always like to reach and surprisingly achieved without a Red Admiral. Like others I've encountered quite a number of half-sized male Gatekeepers and for me it's caused an additional problem in that I've also been recording small numbers of Small Heaths only flying in areas I wouldn't normally associate with them. I became so concerned yesterday that I banished the one seen from the record altogether whereupon today it (probably) and two others reappeared as if to reproach me. In short the three are all Small Heaths - the species' current absence in usual locations might well be due to desert-like conditions there. The small Gatekeepers mostly open their wings to reveal themselves as such and the very few doubtful ones are ignored. Today's list : Speckled Wood: 26, Purple Hairstreak: 5, Gatekeeper: 167, Green-veined White: 5, Comma: 5, Meadow Brown: 84, Holly Blue: 2, Small White: 10, Painted Lady: 2, Brown Argus: 8, Small Skipper: 10, Marbled White: 5, Brimstone: 1, Common Blue: 24, Essex Skipper: 2, Small Heath: 3, Large White: 6, Peacock: 8, Ringlet: 3, Small Copper: 3 and three Jersey Tiger moths Peter Gore 15 Jul St Albans - My first Big Butterfly Count in the garden this morning produced 3 Peacocks, 1 Large White, 1 Small White, 1 Gatekeeper and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth, nectaring on Perennial Sweet pea. Later I visited Church Hill on Therfield Heath, Royston and counted 285 Chalkhill Blues. The golf course have been watering their tees and greens, bringing in a profusion of blues, along with a few other species. Also counted 20 Dark Green Fritillaries along with Brown Argus, Common Blue, Essex Skipper, Peacock, Red Admiral, 16 species in total. I guess they will be watering the golf course for a while yet, a site well worth visiting Malcolm Hull 14 Jul Brown Hairstreak in my Spelthorne garden at about 1600 hours Dave Ouseley 14 Jul Trees in SW corner of Napsbury Park in London Colney. 5 Purple Hairstreak in 2 oaks at edge of field at 20.30 Darin Stanley 13 Jul SW corner of weedy/scrubby field, B653, Batford - 1 White-letter Hairstreak (last there were three) Darin Stanley 14 Jul Hounslow. No new excitement for me today but highest numbers so far are recorded and even if they're dominated by Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown that's still a good thing. Common Blue is doing well here, as usual my sightings are mainly males but several females are amongst them today: Speckled Wood: 27, Gatekeeper: 167, Purple Hairstreak: 3, Red Admiral: 6, Comma: 10, Meadow Brown: 74, Green-veined White: 7, Ringlet: 24, Small White: 10, Large White: 5, Brown Argus: 6, Small Skipper: 11, Marbled White: 3, Common Blue: 32, Small Copper: 2, Peacock: 14, Essex Skipper: 3, Brimstone: 2 Peter Gore 14 Jul A one-and-a-half hour early morning dog walk this morning around the parched (and yellow rattle-rich) grasslands of Nomansland Common and the wood by West End Farm, Wheathampstead, did not excite: but that's no reason not to note what was around. In decreasing order of abundance, species seen were Gatekeepers, Commas, Speckled Woods, Small Whites, Large Whites, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Marbled Whites (2) and Small/Essex Skipper (1). Several of the male Gatekeepers were extraordinarily small - not a great deal larger than a Small Heath. A resting Broad-barred White moth was disturbed from the undergrowth Alan Jackson 13 Jul Hounslow. No doubt about today's highlight but regrettably some doubt about the species involved which will appear here and on my personal list as a Dark Green Fritillary unless someone can persuade me otherwise. The butterfly concerned flew across my path at head height, an unusual gliding flight and a large butterfly. It didn't go far and settled on what turned out to be a Spear Plume Thistle flower out of my immediate sight. My first thought was a Painted Lady, as I strode towards it I mocked myself for even that thought and expected a faded female Meadow Brown but when I arrived at the thistle I was confronted with a faded heavily spotted butterfly I hadn't seen before. Sadly my brain spent just a little too long trying to turn it into the Painted Lady I'd originally expected whereupon the butterfly departed (in disgust probably!) The only other possibility I'm aware of would be the Valezina form of Silver-Washed Fritillary. I've seen the normal version of this species here on two occasions in the past and am familiar with it from elsewhere so I know it's certainly not that but I've never seen Valezina or Dark Green Fritillary. In any event I concede it's only a wanderer and not from some hidden patch of violets in woodland I've somehow missed. Here's the full list including once again a male Small Copper on the same Ragwort plant seen twice earlier in the week : Gatekeeper: 157, Large White: 8, Speckled Wood: 26, Common Blue: 14, Small Heath: 2, Holly Blue: 2, Comma: 2, Small White: 3, Marbled White: 9, Ringlet: 21, Meadow Brown: 39, Small Skipper: 13, Small Copper: 3, Green-veined White: 5, Peacock: 17, Essex Skipper: 7, Red Admiral: 4, Purple Hairstreak: 3, Dark Green Fritillary (?) : 1 Peter Gore 13 Jul Spent a few hours in the relative cool of Balls Wood (TL343103). No White Admirals (although one had been seen by a fellow spotter) but lots of Peacocks and Ringlets and good numbers of Commas, Small Skippers and Large Whites. A few Silver-washed Fritillaries were gliding around. The highlight was a female Purple Hairstreak resting, wings open, on a stalk of grass. No idea how I spotted her so low down but she obligingly sat for photos! Annie Sutcliffe 12 Jul A quick stop at Westland Green (TL423221), one male Purple Emperor patrolling the territory here Laurence Drummond 12 Jul Weedy/ scrubby field by B653, Batford, Herts., - well, no sign of any activity around the usual tree in the NW corner of the weedy field due to the dull weather conditions but a male Purple Emperor came low and landed for 5 mins from 13.25 - 13.30 giving some excellent views Darin Stanley 11 Jul Hexton Chalk Pits TL106300 Chalkhill Blue x45, Red Admiral x1, Ringlet x6, Comma x2, Large Skipper x1, Peacock x1, Small Skipper x6, Marbled White x6, Large White x2, Meadow Brown x2, Gatekeeper x8, Brimstone x1, Dark Green Fritillary x2 Richard Best 11 Jul Hounslow. Unsurprisingly a very similar day to yesterday even to the extent that one of the two Small Coppers was very likely the same male I saw then, perched on the same Ragwort flowerhead no doubt both as a nectar source and a launching pad to deal with possible rivals or to pursue a mate. This time though there was no Cinnabar caterpillar to be seen on the plant. Other changes were contrasting: more of our local smallest butterfly, Brown Argus, were around and also more Large Whites. The latter disconcerted me on a number of occasions because of size alone. I suspect my eyes and brain may be irreparably tuned to small orange things. Speaking of which: Gatekeeper: 116, Comma: 7, Speckled Wood: 24, Large White: 9, Meadow Brown: 61, Green-veined White: 3, Small White: 11, Small Skipper: 10, Ringlet: 44, Red Admiral: 5, Purple Hairstreak: 4, Peacock: 11, Brown Argus: 10, Holly Blue: 1, Common Blue: 6, Small Copper: 2, Marbled White: 11, Brimstone: 1, Essex Skipper: 2 Peter Gore 11 Jul Weedy/ scrubby field, Batford - 1 Purple Emperor around top of same tree, from 13.30 to 15.00 in NW corner of weedy field. 2nd one turned up but only twice in that time period. Flew low but it landed Darin Stanley 10 Jul Norton Green TL225227 Red Admiral x2, Ringlet x4, Comma x2, Purple Hairstreak x2, Peacock x1, Small Skipper x2, Marbled White x7, Meadow Brown x4, Gatekeeper x8, Silver-washed Fritillary x1 Norton Green TL228227 Large Skipper x2, Ringlet x13, Comma x3, Large White x2, Peacock x6, Small Skipper x10, Marbled White x5, Meadow Brown x13, Gatekeeper x8, Silver-washed Fritillary x2 Six Hills Common Stevenage TL237236 Small Skipper x3, Gatekeeper x5, Meadow Brown x2, Small Copper x1 Richard Best 10 Jul I visited Foxholes Wood (TL185230) again and after about 20 mins (at about 2.20pm) a single Purple Emperor drifted out from the large oak at the eastern end of the path across to the nearby sallows, lazily gliding a few circles before disappearing into the foliage. I searched and waited for another 30 mins with no further sightings but pleased to report another positive location Don Gregory 9 Jul Branch Event Although warm enough the weather was rather overcast as we started, not ideal for our target species of a butterfly most often spotted flitting in the sunlight in the canopy. Perhaps for that reason White-letter Hairstreak proved initially elusive as we wandered around the blocks of elm behind Horsenden Farm. We spotted a few Purple Hairstreak, at least one trying to confuse us by flying around the elm. Hopes were kindled by increasing amounts of blue sky as we headed along the cycle track over the hill, another place where the hairstreaks can often be seen, albeit hindered by the risk of being knocked over by speeding cyclists. As the sun started to peak through one White-letter Hairstreak was picked up in flight and tracked to where it landed, eventually allowing everyone the opportunity so it it sat up and the long-lensed photographers a chance to get some shots. With the targetted achieved we decided to head over on the lower fields to do some more general butterflying. Sunlight built up and that gave us a more active butterfly conditions. The usual browns of the meadows (Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Marbled White) were quickly seen as were the three orange skippers common there, Large Skipper, Small Skipper and Essex Skipper. Specimens of the last two were caught and briefly potted to allow people to see the distinguishing antenna features. Green-veined White was the main white, although Small White and Large White were also noted. Blues were surprisingly absent, the meadows usually have good numbers of Common Blue and although numbers do seem to have been down this year I was surprised we saw none. A few day flying moths were noted including the grass veneers (Chrysoteuchia culmella and Crambus perlella) and Six-spot Burnet and two Eucosma species (E. cana and E. hohenwartiana). A Rosy Footman which sat up in the bramble proved popular, this is a species that was seen for the first time on this site in 2020 but seems to be expanding its range. We then headed back to Horsenden Farm to look at the moths from the previous night's trap. A reasonable selection perhaps most notable the spindle associated Scorched Carpet (new to the site), Kent Black Arches (not seen locally since 2002) and another example of Rosy Footman allowing people a closer look than the one we saw on the walk. All in all a decent event, even if the views of the main target were a bit distant. David Howdon 10 Jul Red Admiral feeding on dog poo at Norton Green Common at around 1pm Paul Why 10 Jul Branch Event The butterfly walk in Whippendell Woods turned out to be a worthwhile afternoon. We didn't get a huge turnout with 6 attending, but with the weather conditions I knew we were in for a treat. A couple of attendees had to leave early unfortunately so they missed the Purple Emperor sightings. But they did get to see White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillaries among some of the other species we saw on the day. Whippendell Woods, Meadow Brown and Ringlets were numerous along the rides with good numbers of white butterflies. I can just about justify 2 Large White butterflies, 1 confirmed Green-veined White. I didn't personally see any Gatekeeper, but Rick did see a few in a spot I'd missed. I've got 5 down for Peacock, Comma 15+, Speckled Wood 4, 1 female Brimstone, Holly Blue 1, Large Skipper 1, I think there was a Small also present but I was near "Camilla Oak" at the time. White Admiral 7+ and now the bramble flowers are dying off they seem to be switching to hogweed flowers. Photo taken near "Camilla Oak". Silver-Washed Fritillary sightings slightly down on Fridays count but getting on for 30 would be a good estimate. Comma are also doing well with a count of 15+, a Marbled White was seen at the top of "Strawberry Fields". On the way back I was hoping to get a Purple Hairstreak in before the walk finished along the Lime Avenue, also looking out for the Purple Emperor whilst craning the neck. I have never seen Purple Emperors along there before despite looking and I was mentioning that to Malcolm just last week. We didn't see any on the way in but approaching 4pm 2 males were spotted chasing each other high in an ash tree not that far from the canal, Rick managed to spot where one landed and got a photo on a compact camera. It's not a photo competition winner but it did confirm they were not misidentified Peacocks! For Purple Hairstreak I think 3+ is a fair estimate. As for Cassiobury Park itself it was still hot in full sun and most had departed at this point. I don't think Rick and I could have continued for too long either but one of the attendees did join us for a while and did see Small Skipper and Essex Skipper in their full splendour and did see the first sighting of a Common Blue in the park this season. Butterflies seen in Cassiobury Park, Small Skipper and Essex Skipper very numerous if a proper count was done it would probably go over 100. I did manage to get a photo of an Essex Skipper and Small Skipper on the same thistle. Ringlets and Meadow Brown in uncountable numbers, 2 Small Copper seen, 1 Common Blue, 1 Holly Blue and a number of Comma. After being dealt a bad hand with the weather last year we couldn't have expected better this year. I hope that it also has done so in other areas around the two counties. I shall check the website when I get a moment Peter Fewell 10 Jul St Albans - 2 Commas on the Buddleia in my garden. My first butterflies of the year - if it stays this hot there should be many more to come! Malcolm Hull 6 Jul Branch Event Ruislip Woods NNR. Ten of us assembled on what did not seem a promising day for butterflies. Starting as usual in the Affinity Water Board Field the list soon comprised of up to double figures of Ringlet; Meadow Brown and Small Skipper; a couple of Marbled White and singles of Gatekeeper and White Admiral. Moths were represented by Shaded Broad-bar; Common Wainscot; a burnet species and the grass moth Chrysoteuchia culmella. Moving on to Copse Wood up to five Speckled Wood were along the expected track plus a Red Admiral. Attempts to see Purple Hairstreak were unsuccessful. Silver-washed Fritillary was the next sighting with final total of at least six but, disappointingly, only one reasonable sighting of a White Admiral along what is normally a favoured track. Poor's Field yielded a Small Tortoiseshell and then it was up to the top of Park Wood in the hope of Purple Emperor. The weather was gloomy and, during a brief glimmer of brightness, a brief view was seen of a large butterfly in the canopy - not entirely convincing Dick Middleton 10 Jul Hounslow. Looks like being the start of a long run of sunny days with very high temperatures so who knows where we're headed with local butterflies; we've been affected by drought for quite some time already. For today though it's essentially more of the same butterfly trends: Gatekeeper: 113, Speckled Wood: 30, Peacock: 12, Purple Hairstreak: 2, Essex Skipper: 5, Comma: 4, Green-veined White: 5, Brimstone: 2, Meadow Brown: 44, Common Blue: 14, Large White: 5, Marbled White: 9, Small Skipper: 9, Brown Argus: 3, Small White: 5, Ringlet: 55, Red Admiral: 1, Small Copper: 1, Holly Blue: 1. Whilst enjoying the day's only Small Copper nectaring on Ragwort I also spotted a single Cinnabar caterpillar. Somehow this isolated individual feels more unsettling than if I still hadn't seen one at all Peter Gore 10 Jul At Roxeth Recreation Ground this morning I saw 4 Marbled White, 18 Ringlet, 6 Speckled Wood, 26 Meadow Brown, 4 Gatekeeper, 6 Small Skipper, 5 Small White and 1 Large White Michael Robinson 9 Jul On a late morning walk around Potters Bar old golf club (TL248025) I must have seen 50+ Gatekeeper. Also seen Meadow Brown (20), Ringlet (12), Marbled White (5), Small White (6), Large Skipper (3), Small Skipper (5), Speckled Wood (1) and Red Admiral (1) Terry Wood 9 Jul I was watering a young apple tree in my Churston Gardens garden this evening and an Elephant Hawk-moth emerged out of the long grass to climb up the apple stem. First time I have seen one of these. It was dusk so light not brilliant Miles Attenborough 8 Jul Totteridge Green 2 Purple Emperors clashing and chasing from 1 pm Tony Clancy 8 Jul Batford (TL 152150) - 2 Purple Emperors found around 1 tree at the far NW corner of the weedy/scrubby field. 1 Purple Emperor was seen continually flying around top of one tree between 14.15 to 15.15 when I had to leave!! Also some Purple Hairstreaks close by and 2 White-letter Hairstreak in SW corner of weedy/scrubby field Darin Stanley 8 Jul Cassiobury Park/Whippendell Woods. White Admiral 11, Rick Vickers saw another, Silver-washed Fritillary 40+, Green-veined White 2, Large White 7+, Comma 15+, Gatekeeper (first of season for me) at least 5, Small Skipper 1, Marbled White 1 (Not yet noted in park), Peacock 2, Ringlets and Meadow Browns also noted The weather looks good for the butterfly walk this weekend in Whippendell Woods, so if you're a beginner or expert you are most welcome to attend, especially if you happen to be a beginner. I will happily share with a beginner what you see in a woodland is not the same as you would expect in your back garden! The White Admiral photo is again on "Camilla Oak" Peter Fewell 5 Jul Cassiobury Park/Whippendell Woods. With Malcolm Hull, I didn't get to take a single photo that afternoon and I could of easily chatted with Malcolm longer if time permitted. But despite the predominantly cloudy conditions we did see a number of species between us which was a better count none when I last met Malcolm there. I shall start with the White Admiral 3, Silver-Washed Fritillary 7, Comma a good 5 noted, Red Admiral I noted 3, also Large Skipper seen, Purple Hairstreak noted by Malcolm, Large White, Ringlets, Small White also noted Peter Fewell 8 Jul On a hot sunny afternoon I visited Symondshyde Great Wood, Welwyn Hatfield between 15.30 and 1700 hrs in the hope of sighting Silver-washed Fritillary, and boy how richly was I rewarded! I headed to a hidden hotspot I'd discovered last year along the line of telegraph poles about 50 yards into the woods from the ride. For around 90 minutes late afternoon I was in rapture as the brilliant orange nymphalids fizzed and whizzed all around me, sadly settling all too briefly to offer good photo opportunities. When it comes to reporting numbers however, I can only say that six was the maximum I saw at any one time, but the total number of sightings over the 90 minutes would surely have been nearer to 66, To my great delight this included a single female variant valezina that frustratingly flew off just as I clicked the camera. In addition to Silver-washed Fritillary (6+) other sightings included Comma (10+), Ringlet (25+), Large White (10+), Meadow Brown (10+), Peacock (1) and Small White (5) Tony Kavanagh 8 Jul Hounslow. Despite the steady decline of Ringlet, Marbled White and the Skippers, another sunny day encouraged plenty of butterfly activity which included more Speckled Woods flying - especially welcome on the Richmond side of the river where it can feel dark and lifeless at times without them. Also welcome were three male Brimstones including two together on Sweet Peas - three more than I managed at this stage last year so I can now file that away under 'meaningless anomaly.' A Purple Hairstreak on the grass in Richmond Council's Hounslow Heath Park gave me plenty of time to appreciate it close up even if ,as usual, it refused to open its wings. It was hard to see if it was deriving any benefit from life low down and it showed no interest in what few flowers there were. Here's today's list: Gatekeeper: 72, Purple Hairstreak: 3, Speckled Wood: 34, Large White: 2, Small Skipper: 11, Red Admiral: 5, Meadow Brown: 47, Green-veined White: 3, Ringlet: 68, Small White: 4, Peacock: 4, Brown Argus: 3, Marbled White: 11, Common Blue: 4, Essex Skipper: 3, Comma: 8, Brimstone: 3, Large Skipper: 1 and one Cinnabar moth.I have yet to see a single caterpillar here and had given up hope but today's moth was moving very slowly through a large patch of Ragwort so I shall await developments a little longer Peter Gore 8 Jul Symonshyde Great Wood - Silver-washed Fritillaries doing well, occupying many of the sunny spots in the wood and spilling out into the adjoining lane and field edges. I counted 27, but am sure there were far more. Ringlets, Commas and Large Whites also doing well at the site this year. On a brief return to Nomansland, I was pleased to add Small Copper and Red Admiral to yesterdays list Malcolm Hull 8 Jul Today I saw 2 Silver-washed Fritillaries - one at Norton Green Common and the other further along (in the woods on the way to Pigeonswick Cottage). Yesterday I went over to Foxholes Wood and spent time searching the treetops for Purple Emperors but without success. However, on the way I checked the usual distant view of Walk Wood (TL189222) and there was frequent Purple Emperor activity at the top of the chestnut tree avenue at 2.30pm. Pity it is so far from the public right of way. Better still was Reynolds Wood (TL199219) where the treetop activity involved 2 Purple Emperors, one of which regularly landed on the end of an oak branch, the other flying past, with both close enough to see the wing markings both perched and in flight - at around 4pm. Don Gregory 7 Jul Bishops Wood, Batchworth Heath. At least 12 Silver-washed Fritillary, 10+ White Admirals and 1 female Purple Emperor Tony Clancy Brian Dawton 7 Jul Therfield Heath.There has been a big increase in Chalkhill Blue numbers (males, females and a mating pair) since I last visited Therfield Heath a few days ago: hundreds are now on the wing. Some early second generation 'blues' were also noted, including a Brown Argus variant (image supplied). Therfield Heath (Old Rifle Range - TL348402 and surrounding area): Small/Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Brimstone, Small Heath, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper (100+ including mating pairs), Marbled White (declining numbers, but still quite a few), Dark Green Fritillary (as for Marbled White), Red Admiral (1), Comma (encouraging numbers), Brown Argus (2), Common Blue (1 male), Chalkhill Blue (est. 150-200) Martin Johnson 3 Jul A mostly cloudy afternoon in Cassiobury Park and Whippendell Woods not as many out on the wing as when the sun shines but we did get to see a number of butterfly species. Cassiobury Park. We weren't paying too much attention to the park as we were heading for Whippendell Woods but we did spot Meadow Brown 15+, Small Skipper 10+, Ringlet 4+, Small Copper 1, Essex Skipper 2+ (first of season for me), Large Skipper 1. Whippendell Woods. Ringlet 9+, Red Admiral 2, Silver-washed Fritillary 6 (with a female on the ground probing for minerals), Green-veined White 1, White Admiral 3, Small Skipper 1, Purple Hairstreak 6+ at the 17th tee on the golf course (again first first sightings of year for me) Peter Fewell 7 Jul At last I managed to find the territory at the Hunsdon Aerodrome site, 2-3 male Purple Emperors chasing around big Ash trees at Queen's Wood this afternoon, viewed from the footpath with binoculars, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma having a good year, many seen along the field and wood margins, also 5 Marbled White, also of note a Silver-washed Fritillary along the south side of the Manor of groves High Wych (TL457145) Laurence Drummond 7 Jul Nomansland Common, Sandridge - I spent the afternoon searching the common to see if I could repeat my Dark-Green Fritillary sightings from previous year. Although I did see a couple of large orange butterflies whizzing around, I couldn't get a positive ID. Elsewhere on the site I recorded 3 Silver-washed Fritillaries, suggesting this species is now resident here, also 11 Commas. It was a good afternoon for Purple Hairstreaks, mostly high in the oaks, but 5 were low down on brambles, bracken and oak. New summer butterflies were in evidence with 1 male Common Blue, 1 Six-spot Burnet moth, male and female Brimstones, 2 Peacocks and 72 Gatekeepers. Pleased to see 85 Small/Essex Skippers - of those identified Small outnumbered Essex by 8 to 5. And delighted to see Ragwort covered in caterpillars, a true sign of Summer! A great site, I thoroughly recommend a visit! Malcolm Hull 6 Jul Jersey Farm Woodland Park, St Albans: On a mostly cloudy afternoon the July hotspot around the time capsule (TL168097) was nevertheless all a-flutter whenever the sun broke through, with Ringlet (15+), Gatekeeper (5+), Meadow Brown (3+) and Large Skipper (1+). Elsewhere in the Woodland Park, near the Highfield Road entrance (TL169100), Brimstone (1), Green-veined White (1), Comma (1) and Small Tortoiseshell (2) Tony Kavanagh 6 Jul Field/wood margin High Wych (TL451143), not seen so many butterflies in such a small area for a while, 2 Large Skipper, 2 White-letter Hairstreak, 2 Painted Lady, 15 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Peacock, 6 Comma, 4 Gatekeeper, 30+ Meadow Brown, 12 Ringlet Laurence Drummond 6 Jul 3 Marbled White, 7 Meadow Brown, 1 Gatekeeper, 2 Ringlet, 1 Large White, 1 Small White, 1 Painted Lady - Greenway, Western Way to Grange Playing Field, Letchworth (TL2134) David Inward 5 Jul A further visit to the relatively new LB Hillingdon Green Space at Hale Field Park, near Stockley Park Golf Couse yielded tens of Essex Skippers (in majority) Small Skippers, Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns. A few Marbled Whites, Six-Spot Burnet moths and Small Whites as well as a Ringlet and Large White Another Small Copper seen off-transect at Minet Country Park, some Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns and an Essex Skipper, Comma, Small White, Speckled Wood and a low-down Purple Hairstreak on Oak. A search of the extensive Elm Copse/Hedge did not yield any White-letter Hairstreak this year, with just one seen briefly on the transect route, conditions not ideal though Paul Busby 4 Jul Some excellent sightings seen at my annual visit to Bishops Wood, Batchworth Heath yielded at least 12 Silver-washed Fritillary , 4 White Admirals, tens of Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Small Skippers, some Marbled Whites and Commas and Red Admiral, Large White, Small White & Green-veined White Paul Busby 3 Jul Sightings at Welsh Harp Open Space (LB Brent) yielded tens of of Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Small Skippers and a Large Skipper, Gatekeeper, some Small Whites and a Purple Hairstreak, although no WLH were seen around the significant patches of Elm Paul Busby 3 Jul Branch Event Big City Butterfly walk led by Paul Busby at Gladstone Park (LB Brent) tracing the route of the new butterfly transect and taking in the walled garden, the grassland areas supported large colonies of Meadow Brown and Small/Essex Skippers, other species included Marbled White, Comma, Large Skipper, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Large White & Small White. A Ringlet was seen in the damp meadow area by the railway and Ringlet sightings are first for this site in 2022, taking the site total to 25 species Paul Busby 2 Jul Branch Event Sightings at Hampstead Heath Extension (LB Barnet) included a fresh Painted Lady, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper and further on Sandy Heath and Kenwood Dairy Meadow (LB Camden) saw a few butterflies in windy conditions but included a Small Copper, Red Admiral, Small White and Meadow Browns Paul Busby 2 Jul Branch Event Big City Butterfly walk led by Steve Bolton & Paul Busby at the Islington Ecology Centre at Gillespie Park along the lovely meadow areas. A total of 11 species seen in total including Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Comma, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Green-veined White, Large White & Small White. Good to see that a small colony of Ringlets have established in this Inner London Borough Paul Busby 5 Jul A mostly cloudy and windy day at Totteridge but at 4 pm a Purple Emperor made a brief chase to a passing Swift Tony Clancy 5 Jul I went over to Scales Park (near Anstey) (TL412336) this afternoon. Here are my sightings: Silver-washed Fritillary (2 males). Also seen in and around the woods: Small/Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Green-veined White, Small Heath, Ringlet (lots), Meadow Brown (lots), Marbled White (lots), Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. I have seen Purple Emperor here in the past, but had no joy today. Martin Johnson 5 Jul 6 Marbled White, 12 Meadow Brown, 1 Brimstone, 1 Gatekeeper, 1 Ringlet, 1 Large White, 1 Small Tortoiseshell - northern half of field off Southern Way, Letchworth (TL210340) David Inward 5 Jul Hounslow. Another day of mixed cloudiness and sunshine with a few noteworthy sightings. Singletons of Holly Blue, Brown Argus and Small Copper all seemed likely to be new broods as did two Peacocks but no sign of Common Blue which I thought had started a fortnight ago. Marbled White numbers in sharp decline as Gatekeepers rise as expected. A very unusual occurence as I passed a Buddleia was the sight of dozens of butterflies nectaring; mundane you might think but this lot consisted entirely of two species: Meadow Brown and much the more numerous, Small Skipper. They seemed to favour flowers that were almost at ground level and the bush was at the margin of large fields where Small Skippers could also be seen in fairly large numbers nectaring on Ragwort, a much commoner choice usually. The surge in Skipper numbers today is largely a result of the relative ease of identifying these stationary butterflies; they didn't seem particularly fresh. Here is today's full list: Meadow Brown : 39, Marbled White: 18, Green-veined White: 6, Gatekeeper: 30, Painted Lady: 3, Ringlet: 74, Small White: 4, Holly Blue: 1, Comma: 3, Small Skipper: 73, Speckled Wood: 6, Essex Skipper: 5, Brown Argus: 1, Small Copper: 1, Large White: 2, Peacock: 2 Peter Gore 4 Jul 3 male and 1 female Purple Emperor at Totteridge Green starting at 13.05 clashing and chasing behaviour continued when sunny Tony Clancy 4 Jul On a morning visit to Beech Hill Lake, Barnet (TQ270970) I was pleased to see 2 Silver-washed Fritillary, 1 Purple Hairstreak, 6 Ringlet, 3 Comma, 3 Meadow Brown, 4 Small White, 1 Large White, 1 Green-veined White. On the return walk back towards Monken Hadley and crossing the railway bridge (TQ262972) I was surprised to see flying along the embankment a White Admiral, also a Silver-washed Fritillary feeding below on the Buddleia Terry Wood 4 Jul Verulamium Park, St Albans - Warm but overcast for todays lunchtime walk. Meadow Browns were numerous with over 100 seen. Other butterflies had to be sought out, but Ringlets, Commas, Large Whites and Small Whites were all in good numbers. Pleased to find Essex Skipper, Small Skipper, Large Skipper and Marbled White also recorded. So despite the conditions, more butterflies than in any other day so far this year. I can't wait until I see what's around on a really sunny day Malcolm Hull 4 Jul After last year's first known sightings of Purple Emperor close to the ground near the St Nicholas COE Primary School, Stevenage I went to the area this afternoon and scoured the tops of some oak trees on the northern edge of Whomerley Wood. Conveniently, there is a seat on the other side of Six Hills Way so I sat down and looked directly in front of me to one of the tallest oaks. It was mostly cloudy but during a very brief sunny spell at 1:05 pm there was a Purple Emperor flying over an ash tree immediately left (east) of the oak (TL 247238) Peter Clarke 3 Jul On a morning walk around Ridge. Firstly in a meadow (TL209004) we counted 4 Large Skipper, 10 Meadow Brown, 2 Small White, and about 40 Marbled White, 10 of which covered a small patch of Knapweed. On the road back into Ridge (TL211002) we encountered firsts of single Gatekeeper and Ringlet Terry Wood 3 Jul I saw 2 Silver-washed Fritillaries 1 Purple Emperor loads of Ringlets near Oughtonhead Common Sean Blackmore 3 Jul I had a walk through Tunnel Gardens (TQ293914) and saw 1 Comma, 1 Large White, 5 Speckled Wood, 4 Ringlets, 3 Meadow Brown, three Large Skippers, 2 Small Whites, 3 Essex/Small skippers (1 was definitely male Essex Skipper) , 1 female Common Blue Miles Attenborough 3 Jul Bishops Park, Fulham - 12 people joined todays Big City Butterflies walk in the Fulham Palace Gardens. Meadow Browns, Small Whites and Large Whites were the three most common butterfly species. Others included Comma, Gatekeeper, Small Skipper, Speckled Wood and Green-veined White. Grass Veneer moths were also plentiful. I was impressed at the range of wild flowers in the meadows, including both Kidney Vetch and Birdsfoot Trefoil. Thanks to Jane England for helping run the butterfly stall Malcolm Hull 3 Jul Visited the St Vincent's area in Park Wood, Ruislip (TQ095 897) this afternoon to see the Purple Emperors between 12.30 and 13.10. Good blend of sunny blue sky and a little cloud. Two were sparing in the usual gap in the tree canopy near to the entrance gate and one perched high up for about 10 minutes giving reasonable views of the underwing markings Sue & Steve Place 2 Jul Branch Event St Albans Wildfest - today we took the butterfly stall to Wildfest in Verulamium Park. 28 people, mostly under 10s joined our butterfly walk. Despite the cool overcast conditions, we saw around 40 butterflies in 20 minutes. Meadow Browns were the most common, with several Ringlets, Small Skippers, Marbled Whites and Small Whites plus a solitary Red Admiral. Grass Veneer moths were also abundant in the Bluehouse Hill meadows. Many thanks to Mandy Floyd, Clifford Mullet, Lucy Furlong and Dave for helping on the stall and giving out our entire stock of Big Butterfly Count leaflets Malcolm Hull 2 Jul Sunny intervals, cool and breezy this morning at Norton Green but I was thrilled to find 2 grounded male Purple Emperors, both on the track (TL 228227 & TL 229230) at 10:40 and 10:55 am Peter Clarke 1 Jul 2 male Purple Emperors clashing high over the territory at Hertford Heath 13.45, TL 349107 Laurence Drummond 1 Jul Bramfield Park Woods. Weather, cloudy with a few sunny spells. About 10 Silver-washed Fritillaries flying. Including this 'valezina' female. When it first appeared it was being chased by a male SWF. when it settled down to feed on the bramble flowers it was chased by several Ringlets.! Also: 2 White Admirals and 3 Red Admirals. 5 Commas. 6 Speckled Woods. 2 Hummingbird Hawk-moths Chris Benton 1 Jul Hounslow. A rather duller day than forecast to start the new month with reduced sightings generally, so rather grumpily straight to the statistics: Green-veined White: 4, Red Admiral: 7, Ringlet: 123, Comma: 8, Meadow Brown: 28, Speckled Wood: 3, Marbled White: 30, Small White: 2, Small Skipper: 7, Essex Skipper: 1, Large White: 1, Gatekeeper: 4, Painted Lady: 1 Peter Gore 1 Jul A bit of a frustrating morning hoping to find some grounded male Purple Emperors. It was a little chilly and the sun barely appeared for more than a few minutes at a time, not really enough to warm any perching butterflies. It was also, once again, a little blustery, but less so than other days. Consequently numbers were low for all species, but especially woodland ones. On the positive side a large number of whites have hatched (Small and Green-veined), I spotted my first two Heartwood Purple Hairstreaks, and there were several Hummingbird Hawk-moths around. I had three sightings of Purple Emperor, but I have no idea if it was three individuals, or the same one seen each time: the first, bizarrely, arrived during a long overcast spell (see photo), floating in high over the dog pond at Well Wood at 11:10, buffeted by the wind, and alighted in the large oak (TL 157113) overlooking the pond. Five minutes later it came down and circled above me for a half minute or so, and I hoped it was about to ground, but then the rotten scoundrel headed off southbound (towards Langley Wood) over the grassland and the sallows and birches in that area. At 11:45 I spotted another individual flying about 5 metres above the bridleway to the east of Well Wood (TL 15871 11486). I then shifted my attention to Langley Wood, and upon arrival immediately spotted an individual flying over the sallows at the NE corner of the wood (TL 16102 11089). Then it became overcast, and a grey veil on the horizon beneath dark clouds signalled that it was time to take cover, so home I went for lunch! Andrew Neild June Date Description Recorder 30 Jun Burleigh Meadow (TL225228) near Norton Green. Weather overcast and cool. Despite the conditions, the meadow was alive with butterflies. Meadow Brown=20+, Marbled White=30+, Ringlet=20+, Small Skipper=20+. I examined several but could not find any Essex Skippers Chris Benton 30 Jun Stocking Wood (TL457213) grey and damp: 4 Silver-washed Fritillary, 2 males, 2 females on bramble Jono Forgham 30 Jun Hounslow. Despite heavy cloud followed by rain which meant that I recorded no butterflies at all on the two woodland portions of the Pevensey Road/Little Crane Park loops this was another good day for the grassland dwellers. Whilst the Marshalling Yards are still very dominant numbers are building on the heath and elsewhere now : Ringlet: 145, Comma: 2, Essex Skipper: 10, Green-veined White: 3, Meadow Brown: 42, Gatekeeper: 3, Speckled Wood: 1, Small Skipper: 17, Large Skipper: 2, Small White: 8, Small Heath: 1, Marbled White: 58, Large White: 1, Small Tortoiseshell: 1 Peter Gore 29 Jun Led my first butterfly walk with 9 others. Headed to Stocking Wood near Bury Green, having met at Tescos carpark, Bishop's Stortford. Between 2.15pm and 3.15pm: Silver-washed Fritillary 2, Meadow Brown 25+, Green-veined White 10, Small White 4, Large White 1, Comma 1, Marbled White 7, Essex Skipper 1, Small Skipper 2, Large Skipper 5 Jono Forgham 29 Jun Mutchetts Wood, Bricket Wood Common - Great views of a Purple Emperor circling round the high point in the oak canopy and then landing on the tree. Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreak also spotted in this wood. On the BWC transect I added a further 7 SWFs and 5 WAs. Also 17 Small Skippers, possibly an indication that numbers of this species are increasing Malcolm Hull 28 Jun It was frustrating being cooped up indoors during the good weather this morning, waiting for a plumber. However, I was inspired by Andrew Steele's report (see below) which arrived courtesy of Malcolm Hull (thanks!!) at lunch time saying he'd seen 3 Purple Emperors at Heartwood that same morning, and in a new location. After lunch I hurried off to my usual haunt around Well Wood and Pudler's Wood, but saw not a sign of Purple Emperor between 1.30 and 2.30. Undoubtedly it was too windy, since the whole ridge line was being battered by gusts of wind, and bearing in mind Matthew Oates' advice that "Purple Emperors hate wind!", I decided to visit Andrew's new location to the south-west of Langley Wood, in a more protected area. Skirting the latter along it's north-western edge at 3 pm I spotted a male Purple Emperor patrolling the tree line at (TL 160110) [curl.rods.asleep], and spent some time fruitlessly waiting for it to reappear. I continued south-west to the area indicated by Andrew, and spotted at least 2 male Purple Emperors perching, patrolling, and regularly fighting from 3.30-4 pm around two large oaks (TL 158107) [shop.vibe.guess] and (TL 158107) [media.laser.upper]). It's possible there were more than two males, but impossible to be sure since I only ever saw a maximum of two at one time. At 3.45 I decided to head back to the NW edge of Langley wood, to see if the male was down, and was thrilled to spot what seemed to be another "male" which landed for a couple of minutes at only 12 feet up in a sallow at 4 pm. I fired off a couple of shots (sadly a leaf hid its head), and at 4.30 decided to call it a day - which was great luck, since barely 100 yards along the trail north-east at (TL 160110) [ages.oils.answer] I scared up a gigantic grounded female (my first ever on the ground). She was barely bothered by my presence, flying around me, and she settled several times, but always on grass and plant stems and leaves which made for poor photos, but I was thrilled nonetheless. And upon reviewing the female photos, I was able to match the ventral wing markings to my so-called "male", which turned out to be the same female. All in all it was a fab afternoon despite very blustery conditions, demonstrating unequivocally that the sunny leeward side of woods are the best option in windy conditions - the tree line in which the two large oaks are located protected their leeward side from the south-westerly wind, and the terrain descends on the leeward side towards Langley Wood, so it's much calmer there. In the same way, Langley wood created just enough of a wind break for the pathway along it's northern edge, and despite its northern position, the sun was still able to hit the path, creating ideal conditions. Let's hope for decent weather in the coming mornings, when male groundings are most common (they tend to perch and patrol in the afternoon). In addition to good numbers of the usual Heartwood grassland species (see my previous report, 25th June), I noted a very large number of commas, far more than I can remember for many years in Hertfordshire. I saw them almost everywhere in the wooded areas, and guess I saw a minimum of 25, perhaps 30 individuals Andrew Neild 28 Jun Bengeo garden: Large Skipper, Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Ringlet 5+, Meadow Brown 5+, Marbled White, Red Admiral, Comma 2, Small Magpie 2+ & Mother of Pearl Simon Knott 28 Jun Therfield Heath. Weather overcast with brief sunny spells. Lots of Marbled Whites and Dark Green Fritillaries. Only 1 Chalkhill Blue. Gatekeepers at the bottom of Church Hill. An Emperor moth caterpillar on the cinder golf course footpath (removed and placed in the undergrowth for safety). Red Admiral in Fox Covert woods Chris Benton 28 Jun Hounslow. Most years around this time there comes a point when I chase after a small orange and brown butterfly to confirm it is what I suspect. Today was that day and thankfully only a moderate amount of energy was expended and the identification confirmed: the first Gatekeeper of the year. The second followed much later and decreasing amounts of effort will be spent on rapidly increasing numbers of Gatekeepers for the next few weeks no doubt. Gatekeeper is just over a week earlier here than last year's rather late start. The weather overall wasn't very kind - too windy and sunless but it did help to pin down a few of the Skippers leading to an apparent increase in their numbers caused by relative ease of identification: Comma: 11, Small Skipper: 20, Small White: 5, Essex Skipper: 3, Marbled White: 46, Ringlet: 116, Speckled Wood: 2, Meadow Brown: 42, Large Skipper: 3, Green-veined White: 2, Gatekeeper: 2, Red Admiral: 3, Large White: 3, Small Heath: 2. Gatekeeper brings the species total here to 25 and it will need good weather, effort but most of all luck for any more now Peter Gore 28 Jun Gatekeepers have emerged at Therfield Heath. Double figures along the Southern Edge with the wood on brambles (TL3439 and TL3440). Went to see if I could improve my Small vs Essex Skipper identification skills. Small/Essex Skipper in double figures at Eastern edge of the Heath. I think I had 5 Essex Skipper and 3 Small Skipper definite - most confident of the two male Small Skipper. No blues of any kind at all even where I saw Chalkhills last week but fourteen species in total including several fresh Commas Nick Keep 28 Jun On my butterfly transect at Heartwood this morning had 3 Purple Emperors 2 in a new area at (TL157107) (charge.pushed.went) one on territory over the trees in that area and one female feeding on parsley plus another male on the post at (TL161116) (treat.loyal.appeal) Andrew Steele 28 Jun This morning I was chatting to a neighbour at about 8am when a Purple Emperor flew straight past me and landed on his window pane. He took a photo on his phone which I have attached to this note (Photographer was Bradley Chapman). The odd thing is I live in Bishops Stortford in the centre of a housing estate and would never have expected to see one here Richard Stead 26 Jun We were cycling around Brickendon and made a short detour to Broxbourne Woods. We went eastward down the main bridleway from the west car park and at the lowest point where the ditch goes under the bridleway (TL327072) we spotted a male Purple Emperor on the ground in the partial shade, near lots of horse droppings. Fairly unexpected. First of the year for me and first ever (live!) for Irina. Also spotted a male Silver-washed Fritillary along the same track just minutes earlier. This was all just after 1 pm. Last Wednesday (22nd) I saw several White Admirals at 3 locations in Bramfield Woods (one site on east side of woods (TL287175) was new to me) and later 2 more spotted in Bramfield Park Wood. Many Marbled Whites also seen from the bridleway on the north side of Bramfield Park Wood in the field leading up to Queen Hoo Hall (TL281158) Don Gregory 26 Jun Hounslow. Little change since Wednesday, the slump in Small Heath numbers is probably a result of weather combining a breeze with no sun in their strongest area just as I was walking through it. Otherwise numbers holding up very well and rather more numerous in reality: Comma: 16, Holly Blue: 1, Purple Hairstreak: 4, Meadow Brown: 53, Ringlet: 98, Speckled Wood: 3, Painted Lady: 1, Small Skipper: 6, Essex Skipper: 4, Small White: 8, Large Skipper: 4, Marbled White: 88, Red Admiral: 1, Green-veined White: 3, Small Heath: 2, Small Tortoiseshell: 1 Peter Gore 26 Jun My first Silver-washed Fritillary of the year in Graffidge Wood, near Knebworth Peter Clarke 26 Jun Bramfield Park Wood (TL2815): White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary x3 & Marbled White x2 Simon Knott 26 Jun St Albans - Cottonmill Lane Bioblitz - 11 people joined this mornings butterfly walk around this allotment site. Small Whites and Ringlets were the most common species, with Meadow Browns, Commas and Small Tortoiseshells also putting on a good show. We also saw Red Admiral, Cinnabar moth, Speckled Wood and two chasing skippers, presumed Large. Note this is a private site with no public access Malcolm Hull 25 Jun We decided to visit Ellenbrook Fields to the west of Hatfield, for a quick family walk. Seeing an opportunity to search for Purple Emperor (despite very blustery and mostly cloudy conditions!), we followed a circular route that took us along the eastern edge of Round Wood and forested Home Covert, an area where Malcolm Hull had spotted high-flying Purple Emperors last year. We stopped to look for butterflies at a 90 degree corner on the main path, forming a natural amphitheatre in the canopy, a point that seemed ideal for Purple Emperor (TL200089) .... and as I looked one way, my wife looked the other, and promptly, and very brilliantly, casually asked me "what's that butterfly"? Well, how fantastic , as I turned to look a Purple Emperor was gliding away from us, but turned back, and would you believe it(?!), landed barely a metre from us on the path. Not a great background, but beggars can't be choosers as they say, and I was afforded a thrilling minute to fire off some shots before it flew off. It was a massive male, the biggest I have seen, and slightly aberrant atava. Shortly after it flew off, the sky became totally overcast and we headed home shortly after. What an amazing encounter, and were it not for my wife, I would surely have missed the Purple Emperor entirely, or would have scared it off after it had landed so close to my feet. As for other butterflies, there were large numbers of Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns, and Ringlets, perhaps a half dozen Small Heaths, a handful of whites, 4 Commas and 2 Red Admirals. Andrew Neild 25 Jun St Albans - White-letter Hairstreak at Temple View/Everlasting Lane - in fact several sightings, but may have been the same individual. Back home in my shed - the number of hibernating Small Tortoiseshells has increased to three this week. Still plenty of this species still on the wing locally Malcolm Hull 22 Jun Norton Green (TL227226) Red Admiral x2, Ringlet x3, Comma x1, Large Skipper x5, Small Tortoiseshell x1, Small Skipper x4, Marbled White x11, Large White x1, Meadow Brown x18, Purple Hairstreak x3, Hummingbird Hawk-moth x1 Richard Best 22 Jun I didn't manage to make Whippendell Woods until 4pm but glad I did. White Admiral 9 there were 3 at "Camilla Oak" and possibly a fourth which would put the count at 10 if I could confirm it. The others were seen at various points along the rides on route to "Camilla Oak". Other butterflies seen Silver-washed Fritillary 7, Large Skipper 4, Comma 3, Red Admiral 1, Meadow Brown 8+, Ringlet 5+, Large White 1 there were several white butterflies sighted and probably a Speckled Wood that I lost sight of. A green moth also sighted about the size of a Green Hairstreak but it definitely wasn't one of those Peter Fewell 22 Jun 78 Marbled White (probably hundreds in the whole field), 19 Meadow Brown, 2 Small Heath, 1 Speckled Wood - perimeter of L-shaped field north of Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living, Cambridge Road, Letchworth (TL2031); 17 Marbled White - field between Greenway and Willian Road, near Hitchin (TL208303); 1 Speckled Wood - small wood on Greenway, near Willian Road, Hitchin (TL207303) David Inward 22 Jun Bricket Wood Common. 2 Speckled Wood, 5 Small Skipper, 20+ Meadow Brown, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Comma, 3 Ringlet (our first of the year), 1 Marbled White, 5 White Admiral Simon Mavin Vanessa Wright 22 Jun Hounslow. A sharp increase in Small Heaths today but otherwise similar to yesterday: Comma: 14, Speckled Wood: 3, Meadow Brown: 64, Purple Hairstreak: 2, Green-veined White: 3, Ringlet: 98, Small Tortoiseshell: 2, Red Admiral: 3, Common Blue: 3, Small White: 5, Marbled White: 81, Small Heath: 24, Small Skipper: 8, Large Skipper: 3, Essex Skipper: 1, Large White: 1, Holly Blue: 1 Peter Gore 22 Jun Having followed reports of Purple Emperor sightings across the home counties on Matthew Oates' blog ("The Purple Empire"), I set off this morning in high spirits, hoping to spot Purple Emperor along "Emperor Alley" in Heartwood Forest (bridleway east of Well Wood, next to the dog pond, heading north-east to the end of Pudler's Wood). It was all rather underwhelming, unfortunately, with few butterflies around, until at 11:25 I had an unequivocal sighting of a single Purple Emperor which flew above me across the path and into the woods, it's white hindwing band and forewing spots clearly visible, in typical powerful and determined flap-glide fashion. This was at (TL 15836 11418). There was a second possible sighting at a much greater distance that I was unable to verify. It was a matter of considerable curiosity to me that despite excellent conditions today and Monday, woodland butterfly numbers along and near to the bridleway were significantly lower than two days ago, when I saw large numbers of nymphalids: 10+ Commas and a similar number of Speckled Woods, at least 5 Red Admirals, 3 Painted Lady, and 5 Small Tortoiseshells - in stark contrast, today I only saw 2 Commas and 1 Red Admiral along the bridleway. Between the bridleway and the main car park, however, there were similar numbers of butterflies on both days: several Small Skippers and Essex Skippers (confirmed with photos), a couple of Large Skippers, many Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns, and Ringlets, a couple of Small Heaths, and a few Small Whites and Green-veined Whites. Today I also saw a very worn male Brimstone. No sign whatsoever of Purple Hairstreak, despite getting a sore neck from looking up! And no Peacocks on either day Andrew Neild 22 Jun The first Chalkhill Blues have emerged on Therfield Heath this morning. Three males at TL343403. Lots of other species many in large numbers inlcuding White-letter Hairsreaks just South of Heath as reported by Martin Johnson yesterday Nick Keep 21 Jun Huge numbers of Marbled Whites are flying across Therfield Heath at the moment - it is the commonest butterfly at both ends of the heath, but particularly on Church Hill, where 100-150 are flying in quite a small area. There has been a big increase in the numbers of Ringlets over the last few days and White-letter Hairstreaks are now flying along the Icknield Way. First generation blues have almost disappeared, but Chalkhill Blues should be on the wing in the next few days. Therfield Heath - Old Rifle Range (TL348400): Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Large White, Green-veined White (pristine), Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Small Heath (lots), Ringlet (lots), Meadow Brown (100+), Marbled White (150+ est.) Dark Green Fritillary (40+ males), Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell (encouraging numbers), Comma, Brown Argus (3), Common Blue (1+), Adonis Blue (2+). A few other blues were seen that were too worn to be identified and no blues were seen during a brief visit to Church Hill. Therfield - Icknield Way (TL346394): White-letter Hairstreak (5+ at two sites). Brassy Longhorn Moths were seen nearby Martin Johnson 21 Jun High Wych (TL452126), late morning, 4 Large Skipper, 6 White-letter Hairstreak, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Comma, 6 Marbled White, 8 Meadow Brown and 3 Ringlet Laurence Drummond 21 Jun Hounslow. Another sunny day and still more butterflies with a substantial further emergence of Ringlets. Unlike Marbled Whites, which are reaching new heights with us, we have seen high numbers of Ringlets in the past but it's been a few years since there were numbers like these. Most other species seem to be increasing in a slightly less dramatic way; the Common Blues included what looked like fresh males: Comma: 17, Red Admiral: 3, Ringlet: 102, Green-veined White: 3, Speckled Wood: 7, Small Skipper: 13, Meadow Brown: 51, Small Heath: 16, Peacock: 2, Common Blue: 4, Small White: 9, Painted Lady: 2, Holly Blue: 5, Marbled White: 91, Essex Skipper: 3, Large White: 1, Large Skipper: 1 and today's red and black moth was a Cinnabar. Evidence today of where some of them go. I'd spotted yet another Marbled White and was dutifully recording it when a dragonfly zipped past. I looked up to see what looked like a flower petal descending very slowly from well above me. When it landed in the grass near me it was immediately recognisable as the hind wing of a Marbled White. There are a lot of dragonflies around at present Peter Gore 20 Jun On a gloriously sunny afternoon in Heartwood Forest I saw in and around Valley Field (TL168113) 50+ Marbled White, 40+ Meadow Brown, at least 1 Large Skipper plus several other unidentified skippers on the wing, 6+ Small Heath, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and 1 Small Blue. Strolling further into the Forest I saw 3 Comma along the path between Well Wood and the Magical Wood (TL158114) and 2 Large White dancing between Well Wood and Pismire Spring (TL156113) Tony Kavanagh 20 Jun Hounslow. Another sunny day with increasing butterfly numbers which included a first Purple Hairstreak of the year. Marbled White remains the star performer however: Comma: 10, Speckled Wood: 7, Small Skipper: 9, Meadow Brown : 62, Red Admiral: 8, Marbled White: 78, Small White: 6, Large White: 2, Painted Lady: 1, Green-veined White: 1, Ringlet: 53, Small Heath: 11, Small Tortoiseshell: 2, Peacock: 1, Large Skipper: 2, Purple Hairstreak: 1, Holly Blue: 1 and one rather sluggish 6-Spot Burnet moth on a thistle flower Peter Gore 20 Jun I saw 3 Commas jousting and a Large Skipper in the old Banqueting Hall area in Alexandra Park. Good to see the Commas as they've been scarce in previous years. I also saw one yesterday at the Ally Pally Farmer’s market Dee Cullen 20 Jun Grotto wood (TL301105). Red Admiral=1, Comma=2, Small Tortoiseshell=1, White-letter Hairstreak=1 Wonderful Marbled Whites are flying. These ones were photographed at Hertingfordbury (TL311116) just off the Cole Green way. There were about a dozen fighting over a small patch of thistles Chris Benton 19 Jun A visit to Cassiobury Park and Whippendell Woods despite the weather turning progressively cloudy this afternoon did produce some good sightings. Cassiobury Park: Red Admiral 1, Large Skipper 2, Speckled Wood 1, Meadow Browns getting on for 50, but some of the more distant ones may have been Ringlets otherwise 1 confirmed Ringlet. Whippendell Woods, after Rick recorded nine White Admiral on scorcher Friday I was keen to go and have a look myself. Anna Daniels from the Wildlife Trust had also seen one probably on the Tuesday. Butterflies today Silver-Washed Fritillary 2, White Admiral 3 possibly a fourth, Speckled Wood 2, Comma 1, Ringlet 4, Meadow Brown 1 Peter Fewell 19 Jun Balls Wood. 5 Speckled Wood, 5 Large Skipper, 10+ Meadow Brown, 5 Red Admiral, 20+ Large Skipper, 10+ Comma, 4 Ringlet (our first of the year), 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 6 White Admiral (our first of the year) Simon Mavin Vanessa Wright 19 Jun Balls Wood HMWT. Weather overcast with a few sunny spells. Red Admiral=2, White Admiral=4, Comma=6, Small Tortoiseshell=1, Speckled Wood=8, Meadow Brown=100+, Ringlet=20+, Large Skipper=20+, Hummingbird hawkmoth=1 Chris Benton 19 Jun On a late morning walk around Ridge (TL209005) we saw our first Marbled Whites (3) and a Small Skipper as well as 1 Large Skipper, and 6 Meadow Brown. We continued to another meadow area (TL210013) where we saw Small Tortoiseshell (2), Large Skipper (2), Marbled White (4), Meadow Brown (6) and Speckled Wood (2) Terry Wood 18 Jun First White-letter Hairstreaks of the year at Six Hills Common - 2 pairs clashing over two of the elm canopies at 9:15 am. Also present on the grasses were 4 Meadow Brown, Small Heath and Marbled White Peter Clarke 17 Jun Aldbury Nowers. 1 Brimstone, 5 Speckled Wood, 13 Dark Green Fritillary, 5 Large Skipper, 10+ Meadow Brown, 1 Red Admiral, 20+ Marbled White, 5 Small Heath, 1 Small Blue, 1 Common Blue Simon Mavis Vanessa Wright 17 Jun Norton Green (TL227226): Common Blue x1, Ringlet x3, Speckled Wood x2, Comma x1, Large Skipper x3, Small Tortoiseshell x2, Small Skipper x4, Marbled White x2, Green-veined White x1, Meadow Brown x10 Richard Best 17 Jun Balls Wood. We noted nine (hopefully without double counting) White Admirals between approximately 10 and 11:30AM. Unfortunately they were very mobile, with just two landing. Also Small Skipper only one noted and Ringlet, two Stuart Hamilton Phil Rhodes 17 Jun Hounslow. I started early and butterflies were good with an obvious increase in Ringlets in particular but as the afternoon grew hotter it became simply too hot for both man and butterflies though still a completed walk: Speckled Wood: 10, Meadow Brown: 71, Holly Blue: 2, Comma: 7, Red Admiral: 2, Small White: 9, Large Skipper: 1, Small Skipper: 7, Common Blue: 1, Marbled White: 41, Ringlet: 35, Small Heath: 5. More Small Whites flying now and more skippers than shown but their numbers noticeably low in this context and compared to other years Peter Gore 17 Jun Bourne End/A41 junctions - visited the Small Blue sites in this afternoon's sweltering heat and recorded a total of 33 Small Blues. Behaviours included basking, courting, mating, egg laying and nectaring (on birds foot trefoil and an orchid). All three sites looked in good condition with an impressive array of Kidney Vetch along with hundreds of orchids, including my favourite the Bee Orchid. At Bourne End Mills I recorded 4 Small Blues, 2 Common Blues and 2 Meadow Browns. At Bourne End (northbound) 27 Small Blues, 2 Small Skippers, 2 Ringlets and 2 Meadow Browns. At Bourne End (southbound) just 2 Small Blues. Although there's just as much Kidney Vetch on the southbound side, it mostly grows on a slope and seemed more dried out than the plants on the northbound side which are mostly at the foot of the slope. Just like last week at Heartwood, the Small Blues clearly seemed to prefer the more luscious plants Malcolm Hull 17 Jun St Albans - Hibernating Small Tortoiseshell, recorded on my shed transect this morning. Most species are emerging early this year, but still quite a surprise to find a butterfly going into hibernation before the official start of summer. Locally, Small Tortoiseshells began to emerge in the last week of May. The majority were nectaring avidly, behaviour which is typical of those intending to hibernate as they fuel up for the long winter. A minority of the STs I've seen in recent weeks were hanging around nettle beds and courting. This behaviour is typical of those which will breed and produce another generation this year. A hot spell of weather can often trigger a rush of STs into hibernation. Tuesday 14 June was the first hot day in St Albans. Mid afternoon a Small Tortoiseshell flew into my office through the open window and proceeded to explore round the room flying very slowly, looking for a suitable hibernation spot. The flight pattern is distinctive, quite different to normal, as if the butterfly was in first gear. There were no hibernators that day but this morning I found the first hibernating ST, in the customary place on the underside of the ceiling in my shed. I have recorded June hibernation before (30th June 2017), but this is the earliest date in the calendar year by far. Very odd that they behave like this! Malcolm Hull 16 Jun 2 Purple Hairstreak flying at 8pm, on the sheltered side of a large oak - Durants Park Enfield Middx - cloudy, 24°C Andrew Middleton 16 Jun Silver-washed Fritillary at Chorleywood Common Philip Gibbs 16 Jun I visited the field edge on Walkern Road near Mill Lane on the other side of the Beane valley from Aston and found 15 Dark Green Fritillary, mainly on knapweed on the chalkiest bits of the field edge along which there is a path Andrew Wood 16 Jun 3 White Admirals seen in Ruislip Woods along the old pylon run (TQ091888) and 1 along the common just north of the lido which is twice the number I saw in all of 2021 and the previous 3+ years so a very welcome sight. Also seen on the surrounding meadows were 1 Small Heath, 1 Common Blue, 8 Marbled Whites, skippers, Commas, Small Tortoiseshells and the usuals Nick Furtek 16 Jun Hounslow. Quite a lot of frustration today, both peering up at trees and down at the grass, eventually led to the small reward of a single Essex Skipper on one of the Pevensey Road meadows. There are relatively few skippers around at the moment and I was rather surprised by this one but it seems to be yet another case of a species emerging earlier than last year but in line with other years and other species this year. I'm probably too quick to resort to binoculars for skippers, there have been several occasions when I've encountered not the 'ink blob' of an Essex Skipper at the end of the antennas but the hooks of Large Skippers. Whilst this anatomical detail has its own appeal I should really be able to have Large Skipper identified without resorting to binoculars and inevitably missing half of what I was trying to look at completely. Less success up in the trees. I'm fairly certain one or both Hairstreaks are up there again but that's still a long way from an identified butterfly so far. Numbers are continuing to increase and I was particularly pleased when the explanation for a Marbled White blundering around somewhat in the grass turned out to be that its wings were still partly furled. They always look beautiful but at this stage this one had starkly contrasting colours with the black 'paint' seeming still wet and glossy and it was especially lovely. Here's the full list: Small Tortoiseshell: 6, Speckled Wood: 10, Meadow Brown: 88, Red Admiral: 3, Painted Lady: 1, Large Skipper: 2, Ringlet: 13, Small Skipper: 8, Small White: 1, Common Blue: 8, Large White: 1, Marbled White: 45, Holly Blue: 3, Small Heath: 8, Comma: 3, Essex Skipper: 1 Peter Gore 16 Jun Four White Admiral in Bramfield Woods this afternoon Liz Goodyear Andrew Middleton 15 Jun My first 2 White Admirals of the year at Balls Wood Hertford Heath, 17.30-18.00 this evening Laurence Drummond 15 Jun In my Muswell Hill garden a Large Skipper appeared. First here this year. Didn't see them in my garden last year Dee Cullen 15 Jun Hounslow. No new species to report but an awful lot of newly emerged butterflies with Marbled White continuing to increase : more in a single day than several of our earlier years combined: Meadow Brown: 66, Holly Blue: 8, Speckled Wood: 9, Comma: 2, Ringlet: 8, Small Skipper: 10, Large Skipper: 4, Common Blue: 9, Large White: 2, Small White: 1, Brown Argus: 1, Marbled White: 30, Peacock: 1, Small Tortoiseshell: 1, Small Heath: 8, Red Admiral: 1 Peter Gore 15 Jun 3 White Admirals in Bramfield Park Wood and 2 in Bramfield Wood this afternoon Liz Goodyear Andrew Wood 12 Jun Excited by recent reports of sightings at Heartwood Forest by Malcom Hull and Andrew Neild I succeeded in locating my first ever Small Blues (3) in Valley Field, along with at least 10 Marbled White (my firsts this year), 14 Meadow Brown, 8 Small Heath, 3 Common Blues and a Speckled Wood Tony Kavanagh 12 Jun St Albans and surrounding area. Edge of Toulmin Drive playing fields (TL141 097): 2 Large Skipper, 3 Speckled Wood, 1 Meadow Brown. Track near Cheapside Farm (TL147 112): 5 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Meadow Brown. Footpath between horse paddocks off Harpenden Rd (TL143 113): 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Meadow Brown. Field edge near Batchwood golf course access road (TL137 079): 1 Small Tortoiseshell. 1 Meadow Brown Simon Mavin Vanessa Wright 11 Jun Hounslow. Similar to yesterday in all respects: Speckled Wood: 9, Red Admiral: 2, Holly Blue: 10, Large Skipper: 2, Common Blue: 9, Small White: 1, Meadow Brown: 8, Painted Lady: 2, Small Tortoiseshell: 7, Marbled White: 1, Small Heath: 4, Small Skipper: 2, Comma: 3, Peacock: 2 with two Burnet Companions and one each Mother Shipton and Cinnabar moths Peter Gore 11 Jun Field margin near Ford Lane, Aston (TL 28295 23478). 8 Dark Green Fritillary, 15 Small Heath, 2 Common Blue, 12 Meadow Brown, 5 Small Tortoiseshell Paul Lufkin 10 Jun Walking the Bricket Wood Common Transect, I believe I saw my first White Admiral of the year. It flew close in front of me when I noticed it; it passed too fast to focus my eyes properly on it, never mind my camera, but I don't think I could mistake such a sizeable and distinctive butterfly. I also saw my first Marbled White, together with 18 Meadow Browns, 11 Speckled Woods, 4 male Brimstones, Large White, female Orange-tip, Green-veined White and Peacock, and I got some good photos of a Red Admiral on the Transect route when walking home Chris Newman 10 Jun Walked down to Tottenham Marsh and saw my first 3 White-letter Hairstreaks of the year Andrew Middleton 10 Jun Hounslow. A good day on the whole with three species seen for the first time this year and new broods of Small Tortoiseshell and Comma clearly under way. Small Skipper was the first of the three either dualling with another initially or possibly getting in a dispute with a Burnet Companion moth one of a number of moths currently doing relatively well and causing a little confusion for me. Nothing ambiguous about the Ringlet, so black that it was unmistakeable in flight and equally obviously male. When it settled, like the earlier Skipper, it was easily confirmed. A Marbled White wasn't seen at rest but even at a distance on the wing it would be hard to miss. Today's list is unusual in that it contains 13 species but without a single White. Only three were seen very briefly in flight and not identified: Small Tortoiseshell: 6, Speckled Wood: 15, Comma: 5, Small Skipper: 2, Common Blue: 4, Meadow Brown: 13, Ringlet: 1, Brown Argus: 1, Marbled White: 1, Holly Blue: 5, Red Admiral: 1, Small Heath: 5, and one each Burnet Companion, Mother Shipton and Cinnabar moths but moths undercounted both in species shown and in other varieties. Also one possible sighting of Green Hairstreak flying over Gorse on the heath. Peter Gore 9 Jun Hertford Heath. We were on a workparty bracken bashing. Saw 3 Large Skipper, 4 Speckled Wood and 200 plus Brown Silver-line moths whose host plant we were damaging. Steve Kiln 9 Jun Inspired by Malcolm Hull's recent success in Heartwood Forest, I visited this morning with a similar yearning to see some Small Blues. Malcolm kindly pointed me in the right direction, but given the windy conditions I initially struggled to see any butterflies. After a little rummaging around I found 6 (possibly more) individuals sheltering from the slightly blustery conditions around a hundred yards downhill in areas protected by taller grass towards the eastern edge of the field (TL168113). Three were in fresh condition, the others a little worn. The conditions were preponderantly cloudy, so in the absence of much sunshine not a large number of other butterflies were seen. I was happy to see my first Large Skipper of the year, plus a very worn Painted Lady, a fresh Small Tortoiseshell, a rather worn male Brimstone, 3 Common Blues, plus a dozen or so Small Heaths and a similar number of Meadow Browns Andrew Neild 8 Jun Breezy but sunny morning visiting a couple of London Borough of Ealing sites. At Trumpers Field, Hanwell saw my first Small Skipper of the year, a fresh specimen, with a good view with binoculars. At the same site, saw a slightly worn Brown Argus, 2 male Large Skippers, a Meadow Brown, a Small Heath and a Silver Y with a fresh Comma by the Grand Union Canal. Had my first visit to Warren Farm Nature Reserve, an excellent site that is being rewilded, plenty of Small Heath (at least 13), Yellow Shell (at least 6), Meadow Brown (at least 14) plus a Large Skipper and a couple of Common Blues Paul Busby 8 Jun Mid afternoon at the old Rivers orchard site (TL473144) Sawbridgeworth, my first Marbled White of the year, a single wind blown male Laurence Drummond 8 Jun St Albans, Verulamium Park - butterfly numbers are beginning to build. Today was the first time this year that I've seen more Meadow Browns than any other species - a sure sign that the summer butterfly season is starting. Bluehouse Hill was again the most productive meadow and although the weather was fairly overcast at lunchtime I saw Speckled Wood (2), Small Tortoiseshell (3), Meadow Brown (4), Common Blue (1), Silver Y (1), Burnet Companion (1), Grass Rivulet (2), Cranbus sp (2) Malcolm Hull 7 Jun An early afternoon walk down the fields to the old Rivers orchard site Sawbridgeworth (TL473144), 4 Common Blue all males, 1 Painted Lady, 2 fresh Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Peacock, 17 Meadow Brown, no Marbled White yet, more surprisingly a complete absence of Large Skippers and Small Heath Laurence Drummond 7 Jun A Dark Green Fritillary on the footpath through Thrift farm near Royston Andrew Wood Liz Goodyear 7 Jun Dark Green Fritillary by 15th tee on Therfield Heath (TL33704000). 14 butterfly species in total across the Heath. (In addition Large Skipper, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Large White, Green-veined White, Marbled White, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Adonis Blue) Nick Keep 7 Jun In a quick visit to Hexton Chalk Pits this morning I found an early Dark Green Fritillary. also 5 Small Heaths, 4 Common Blues and 2 Brimstones David Booth 4 Jun Bourne End. On a sunny but blustery afternoon 3 Small Blue. Good to see the spread of Kidney Vetch plants at the site Brendan Sheridan 3 Jun Harpenden, Herts. - a least 4 Small Blue butterflies on chalk bank by Redbourn Road near roundabout, just outside Harpenden. 1 male Brimstone as well Darin Stanley 3 Jun I decided to continue my hunt for bank holiday butterflies at Heartwood Forest. Top of my wish list was Small Blue, which put up a poor showing on last weeks trip. Today I had more luck with a total of 13. Most were seen to the north of the site where Kidney Vetch is still in good condition and sheltered from the wind today. Common Blue and Small Heath were well spread across the site with a total of 34 of each species seen. There were a few early summer butterflies including Comma (1), Large Skipper (1) and Small Tortoiseshell (5). Other butterflies included Brimstone (10), Painted Lady (1), Red Admiral (2), Brown Argus (1), Speckled Wood (1), Large White (1), Small White (1) and Green-veined White (1). Moths were plentiful with Grass Rivulet, Burnet Companion and Cranbus sp well spread across the site. Lower numbers of Cinnabar, Common Carpet, Brown Silver-lines, Yellow Shell and Shaded Broad-bar. As always, this is a rewarding site to explore. The good news is that numbers are set to rise sharply over the next couple of months Malcolm Hull 3 Jun Hounslow. A similar day to yesterday leading to similar sightings: Brimstone: 1, Speckled Wood: 13, Holly Blue: 6, Common Blue: 6, Comma: 1, Peacock: 2, Small Heath: 4, Small White: 1 and one Mother Shipton moth Peter Gore 3 Jun During a late morning walk at Forty Hall, Enfield I was pleased to see a Chimney Sweeper moth (TQ339987). Also seen were several Holly Blue and Speckled Wood Terry Wood 2 Jun Therfield Heath (Church Hill: TL 332396): Large White (1), Green-veined White (1), Small Heath (2), Meadow Brown (5), Marbled White (1 male), Holly Blue (1), Brown Argus (10+), Common Blue (8), Adonis Blue (20+). The female Adonis Blues were mainly on the north side of Church Hill and the males were on the south side. Hopefully they met up in the middle! Royston (wildflower meadow at TL 363397): Orange Tip (1 female), Large White (1), Small Heath (1), Meadow Brown (1), Painted Lady (1), Brown Argus (1), Common Blue (8 including a mating pair). Also several unidentified white butterflies. The main interest was in the enormous number of Burnet Companion moths on the wing in this small area - at least 30 were seen Martin Johnson 2 Jun Hounslow. Intermittent cloud reduced numbers seen flying but, as expected, Meadow Brown is now flying here. Like Large Skipper last week this is two weeks earlier than last year's first sighting: Holly Blue: 5, Small Heath: 4, Green-veined White: 4, Speckled Wood: 5, Peacock: 2, Common Blue: 7, Meadow Brown: 1, Brimstone: 1, Small White: 1, Comma: 1 and a Cinnabar moth Peter Gore 2 Jun St Albans - We are currently in the depths of the mid season lull and butterflies were hard to find this afternoon, despite favourable weather conditions. In Verulamium Park, Bluehouse Hill meadow - 1 Speckled Wood, 3 Common Blues, 6 Grass Rivulet, 1 Small White, 1 Burnet Companion, 4 Cranbus sp. Very pleased with the Grass Rivulet which I've not recorded here before, no doubt it's attracted by the large swathes of Yellow Rattle which now extend right across this meadow. 1 Common Blue in the King Harry meadow. 2 Small Whites and a Snout moth in the Westminster Lodge meadow. Over the road in the Bedmond Lane meadow - 1 Common Blue, 1 Cinnabar moth Malcolm Hull 1 Jun My sightings from Church Hill, Therfield Heath this morning. Adonis Blue 11, Common Blue 3, Brown Argus 2, Small Heath 3, Small Tortoiseshell 2, Small White 1 James Robson May Date Description Recorder 29 May Aldbury Nowers. Not good conditions for butterflies on the wing being mostly cloudy and cool. A Speckled Wood turned up on the path up from the lay-by. We made our way to the northern end and spotted a Common Blue resting on a stem. Then several more with Brown Argus. The sun did come out briefly where the butterflies took to the wing and totally confused the count! We searched for Small Blue without success until we were leaving. We spotted one just over the first gate along the lower path. It would appear to be ab. semiobsoleta an aberration lacking in spots on the hind wing. Butterflies spotted. Speckled Wood 1, Common Blue 8+, Brown Argus 5+, Dingy Skipper 2, Small Blue 1 Peter Fewell 29 May Branch Event Hounslow Heath is a fabulous Heathland site, with woodland, acid grassland and meadow habitats. With 27 butterfly species recorded in recent years, it is one of the very best sites in Middlesex. Cloudy weather and a stiff northerly breeze did nothing to assist butterfly spotting on the Branch Butterfly Walk. Four of us set off in search of today's target - the Green Hairstreak. Although this species has been recorded almost every day in the last 6 weeks, we were unsuccessful, but did see the areas on gorse and broom which provide excellent habitat. Butterflies we did see included 4 Speckled Woods, 2 Holly Blues and a few unidentified 'whites', one of which was chased by a hawker dragonfly and miraculously evaded capture. Moths included Mother Shipton and two beautiful final instar Emperor Moth caterpillars feeding on bramble. We hope to have more luck with the weather next year! Malcolm Hull Peter Gore 29 May Hounslow. Although the weather and the Green Hairstreaks were much as I feared: mostly cloudy and absent respectively, four of us completed the planned walk and the company on the heath section of my usual walk was welcome and stimulating. The highlight was one (or rather two) I would likely have missed: Emperor moth caterpillars feeding on Bramble. Thanks to all involved. Earlier, in the morning, I'd had slightly better luck on the Marshalling Yards where a single Green Hairstreak briefly visiting Red Clover raised false hopes but at least showed the species is still around albeit in small numbers. Two widely separate Large Skippers on the Marshalling Yards were also very encouraging for that species. These are the morning sightings plus one Red Admiral that flew later on the heath: Speckled Wood: 13, Green-veined White: 1, Common Blue: 3, Small White: 3, Green Hairstreak: 1, Large Skipper: 2, Holly Blue: 2. Small Heath: 2, Red Admiral: 1 Peter Gore 28 May Branch Event Heartwood Forest - 35 people joined the branch walk in search of Small Blue. Weather at the start was promising with good numbers of Small Heath in the grass paths near the car park. Because of the number of people we split into two groups led by Andrew Steele and Malcolm Hull who headed in opposite directions. Conditions were mostly cool and overcast, which meant we saw rather more moth species than butterflies. Those we managed to identify included Mother Shipton, Common Carpet, Cinnabar, Burnet Companion, Silver Y, Cranbus sp, Grass Rivulet and Shaded Broad-bar. Small Heath and Common Blue were the most widespread and abundant butterflies. Other species included Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small White, Green-veined White, Comma, Painted Lady and Holly Blue. In the Valley Field, we found numerous Kidney Vetch plants, descended from the seeds sown by the Branch four years ago. Nearby a Small Blue was seen and photographed by some close to the hedge at the bottom of the field. Most unexpected sighting of the day was a Meadow Brown, photographed by Chris Newman. It would be well worth searching all parts of this site for Small Blues over the next few weeks, please submit any sightings Malcolm Hull Andrew Steele 28 May Hounslow. There was something particularly uplifting when, near the end of several hours and many miles of rather unrewarding walking there appeared the first Large Skipper of the year in precisely the same corner of the same field the first one was seen last year. One difference though, he's all of 16 days earlier. Not quite the last butterfly of the day but all of the other species preceded him: Small White: 2, Speckled Wood: 6, Common Blue: 10, Brown Argus: 3, Holly Blue: 6, Comma: 1, Small Heath: 2, Green-veined White: 2, Large Skipper: 1 Next we have our scheduled walk with its targeted species, Green Hairstreak. Perhaps inevitably that went missing today and the temperature's expected to drop about 4 degrees. Still there is hope and I look forward to seeing optimistic people at the heath car park at 2:00 pm tomorrow Peter Gore 27 May Hounslow. Yet another day (the 5th I think) that began with a Painted Lady arriving in my garden. This time it stayed a little longer, nectaring on Oxford Ragwort briefly followed by a longer period on Red Valerian and finishing with Chives before leaving again. Out on the walk a Small Tortoiseshell seemed to me likely to be the first of the new brood based on its condition and location - very unlike the Comma seen later. A White Ermine moth walking along a path in Pevensey may have been involved in an incident with a motorised lawnmower. Despite no sign of physical damage it appeared traumatised in so far as a moth can, but still nice to look at leisurely. Butterfly variety good but numbers a little low for the conditions: Painted Lady: 1, Speckled Wood: 18, Common Blue: 11, Small Tortoiseshell: 1, Holly Blue: 12, Red Admiral: 1, Green-veined White: 1, Peacock: 1, Brown Argus: 1, Small Copper: 1, Small Heath: 3, Comma: 1, Small White: 1, Green Hairstreak: 1, Brimstone: 1 plus one each Burnet Companion, White Ermine and Mother Shipton moth Peter Gore 27 May Summer is here! 4 Large Skippers and 1 Meadow Brown on my Ware Park Transect this afternoon. Also at Balls Wood this morning, where I have been walking a transect since 1995, and where it has never been recorded before, I saw the day flying Speckled Yellow moth. I'm not aware of wood sage, its larval foodplant, here, though it is present in another wood about 300 metres away. Why has it taken all this time to move across? Andrew Wood 26 May Hounslow. Not much sun and not surprising that several species went missing but numbers of the rest were quite pleasing and the walk was also notable for the first sighting of an adder this year. She was also a first in two other respects: her size which was small suggesting to me a snake in her second full year and her location, a first ever seen on the Marshalling Yards which means that over the years I've now seen at least one in each of the four squares I cover for butterflies,speaking of which here are: Common Blue: 6, Small Copper: 3, Green Hairstreak: 1, Holly Blue: 3, Speckled Wood: 11, Small White: 1, Brown Argus: 1, Small Heath: 3 Peter Gore 25 May I managed to find a single Small Blue this morning at around 8:30 at the usual spot near Hillbrow Letchworth (TL205320) Phil Barron 23 May I had an unexpected sighting at Staines Moor, I was after damselflies, when a lone Clouded Yellow turned up! Mike Gould 22 May Painted Lady on some Red Valerian in my Bishop's Stortford garden this morning, at 8.30 Bob Clift 22 May Lower Titmore Green. 2 Painted Lady, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange-tip Stefan Hunt 22 May Hounslow. Another mostly sunny day with good numbers of butterflies but the highlight for me for a change was a moth: the first Cinnabar of the year. Last year was a very poor year locally with only one seen I think and hardly any caterpillars despite a vast amount of Ragwort. This gives a little hope for recovery of this usually common species. Here are the sightings: Holly Blue: 15, Painted Lady: 1, Peacock: 4, Comma: 2, Speckled Wood: 15, Orange-tip: 2, Green Hairstreak: 2, Brown Argus: 2, Common Blue: 4, Small White: 2, Small Heath: 11, Green-veined White: 1, Brimstone: 1 plus one Cinnabar and three Mother Shipton moths Peter Gore 22 May Branch Event Wormwood Scrubs - 17 people including several children joined the branch walk organised with Friends of the Scrubs and Big City Butterflies. On a bright sunny morning the butterflies we saw were Small Heath (7), Common Blue (2), Red Admiral (1), Painted Lady (1), Orange-tip (2), Brimstone (3), Holly Blue (3), Large White (2), Speckled Wood (5) and Small White (1), plus Mother Shipton moth (1) Malcolm Hull 22 May Redbourn Lane, Redbourn - Small Blue, Brimstone, Peacock, Large White, Small White Malcolm Hull 22 May Cassiobury Park. 1 Painted Lady briefly sighted, 6 Speckled Wood, 1 Orange-tip, 2 Holly Blue, 2 Green-veined White plus a single Peacock and Comma near the river. 1 unidentified white. Whippendell Woods. After some searching we eventually saw 2 Holly Blue, 1 Green-veined White and 2 other Whites 1 probably large White Peter Fewell 22 May Waterford Heath HMWT. Common Blue=6, Holly Blue=6, Grizzled Skipper=3, Orange-tip=3, Large White=1, Brimstone=3, Brown Argus=1, Small Heath=2, Red Admiral=1, Burnet Companion=1, Mother Shipton=1, Pyrausta purpuralis=1 Chris Benton 21 May Dozens of Adonis Blues at Church hill, Therfield Heath this afternoon. And a couple of Cinnabar moths. Chris Benton 21 May A Large Skipper in the Affinity Field beside Ruislip lido John Edwards 21 May Doing my afternoon transect I saw 4 Male Common Blues - my first sightings of them this year. They were in pairs in the lower and upper butterfly meadows at Alexandra Park. Also a Red Admiral. Otherwise by far the most prolific flying were the Holly Blues, I don't recall a better year for them, they are everywhere! Dee Cullen 21 May Painted Lady at Burleigh Farm, Knebworth Alan Ford 20 May Stevenage Old Town Painted Lady x1 Richard Best 19 May Norton Green, Knebworth (TL224227) Small Heath x1 Richard Best 19 May Went to Therfield. On Church Hill had 10 or more Adonis Blues, several Small Heath, Brown Argus, Brimstone, Painted Lady and a Mother Shipton moth Steve Kiln 19 May Hounslow. Another lovely sunny day with plenty of butterflies to be enjoyed : Holly Blue: 17, Peacock: 14, Small White: 5, Green-veined White: 3, Brimstone: 1, Orange-tip: 3, Comma: 2, Speckled Wood: 11, Green Hairstreak: 5, Red Admiral: 1, Brown Argus: 4, Common Blue: 2, Small Heath: 8, Small Copper: 1, Painted Lady: 1 and one Mother Shipton moth Peter Gore 19 May Painted Lady in my Harpenden garden, first for many a year Robin Pearson 19 May Roughdown, Hemel Hempstead - Painted Lady Sheethanger, Hemel - 1 Painted Lady, 2 Orange-tips, 2 Holly Blues, 5 Brimstones, Small Yellow Underwing, White Ermine, 2 Mother Shipton, Crambus lathoniellus Shrub Hill, Hemel - 9 Dingy Skipper, 3 Silver Y, Painted Lady, 23 Burnet Companion, 2 Holly Blues, 2 Common Blues, 5 Common Carpet, 2 Silver Y, 4 Mother Shipton, Cranbus lathoniellus, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Peacock, 1 Small White, Glyphipterix simpliciella Malcolm Hull Andrew Wood 19 May St Albans - Painted Lady in the garden Malcolm Hull 19 May Spent the afternoon on Hounslow Heath again. Sunny, hot conditions meant that there was plenty to see. Photographed 6 individual Green Hairstreaks (confirmed as individuals by looking at the pattern of white markings), of which 3 along the gorse by the Post Office building and the other 3 along the paths around the heather pen (on oak and bramble). Also saw the following species: 2 Red Admiral, 2 Brimstone, 1 Orange-tip, 4+ Holly Blue, 4+ Green-veined White, 1 Painted Lady (my first this year), 5+ Peacock, 1 Large White, 3 Small Copper, 3+ Small Heath, lots of Speckled Wood and 3+ Small White. Even had an Orange-tip appear out of nowhere to land on me when I was just standing around minding my own business :-) Sally Ewen 18 May Painted Lady at 1-50pm in the garden of the Elephant & Castle pub at Amwell near Wheathampstead. The butterfly was feeding off the allium, off and on, for more than an hour. (A Brimstone was also present) Robert Walker 18 May Hounslow. Again my day began with a Painted Lady in my garden. Yesterday's seemed conventional,quickly disturbed from Valerian flowers; today's oddly seemed to dive in like a predatory bird and leave just as quickly perhaps finding pink Oxalis flowers and Echinops leaves not quite what it wanted. Again a second Painted Lady was seen on my walk albeit at the opposite extremity in time and distance from yesterday's. Suffice to say they're around! I'm long used to blue butterflies on bare earth being Holly Blues but disconcerted by the numbers currently frequenting Bird's Foot Trefoil and other meadow plants. Common Blues would be justified in complaining as I do when I have to alter a premature record. The Marshalling Yards meadows also feature Green Hairstreaks likewise on Lotus and also on Bramble. Both these are recognised food plants but on the heath they're more conventionally always on Broom. Standing at the edge of what was once Pevensey Road sewage works but is now known as "The Rings" and used as an outdoor graphic arts centre I saw 8 feet down and 20 or so in front of me a small something at the centre of an Ox-eye Daisy. I was delighted when binoculars showed this to be exactly what I expected, a nectaring Small Copper. Yesterday's first was pleasing and colourful on a buttercup, today's felt even better. The final noteworthy sighting occurred when I disturbed a large (cat-sized) animal as I walked back along a short path. This was a heavily spotted muntjac fawn and only its faltering progress on wobbly legs allowed me to see it, thus demonstrating how effective its camouflage was and how easily I can miss seeing things: twice, in this instance. Here's what I did see, deer excluded: Painted Lady: 2, Holly Blue: 20, Small White: 4, Green-veined White: 3, Orange-tip: 3, Speckled Wood: 15, Green Hairstreak: 4, Small Copper: 4, Peacock: 8, Common Blue: 4, Brown Argus: 2, Brimstone: 4, Small Heath: 4, Comma: 1 Peter Gore 17 May Had a first Painted Lady in my South Mymms garden, as well as Red Admiral (1), Holly Blue (1), Orange-tip (1) and Green-veined White (1) Terry Wood 17 May Noted about 12 Adonis Blue during a walk along the Church Hill 'footpath', Therfield. Also a mating pair of Small Blues at the Hillbrow site in Letchworth Phil Rhodes 17 May I looked at both ends of Therfield Heath for butterflies. Adonis Blues were very active (as might be expected in temperatures of 27C). Sightings are as follows: Therfield Heath - Old Rifle Range area (TL348400): Orange-tip (1), Large White (1), Green-veined White (3), Brimstone (6), Small Heath (20+), Red Admiral (1 - pristine specimen), Peacock (1), Comma (1), Small Copper (1), Holly Blue (1 + many more just off The Heath), Brown Argus (6), Common Blue (2 males), Adonis Blue (8 males). Therfield Heath - Church Hill area (TL332396): Orange-tip (1), Green-veined White (2), Brimstone (8), Small Heath (2), Red Admiral (1), Peacock (2) , Comma (1), Brown Argus (2), Common Blue (5 males) and Adonis Blue (15+ including 2 females) Martin Johnson 17 May My first Painted Lady of the year was hurtling around my Ware back garden. In the front a pristine Red Admiral was nectaring on valerian. Numerous flights of a Holly Blue so suspect more than one. In the afternoon, a female Brimstone was checking out my alder buckthorn but despite lowering her abdomen I couldn't see an egg. At the same time another female was in the garden and later a male Brimstone was engaged in a courtship flight with a female Liz Goodyear 17 May Hounslow. The day began well with a Painted Lady in my garden and a second one was seen on the walk that followed, with Small Copper also belatedly added to the year's list of species: all we can reasonably hope to see here at this stage. Lack of sun in a couple of key areas reduced numbers a little but still good overall: Painted Lady: 2, Holly Blue: 22, Small White: 2, Orange-tip: 2, Peacock: 11, Brimstone: 6, Comma: 1, Speckled Wood: 8, Green-veined White: 5, Common Blue: 6, Green Hairstreak: 6, Brown Argus: 3, Small Heath: 3, Small Copper: 1 Peter Gore 16 May Despite a cloudy blustery day it was humid and warm in North London. On my way to do my transect I'd walked up my road a few yards when I saw a Painted Lady my first this year. It was a quiet transect not many flying but of note was my first Silver Y of the year in the anthill meadow. Dee Cullen 15 May Branch Event The annual Bovingdon Brickworks walk (with kind permission of the Box Moor Trust) often succumbs to bad weather and this year was no exception. With a favourable forecast during the week, it was with horror on Friday that I saw the forecast had changed! However, the walk went ahead with 6 enthusiastic walkers and an even more enthusiastic ranger - Steve. Setting off the sun was just shining which meant that we knew that the Dingy Skippers had come off their roosts! We had several sightings across the site before cloud cover halted all activity. It was only as the walk was ending and the sky was even more overcast and the rain was imminent that we found our first seriously roosting Dingy Skippers! With 3 being found hiding on knapweed seed heads and a Common Blue nearby. In total during the walk we found 10 Dingy Skipper, 3 Common Blue, 2 Orange-tips and 2 Peacock Liz Goodyear Andrew Middleton 14 May At Aldbury Nowers, 2 Small Blues Chris Benton 14 May I went to Aldbury Nowers (but walked to Incombe Hole and back, just in Bedfordshire but full of butterflies especially Duke of Burgundy a great place to visit). No Dukes at Aldbury Nowers. but it had Dingy Skippers and Grizzled Skippers, Green Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Orange-tips, Small Heath, Brimstones galore, Burnet Companion, Mint Moth and Common Carpet Steve Kiln 14 May Hounslow. No possible complaints about weather; I felt like staying even longer in the sun but for lack of food and the inevitability of evening. Good to see Small Heath numbers increasing and they're back sunbathing at their usual angle away from the sun, particularly on the edges of the meadows' footpaths where everything has seemed so devoid of butterflies since the end of last summer: Holly Blue: 24, Peacock: 16, Small Heath: 13, Red Admiral: 1, Speckled Wood: 13, Green-veined White: 5, Orange-tip: 4, Common Blue: 6, Green Hairstreak: 3, Brimstone: 1, Large White (1st): 1, Brown Argus 1, Small White: 3, Small Tortoiseshell: 1 Peter Gore 14 May Bovingdon - A good range of species at three different types of site around the village. At the Brickpits, 4 Common Blues, 4 Peacocks, 1 Silver Y, 3 Treble-bar, 10 Dingy Skippers, 1 Silver-ground Carpet, 1 Mint Moth, 3 Large Whites, 1 Mother Shipton, 1 Speckled Wood, 4 Orange-tips, 8 Green-veined Whites. At the Airfield, I saw 4 Peacocks, 1 Comma, 2 Large White, 3 Holly Blues, 1 Common Blue, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Brimstone, 15 Small Whites and 6 Orange-tips. At Spring Meadow Farm, Whelpley Hill I saw 8 Dingy Skippers, 5 Peacocks, 1 Common Carpet, 2 Mint moths, 3 Common Blues, 1 Comma, 3 Burnet Companions, 5 Large Whites, 3 Brimstones, 1 Orange Footman, 8 Orange-tips, 1 Small White and 1 Green-veined White Malcolm Hull 14 May While walking the Knebworth transects I spotted my first Painted Lady of the year in Graffidge Wood Peter Clarke 13 May Hounslow. A sunnier day and butterfly numbers respond accordingly: Holly Blue: 22, Brimstone: 3, Green-veined White: 3, Speckled Wood: 13, Peacock: 13, Green Hairstreak: 3, Orange-tip: 2, Common Blue: 5, Small White: 3, Comma: 2, Small Heath: 2, Brown Argus: 4, Red Admiral: 1. Many thanks to Sally Ewen for her kind comment. It is indeed always good to meet a fellow butterfly enthusiast and for me especially one who is substantially younger than I am! Peter Gore 12 May Good day for butterflies on Hounslow Heath. Nice to meet Peter Gore also out butterflying. Highlight was 5 (possibly 6) individual Green Hairstreaks along the path opposite Post Office building. Also saw (and photographed) Small Heath (2), Small Copper (2), Brown Argus (1), Speckled Wood (2), Green-veined White (3 or 4), Small White (1), Brimstone (1), Peacock (3) Sally Ewen 12 May Hounslow. Another day like Tuesday with intermittent sunshine leading to an apparent redistribution of butterflies that is of course misleading as are relatively low numbers again e.g. only one Green Hairstreak spotted but a very reliable informant had seen 5 earlier and got photographs, eyebrows included. Most interesting was a further sighting of one in a Whitton garden. Whilst they're not unknown garden visitors this is the first I can recall hearing of relatively locally. These are my sightings: Holly Blue: 5, Brimstone: 3, Orange-tip: 3, Green-veined White: 5, Green Hairstreak: 1, Speckled Wood: 5, Peacock: 8, Red Admiral: 1, Small White: 1, Small Heath: 3. After seeing none earlier in the week I was pleased to see three Brimstones; a fourth much smaller bright yellow sighting flew moth-like deep into a blackthorn bush where I couldn't find it but still feel justified in labelling it a Brimstone moth presumably disturbed into flying briefly during the day. The lowlight of the walk was a thankfully rare sighting of two freshly dumped shopping trolleys in the River Crane Peter Gore 10 May Had 6 Small Blues in the afternoon in the breezy sunshine on the perimeter fields of the old butterfly world site at Chiswell Green Clive Burrows 10 May In Rickneys at 2pm. 3 Grizzled Skippers, Brown Argus, 2 Common Blue, Small Heath, the whites, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Peacock and a stoat. At Waterford south. 3 Grizzled Skipper, the whites and Peacocks and Lattice Heath and Mother Shipton moths Steve Kiln 10 May 1 Brimstone - Priory School, Hitchin; 1 Small White, 2 Peacock - field NW of Priory School, Hitchin; 1 Peacock, 2 Small White mating, 2 Holly Blue - field between Burford Way and River Oughton, off Bedford Road, Hitchin David Inward 10 May Hounslow. A late start, a lot of cloud and breezy conditions all meant that numbers seen were limited but three more species added to this year's list and a Red Admiral on the heath is the first anywhere here since February: Holly Blue: 15, Green Hairstreak: 4, Speckled Wood: 9, Red Admiral: 1, Orange-tip: 5, Small Heath(1st) : 2, Common Blue (1st): 1, Brown Argus (1st): 3, Small White: 1, Peacock: 2, Green-veined White: 1 Peter Gore 10 May Large Tortoioseshell in Stanwell Moor area. Also seen: Small Copper, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brimstone, Orange-tip, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Small Heath, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock Dave Miller 9 May We visited Waterford Heath south - starting just after 1 and managed to choose the worst possible time for weather. It was breezy and warm but cloudy and the Grizzleds simply weren't doing anything. After 'wasting' an hour looking we were about to give up when the sun returned and we did a complete circuit of the site finishing just after 4 - finding eventually 15 Grizzled Skippers in total Liz Goodyear Andrew Middleton 9 May 1 Holly Blue - Willian Road, Hitchin; 3 Speckled Wood, 1 Green-veined White, 2 Orange-tip, 1 Brimstone - School Lane area, Great Offley NW; 1 Orange-tip, 1 Brimstone - School Lane, Great Offley NE David Inward 8 May Therfield Heath (Church Hill): Small Heath 5, Brown Argus 3, Peacock, Brimstone, Adonis Blue 3+ Andy Clifton 8 May 1 Holly Blue - St Faiths Close north, Hitchin; 1 Speckled Wood - Walsworth Common, Hitchin David Inward 8 May I found two Small Yellow Underwing moths on Halsey Field whilst walking my transect Chris Ridley 6 May 1 Brimstone - St Faiths Close north, Hitchin (TL198303); 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Holly Blue, 1 Orange-tip - Fairlands Valley Park north central part (TL2524) David Inward 6 May Therfield Heath (Church Hill): Common Blue (1 male), Brown Argus (3 males), Brimstone (8), Orange-tip (5), Peacock (1), Cinnabar Moth (1), Mother Shipton (2) Martin Johnson 6 May Brown Argus at Scotch Common, Ealing, the earliest I have ever seen one anywhere John Eborall 5 May Hemel Hempstead - Out looking for suitable wildflower meadow sites. At Warners End I saw 5 Orange-tips, 4 Small Whites and 1 each of Peacock, Holly Blue and Brimstone. At Shrub Hill Common I saw 7 Dingy Skippers, 2 Burnet Companion, 2 Common Carpet, 2 Mint moth, 7 Brimstone, 6 Orange-tips, 4 Small White, 3 Peacock, 1 Large White and 2 Holly Blue. Hoping for more sun tomorrow! Malcolm Hull 4 May Hexton Chalk Pit in afternoon. 2 Brimstones, Green-veined White, one Small Heath and 9 Dingy Skipper and Mint moth Steve Kiln 3 May We started the day at Hexton Chalk Pit just after 10.15 in perfect roosting conditions - nice and cloudy! In total in about an hour we found 49 Dingy Skipper either roosting mostly on knapweed heads and a few just thinking about basking! (This is our highest ever count at Hexton in 20 years!). No Green Hairstreak were seen. We then went onto Telegraph Hill and Hoo Bit and here just 1 Dingy Skipper was found on either site. At Hoo Bit we also saw a Brown Argus but the highlight was just after we started walking along the Icknield Way 3 Orange-tips were found roosting on flower heads close together. We think two were male and one a female. On the way back we stopped at Waterford Heath north - the sun was trying to come out and we didn't know whether we would find flying Grizzled Skippers or roosting individuals. The first two were roosting but then we started to find either basking or flying individuals as we got closer to the railway line. One was found basking high up on an Evening Primrose seed head. We then went across to the east side of the pit and they were now all roosting. In total we found exactly 10 individuals over a 2 hour period Liz Goodyear Andrew Middleton 2 May 1 Holly Blue - by railway, Walsworth Common, Hitchin (TL192304) David Inward April Date Description Recorder 30 Apr What a joy to see so much sunshine! I took the opportunity to seek out Green Hairstreak, returning after a three year absence to Hexton Chalk Pit (entrance gate at TL106300) in the Chilterns, arriving at around 11:00 am. There were not many species on the wing upon arrival, but a good number number of Dingy Skipper were flying over the low grass, and later I saw at least 15 individuals of this species (at a conservative estimate to avoid double counting). Early on there was no sign of Green Hairstreak until I got to within 50 yards of the furthest (southern) fence, just where the reserve becomes very narrow. A single individual was sunning itself on low vegetation, and posed very nicely for me, as did a second specimen a short time later, which also nectared for a short while on a white inflorescence of a Viburnum lantana bush. I then spotted several individuals flying around a sycamore tree (at exactly TL 10759 29828), for those wanting not to waste time searching elsewhere!). This was clearly the most popular perch on the reserve, since I saw none anywhere else before leaving at 2 pm. At one time I saw 5 in a single vista: a mating pair about 10 feet up, a single male a foot away from them, and two males fighting almost continuously 20 feet up. Adding in the Green Hairstreak I'd been photographing other out in the open, that made a certain count of 6 individuals of Green Hairstreak, although I suspect there were more somewhere out of sight (it might be an idea to explore the fallow field to the east, with plenty of trees and bushes, accessible from a track next to the reserve entrance gate). Also spotted (impossible to say if these were absolute numbers or repeated sightings!): 3 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 5 Holly Blue, 10+ Brimstone, 5 Green-veined White, 1 Speckled Wood. (Also about a dozen delightful Green Longhorn moths with their delicate and spectacular long antennae) Andrew Neild 30 Apr Aldbury Nowers. As Rick Vickers and I got out of the car in the first two butterflies seen were an Orange-tip followed by a Brimstone. At the southern end we took a look over the right hand side gate. We saw 6 Brimstone, 1 Small Heath, 1 Dingy Skipper and Rick spotted 1 Grizzled Skipper and a couple of Peacocks that I missed. Heading towards the northern end a further 2 Small Heath were seen 6 Orange-tip, 17 Brimstone, 5 Peacock, 6 Grizzled Skipper, 1 Brown Argus, 3 Dingy Skipper, 1 Green-Veined White along with several other white butterflies spotted. Rick also spotted 2 Holly Blue of which I also missed Peter Fewell 30 Apr 1 Small White, 2 Brimstone, 2 Speckled Wood, 2 Comma, 1 Holly Blue, 1 Orange-tip - open space north of Sainsburys, Poplars,Stevenage (TL2623) David Inward 28 Apr Hounslow. Very little sun but little effect on Speckled Wood: Speckled Wood: 18, Green Hairstreak: 2, Holly Blue: 1, Small White: 1, Peacock: 2 Peter Gore 27 Apr Did a roost count for Grizzled Skippers at Waterford Heath north and south this morning. The result was 4 found on the south and one on the north Andrew Wood 26 Apr Went to Rickneys quarry around 12, had 7 Grizzled Skippers. Watch the roses they are savage. Also many Green-veined Whites, Orange-tips and Small Whites. Went to Waterford Heath South, no Grizzleds at all but plenty of whites and Peacocks and Commas Steve Kiln 26 Apr Hounslow. A similar day to Sunday, ten species again with numbers slightly reduced: Holly Blue: 16, Brimstone: 3, Orange-tip: 3, Speckled Wood: 13, Peacock: 17, Green-veined White: 1, Green Hairstreak: 2, Small White: 2, Comma: 1, Small Tortoiseshell: 2 Peter Gore 26 Apr St Albans - An interesting contrast in the butterflies I saw at two different locations at lunchtime. In the garden all species were newly emerged including Small White (shown nectaring on Bowles Mauve), Orange-tip, Holly Blue and Mint Moth. Out in Verulamium Park, most species were hibernators Peacock (12), Small Tortoiseshell (4), Brimstone (1) and Orange-tip (1) All hibernators were looking tatty - Peacock numbers are holding up well, but STs were well down since my last visit Malcolm Hull 24 Apr 1 Orange-tip - by pond, Walsworth Common, Hitchin; 1 Brimstone - by railway, Walsworth Common, Hitchin David Inward 24 Apr Hounslow. Intermittent sunshine meant intermittent butterflies so fewer seen overall: Holly Blue: 15, Speckled Wood: 22, Green-veined White: 5, Peacock: 21, Brimstone: 5, Orange-tip: 4, Comma: 3, Small Tortoiseshell: 1. Two Holly Blues in my garden yesterday Peter Gore 23 Apr Despite a stiff breeze there were a fair number flying at Alexandra Park for my walk at lunchtime. I saw my first Green-veined White in the anthill meadow. Also a few Small Tortoiseshells near the sports club car park. Two were displaying courtship behaviour. Pleased to see a good number of Holly Blues again this week Dee Cullen 21 Apr Waterford Heath (TL316150). Grizzled Skipper x3, Peacock x3, Speckled Wood x1, Comma x2 Richard Best 21 Apr Hounslow. A delightful sunny spring day with a drop in numbers of the shade-loving Speckled Wood perhaps caused by too much sun rather than too little. Green Hairstreak sightings increased with one on hawthorn on the Marshalling Yards and one each on Broom and Gorse in the usual site on the heath. All ten current species seen. A possible eleventh was a Large White that flew strongly past me in the woodland area of the Pevensey Road. A little while later as I completed the loop where this butterfly had headed I again saw a large white butterfly and it was with a feeling of minor triumph that I raised my binoculars to look at this individual nectaring on a dandelion only to find myself looking at an impressively large immaculate female Brimstone. It could have been a different butterfly of course but for what it's worth my current belief is that none of the three migrants is with us here at the moment. Today's list: Holly Blue: 27, Speckled Wood: 29, Green-veined White: 4, Small White: 2, Peacock: 22, Green Hairstreak: 3, Brimstone: 10, Orange-tip: 4, Comma: 2, Small Tortoiseshell: 3 Peter Gore 21 Apr 1 Speckled Wood - wood east of Great Offley (TL147272); 1 Orange-tip - Luton Road, Great Offley (TL141270) David Inward 21 Apr A walk from Lilley to Lilley via Telegraph Hill (well de-scrubbed), Hoo Bit and Hexton Chalk Pit revealed plenty of Peacocks, Brimstones and Small Tortoiseshells with rather fewer Orange-tips and Green-veined Whites. However there was one Dingy Skipper at Telegraph Hill and 3 at Hexton Chalk Pit plus a Green Hairstreak at Hoo Bit Andrew Wood 20 Apr At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 1 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell & 1 Speckled Wood. At Parkside Farm, Enfield (TQ3098) - 2 male Orange-tip together & 1 Comma. At Parkside Farm/Res., Enfield (TQ2998) - 1 Peacock. At Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) - 3 Speckled Wood & 1 Green-veined White. Along Jubilee Path/London Loop near Little Beechill Wood, Enfield Chase (TQ291988) - 1 Peacock. At Holly Hill Farm, Enfield (TL297002) - 1 Small White, 1 Speckled Wood & 1 Peacock Robert Callf 20 Apr Late morning walk at Waterford Heath, 5 Grizzled Skipper, 3 on the south pit and 2 on the north pit, also 12 Peacock, 3 Orange-tip Laurence Drummond 20 Apr Hounslow. Over two thirds of those recorded from just two species. Whites are slightly more numerous than shown but only by a dozen or so: Holly Blue: 26, Speckled Wood: 49, Peacock: 18, Brimstone: 8, Comma: 5, Orange-tip: 3, Small Tortoiseshell: 1, Small White: 1. Yesterday one Holly Blue in my garden, three on 18 April Peter Gore 20 Apr 1 Holly Blue, 1 Brimstone - St Faiths Close, Hitchin; 1 Brimstone - Wilshire Crescent, Hitchin (TL206296); 1 Small Tortoiseshell - Walsworth Common, Hitchin (TL193303); 1 Orange-tip - Walsworth Common, Hitchin (TL195301) David Inward 20 Apr A Green-veined White, an Orange-tip and a Peacock sunning itself on the path in my South Mymms garden Terry Wood 19 Apr At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 1 Speckled Wood & 1 Peacock. At Holly Hill Farm, Enfield (TL297002) - 1 Speckled Wood Robert Callf 19 Apr 1 Small Tortoiseshell - Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage (TL247230) David Inward 19 Apr 2 Green-veined Whites as well as an Orange-tip and a Red Admiral in my South Mymms garden Terry Wood 18 Apr It was a joy to welcome our first Holly Blue of the year to our St Albans garden, and then to discover that it was a female, as she proceeded over the course of the next 50 minutes to lay single eggs on most of the flower buds on our blackcurrant. Now that did raise my eyebrows, as I had no idea that this was a known food plant, but apparently it is recognised as a minor pest of this plant species Andrew Neild 18 Apr At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 3 male Orange-tip, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Small Tortoiseshell at Hog Hill & 1 Peacock. At Parkside Farm/Res., Enfield (TQ2998) - 1 female Orange-tip (my first female of the year) & 2 Peacock. At Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) - 3 Speckled Wood & 1 Peacock. At Hadley Rd near Camlet Moat - 1 Speckled Wood along grass verge. At Trent Park - 1 male Orange-tip near Obelisk. At Lakeside, EN2 - 1 male Large White (my first of the year) & 1 male Small White. 1 Orange Underwing seen in flight & settled on branch of tree at Parkside Farm/Res., Enfield (TQ299982) - seen well through bins, so positive about id. 1 Angle Shades at Oakwood Station & 1 Red-green Carpet at ASDA Southgate Robert Callf 18 Apr Millhoppers Reserve - Seven different species seen, Speckled Wood, Orange-tip, Comma, Peacock, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Holly Blue. Plus finally a male Emperor moth to the lure after five unsuccessful attempts! Chris Hilling 18 Apr Aldbury Nowers - 3 Green Hairstreaks, 2 Burnet Companion, 12 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 11 Brimstone, 2 Large White, 1 Comma, 9 Common Carpet, 12 Orange-tip, 6 Green-veined White. Back in St Albans I added Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Mint Moth in my garden Malcolm Hull 18 Apr 1 Orange-tip - St Faiths Close, Hitchin; 1 Large White - Walsworth Common, Hitchin (TL196302) David Inward 17 Apr 1 male Orange-tip at Grovebury Crt, N14 (TQ296949) at 1302 BST. At Town Park, Enfield (1330-1410 BST) - 1 Peacock at TQ323961, 1 Speckled Wood & 1 female Green-veined White at TQ324964. At Parsonage Grdns, Enfield (TQ324970) - 1 Comma along New River. At Parsonage Lne, Enfield (TQ330970) - 1 Holly Blue. At Church St/Great Cambridge Road (TQ331941) - 1 Holly Blue Robert Callf 17 Apr 1 Orange-tip - St Faiths churchyard, Hitchin (TL198301) David Inward 17 Apr Hounslow. A steady build-up for Speckled Wood and Holly Blue whilst Orange-tip continues to lag badly: Holly Blue: 12, Speckled Wood: 30, Small White: 4, Green-veined White: 2, Comma: 4, Peacock: 34, Brimstone: 4, Orange-tip: 2, Small Tortoiseshell: 1 Peter Gore 16 Apr Cassiobury Park. Peacock 15, Small Tortoiseshell 1 at the far end of the rugby fields, Comma 1, Brimstone 6, Orange-tip 1, Holly Blue 2, Speckled Wood 2 and a couple of unidentified whites Whippendell Woods. Peacock 22, Brimstone 2, Green-Veined White 1, Holly Blue 2, Orange-tip 10, Comma 5, Large White 1 and several unidentified whites Peter Fewell 16 Apr At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 4 Peacock, 3 Small Tortoiseshell including two clashing at Hog Hill, 1 Speckled Wood along Leeging Beech Gutter & 1 Comma. At Hadley Road near Parkside Farm, Enfield (TQ3098) - 1 male Orange-tip. At Parkside Farm, Enfield (TQ3098 & TQ2998) - 4+ Peacock (with roughly equal numbers in each tetrad). 1 Brimstone Moth at ASDA Southgate this evening - my first of the year! Robert Callf 16 Apr Hounslow. A slightly unsatisfying first Green Hairstreak of the year seen flying to a Maple and landing several feet above my head, quickly lost amongst the fresh green leaves and flowers. Possibly a male establishing territory and I waited around hoping for a skirmish or two but without any further sighting. Numbers were a little down generally, however a first female Orange-tip and another sighting of female Brimstone added to the variety: Holly Blue: 10, Speckled Wood: 22, Small Tortoiseshell: 3, Peacock: 41, Orange-tip: 3, Brimstone: 9, Comma: 2, Green-veined White: 2, Small White: 2, Green Hairstreak: 1 Peter Gore 16 Apr 1 Grizzled Skipper at Waterford Heath HMWT. South pit (silt bed clearing) Chris Benton 15 Apr At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - male Brimstone, 1 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell & male Orange-tip. At Parkside Farm, Enfield (TQ3098) - male Brimstone. At Parkside Farm/Res., Enfield (TQ2998) - 1 Green-veined White & 1 Peacock. At Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) - 3 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Green-veined White, 1 male Orange-tip & 3 Speckled Wood Robert Callf 15 Apr Transect at Alexandra Park gave a bumper range of species, and most of what you'd hope for. Saw 8 Brimstone, 7 Small White, 3 Speckled Wood, 3 Holly Blue, 2 Orange-tip, 1 Comma, 2 Peacocks, 1 Small Tortoiseshell. Particularly happy to see Holly Blue and Small Tortoiseshell as they were few and far between last season, so hope this continues. My other transects in the cemetery later on were less exciting, though it had clouded over by then. Though also saw an Orange-tip there Dee Cullen 15 Apr 1 Brimstone - St Faiths Close north, Hitchin (TL198303); 1 Brimstone, 1 Speckled Wood - Purwell Meadows East, Hitchin (TL2029); 1 Orange-tip - path south of Purwell Paddocks, Hitchin (TL202294); 1 Brimstone - Chaucer Way, Hitchin (TL201296); 4 Peacock, 6 Brimstone, 2 Comma, 1 Holly Blue, 1 Orange-tip - Walsworth Common, Hitchin (TL1930) David Inward 15 Apr Peacocks were the butterfly of the afternoon in and around St Albans with over 30 spotted. Much smaller numbers of Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Brimstone and Green-veined White. 13 Small Whites all in a field of oil seed rape Malcolm Hull 15 Apr A Holly Blue and Small White (both year firsts) in my South Mymms garden as well as Peacock and Orange-tip Terry Wood 15 Apr Hounslow. More of the same, lots more, with the total recorded passing 100 for the first time this year: Holly Blue: 9, Brimstone: 15, Speckled Wood: 24, Green-veined White: 1, Peacock: 48, Orange-tip: 5, Small White: 2, Small Tortoiseshell: 2, Comma: 4. The Brimstones included two in a courtship flying ritual, close together and less rapidly moving than usual so I was able to detect the green colouring of both sexes as they flew above me. Thus the female becomes the first recorded as such here this year although clearly a number of unidentified early whites would almost certainly have been female Brimstones. Generally there are only a few whites that are not making themselves known to me at the moment Peter Gore 15 Apr Surprised to see Grizzled Skipper at Rickney also there many Peacocks and Brimstones and a Green-veined White. Afterwards I went to Waterford Heath and saw a Grizzled Skipper at the bottom of main bank. 13 Peacocks, and also Orange-tips, Commas, Small White and Brimstones. Also a slow worm near the wood Steve Kiln 14 Apr At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 2 Speckled Wood clashing at 0945 BST, 1 Small White, 2 Peacock & 1 male Brimstone . At Parkside Farm, Enfield (TQ3098) - 1 Comma. At Parkside Farm/Res., Enfield (TQ2998) - 1 male Brimstone. At Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) - 1 Speckled Wood & 1 Peacock near Duncan's Wd. At Trent Park - 1 Peacock along Leeging Beech Gutter near Water Grdn, 1 male Brimstone, 1 Speckled Wood & 1 Green-veined White at Williams Wd. At Boxer's Lake, Enfield - 1 Comma, 1 Small Tortoiseshell & 1 Small White Robert Callf 14 Apr 1 Orange-tip - Woolgrove Road, Hitchin (TL197302); 1 Peacock - NE corner, Peartree Park, Stevenage (TL256237); 1 Brimstone - eastern edge, Peartree Park, Stevenage (TL256233) David Inward 14 Apr Hounslow. Most of the walk in sunshine and all nine expected species seen with some new highs for the year: Holly Blue: 6, Speckled Wood: 14, Brimstone: 8, Green-veined White: 1, Peacock: 30, Comma: 5, Small White: 1, Small Tortoiseshell : 3, Orange-tip: 1. Three Holly Blues, one Speckled Wood and a Small White in my garden on 12th, one Holly Blue there yesterday Peter Gore 14 Apr A pristine Orange-tip in my South Mymms garden this afternoon, the first of the year for me Terry Wood 14 Apr This morning on the Anthill Meadow of Alexandra Palace Park, I encountered our first Painted Lady of the year. When an orange butterfly flew past me, my initial thought was of Comma, but the jizz wasn't right. I saw where it had settled and eased closer with my binoculars at the ready to be surprised by good views of a Painted Lady. Unfortunately it flew off before I could get even a record shot. Also Brimstone in good numbers, Peacock, Small White, Green-veined White and our first Holly Blue of the year, but no Orange-tip as yet. Gerry Rawcliffe 13 Apr At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 1 Peacock & 1 Small White. At Parkside Farm, Enfield (TQ3098) - 1 Peacock. At Holly Hill Farm, Enfield - 1 Peacock at TL296002 & 1 Green-veined White at TL294001. Robert Callf 13 Apr Hampstead Heath between No.1 and No.2 Ponds: Holly Blue (my first of the year), Brimstone, Small White, Peacocks (several) Nicholas Barnett 13 Apr 1 Small White, 1 Orange-tip - Hitchin Garden Centre, Hitchin (TL2030) David Inward 13 Apr Stevenage Old Town Holly Blue along Gunnels Wd Rd just before midday Stefan Hunt 12 Apr At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 2 Peacock & 1 White sp. At Parkside Farm/Res., Enfield (TQ2998) - 3 Peacock. At Park Farm, Enfield (TQ292987) - 1 Green-veined White settled briefly at 1453 BST (my first of the year). At Holly Hill Farm, Enfield (TQ293998) - 1 Peacock Robert Callf 12 Apr Large White seen by the entrance to Balls Wood, Hertford Heath at lunchtime Liz Goodyear 11 Apr Whilst looking at the amazing spectacle of thousands of Pasqueflowers at Therfield Heath we had a Green-veined White Roger & Sylvia Morton 11 Apr 1 male Brimstone at Trent Park Equestrian Centre at 1308 BST. At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 1 Small Tortoiseshell at Hog Hill at 1325 BST. At Parkside Farm, Enfield (TQ302980) - 1 male Orange-tip & 1 Peacock at 1342 BST. At Parkside Farm/Res., Enfield (TQ2998) - 1 Peacock & 1 Small Tortoiseshell. At Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) - 1 Small Tortoiseshell at 1410 BST & 2 Peacock Robert Callf 11 Apr Hounslow. The walk started very well but we lost the sun roughly half way through and with that, the butterflies : Speckled Wood: 7, Comma: 5, Peacock: 24, Green-veined White: 1, Orange-tip: 1, Brimstone: 1 Peter Gore 11 Apr Verulamium Park, St Albans - 8 Small Tortoiseshells and 6 Peacocks on my lunchtime walk. I'm relieved to see that they have survived through the frosts and snow of the last two weeks Malcolm Hull 10 Apr Green-veined White in St Albans garden at 12 noon John Pritchard 10 Apr 1 male Brimstone near Oakwood entrance, Trent Park at 1301 BST. At Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) - 1 Small Tortoiseshell nectaring on dandelion near Allotments at 1307 BST & 1 Comma at 1332 BST. At Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) - 1 male Orange-tip at 1407 BST (my first of the year), 1 male Brimstone near Duncan's Wd at 1425 BST & 1 Peacock at 1427 BST. At Trent Park - 1 Comma edge of Moat Wd at 1438 BST & 1 Peacock edge of Williams Wd & 1 Comma edge of Williams Wd Robert Callf 10 Apr Hounslow. The day began promisingly in my garden as I inspected a plant pot and found myself looking at two Holly Blues seemingly sunbathing on bare soil, wings firmly closed. They were just an inch apart and seemed to show no interest in one another during the several minutes observed. A third Holly Blue flew over the fence as I watched them and a Speckled Wood was another garden first this year, fluttering nearby. After this start I saw no more Holly Blues on my walk but was happy to spot two Green-veined Whites taking the year's total to ten species flying now if one counts the single Red Admiral seen only in February. Holly Blue: 3, Speckled Wood: 5, Comma: 3, Brimstone: 1, Peacock: 14, Green-veined White : 2 and Small Tortoiseshell: 1. One unidentified moth flying high in the trees, Aspen on one side, Birch on the other side of the path I was on at the time Peter Gore 10 Apr 1 Brimstone - Highover Way, Hitchin (TL196304) David Inward 10 Apr My first Orange-tip of 2022. At Waterford Heath HMWT. North pit. Chris Benton 10 Apr St Albans - doing my bit for butterflies and moths by converting more of my lawn to wildflower meadow. The resident blackbird spotted I'd disturbed a hibernating caterpillar and swooped in for a tasty snack - guess you can't win them all! Malcolm Hull 9 Apr 1 Speckled Wood at Park Farm, Enfield (TQ294982) at 1200 BST. 1 Comma & 1 White sp (probably Small) at Allotments/Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ309970) at 1315 BST. At Boxer's Lake, Enfield (TQ305962) - 1 Peacock at 1426 BST & 1 male Brimstone at 1428 BST. . 1 Tawny Pinion at Oakwood Station - my first record Robert Callf 9 Apr I walked my two Highgate Cemetery transects. I was pleased to see a couple of Commas in the East Cemetery, not a species I saw last season on this side. They were jousting and one of them landed on me a couple of times, maybe I was in their way! Other than that I saw two Brimstones, two Small White, a Peacock and a Speckled Wood Dee Cullen 8 Apr A male Orange-tip, lunch time along the Slough, Allen's Green TL458165 Laurence Drummond 8 Apr Walked my second transect this year at lunchtime at Alexandra Park. I saw two male Brimstones along the Old Racetrack and two Small Tortoiseshells in the scrub area behind the sports pavilion car park Dee Cullen 8 Apr Folly Lane St Albans - Just a single Peacock, despite glorious sun all afternoon. That's a massive decline in butterfly numbers from two weeks ago. In my hibernation shed - no change from two weeks ago, Just a single Small Tortoiseshell still in residence Malcolm Hull 8 Apr 1 male Brimstone at Oakwood Park (TQ299950) at 1246 BST Robert Callf 6 Apr 1 female Small White seen in flight & settled at Holly Hill Farm, Enfield (TQ289997) at 1425 BST Robert Callf 3 Apr Although only 9° in the shade, a Small Tortoiseshell was feeding on dandelion in Fairlands Valley Park near the football ground Peter Clarke March Date Description Recorder 28 Mar Hounslow. After reports of Green Hairstreak sightings elsewhere in the country I thought I'd better get out and make a special effort to see if they're around here : not the slightest evidence seen so if the weather turns unfavourable this week as forecast I suspect we'll be waiting until April is well under way at the earliest. Otherwise I could have no grounds for complaint today with 8 species seen: Comma: 7, Speckled Wood: 2, Orange-tip: 2, Peacock: 11, Brimstone: 4, Holly Blue: 1, Small Tortoiseshell: 4, Small White: 2 Peter Gore 26 Mar Some butterflies from Wareside, a bright and sunny day. 1 Orange-tip (first of the year), 5 Brimstone, 2 Red Admiral - we are now convinced these overwinter in the dense ivy which grows over the fence as we have seen them emerge from here, 3 Comma, 4 Peacock, 2 Small White, 1 Speckled Wood (first for the year), 3 Small Tortoiseshell Phil and Oliver MacMurdie 26 Mar At Grovelands Park, Southgate (1510 to 1815 GMT) - 2 Comma & 2 Speckled Wood (1 slightly worn & 1 very fresh) - my first Speckled Wood in March for many years & possibly my earliest ever Robert Callf 26 Mar Hounslow. An Orange-tip was conspicuous nectaring on a dandelion as I exited the Cavalry Tunnel on the way back home.Slightly more white butterflies were flying than any other day so far this year but all the remainder were likely Small Whites : Comma: 9, Speckled Wood: 3, Brimstone: 6, Peacock: 21, Small White: 6, Small Tortoiseshell: 2, Orange-tip : 1. Like yesterday's Holly Blue this is not the earliest sighting of Orange-tip here but slightly earlier than average. If forecasts are correct this may be the last of warm sunny days for a little while so perhaps a reasonably extended spring season will develop Peter Gore 25 Mar A male Orange-tip in flight and at rest (photographed) on rough ground by the Grand Union Canal near Berkhamsted (TL 004 074); briefly intercepted by a white sp. The four resident adult hibernators have all been widespread in suitable habitat across south and west Herts over the past week Colin Everett 25 Mar 1 Peacock at Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) at 1508 GMT. 1 Light Orange/Orange Underwing at Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) this afternoon at 1610 GMT Robert Callf 25 Mar 3 Small White, 3 Brimstone, 3 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Comma - Great Offley David Inward 25 Mar Hounslow. A Holly Blue started another species' year, not quite an earliest ever. There's been several around this date in previous years so perhaps best seen as average. This one rose from ground level and I didn't see it settle but the time of year, the location where it was seen and my perception of its colouring in flight make any other identification impossible. Numbers generally were down a little, perhaps a result of an earlier start to the walk and a little cloud but conditions overall were very favourable to butterfly activity: Peacock: 20, Comma: 13, Brimstone: 2, Small White: 2, Holly Blue: 1 Peter Gore 25 Mar A male Holly Blue in our Cowley, Uxbridge garden this afternoon Roger Morton 25 Mar St Albans Shed - this week all but one of the remaining hibernators have flown. 100% of Peacocks have left, up from 50% last week. And 80% of Small Tortoiseshells have also flown, up from 20% one week ago. Not surprising given the extended run of sunny days with temperatures in the high teens. I'm just hoping the weather stays good enough for breeding to be successful Malcolm Hull 24 Mar Hounslow. On Tuesday I managed to walk the Richmond side of the river without the obligatory post-Eunice scramble through the middle of a large tree but once again with nothing to show for my efforts. Today that changed. There had already been the always pleasing sight of an impossibly blue Kingfisher flying straight down the middle of the river as I crossed the bridge but despite the relative lack of competing colour I was even more pleased to see my first Speckled Wood of the year, five days earlier than the previous record in 2019 (all other years from 2012 firsts were in April).A little further on I was puzzled to spot a quantity of apparent wood shavings on the ground and even more surprised when another followed down from above. The culprit turned out to be a Parakeet stripping sticky buds off Horse Chestnut .My earliest sighting of the day was another Orange Underwing moth, unusually on the heath, but there is plenty of Birch there and the moth basked on the ground in the sun giving me time to appreciate it. The butterfly count passed 50 with only a surprising absence of whites - just one seen - to disappoint. A Red Kite circled above me, a Muntjac hurried away into the undergrowth and there were far too many rabbits to count including the melanistic form.All felt well with the world for a few sunny hours: Peacock: 29, Brimstone: 4, Comma: 14, Small Tortoiseshell: 5, Speckled Wood: 1, Small White: 1 and one Orange Underwing moth. On Wednesday one Peacock and one Comma in my garden Peter Gore 24 Mar 1 Small Tortoiseshell - Willian Road by Allwoods Place, Hitchin (TL199300) David Inward 24 Mar Male Orange-tip in our Cowley, Uxbridge garden this afternoon. Earliest garden record ever. Tweet: https://twitter.com/RogerMorton11 Roger Morton 23 Mar 5 Peacock (1 near Triangular Wd/Trent Park, 1 edge of Church Wd/Trent Park, 1 settled on Sallow by Lower Lake/Trent Park, 1 Park Farm, Enfield - TQ2998, 1 at Parkside Farm/Res., Enfield - TQ2998), 2 Comma (1 edge of Church Wd/Trent Park, 1 by Lower Lake, Trent Park), 1 Small White edge of Church Wd/Trent Park, 1 Small Tortoiseshell at Parkside Farm, Enfield (TQ3098) Robert Callf 23 Mar 1 Brimstone - hedgeline, Purwell Meadows north, Hitchin (TL199300); 1 Brimstone - Library roundabout, Hitchin (TL181290) David Inward 23 Mar Folly Lane Allotments, St Albans - the numbers of emerging hibernators continue to grow. This lunchtime I saw 9 Peacocks and 8 Small Tortoisehells, last week there were only 2 at this site. Also 2 Brimstones and 5 freshly hatched Small Whites, including a courting couple Malcolm Hull 22 Mar I saw a male Brimstone in our South Mymms garden, also a Peacock Terry Wood 22 Mar Sylvia and I had a Speckled Wood in Cranford Park, Hayes in the LB of Hillingdon. Our earliest record ever Roger Morton 22 Mar 1 Small Tortoiseshell at Vicarage Farm, Enfield (TQ3097) at 1524 GMT. Settled on pony field near Hadley Rd Robert Callf 22 Mar 1 Brimstone - The White Way, opposite Downlands, Stevenage (TL267251); 1 Brimstone - Sainsburys, Poplars, Stevenage (TL268234); 2 Brimstone - west of Aston End Road, Aston (TL272228); 1 Brimstone, 1 Peacock - Aston Cricket Ground (TL273226) David Inward 22 Mar Hounslow. Higher temperatures and continuous sunshine meant more butterflies seen,including the first Small Whites of the year: Brimstone: 5, Peacock: 22, Comma: 14, Small Tortoiseshell: 4, Small White: 2 Peter Gore 22 Mar Broxbourne woods NNR. Comma x6, Peacock x6, male Brimstone x1, Light Orange Underwing moth x1 Chris Benton 22 Mar In Bengeo garden: Brimstone, Comma, Peacock & Speckled Wood (earliest site record) Simon Knott 22 Mar St Albans - butterfly numbers continue to grow, 19 degrees here at lunchtime. At New England St Rec, I saw 4 Small Tortoiseshells and 2 Peacocks congregating on the nettlebeds. At Westminster Lodge I saw 7 Small Tortoiseshells, 6 Peacocks and 1 Comma, all in and around the nettles. Also saw my first Brimstone of the year in London Rd Malcolm Hull 22 Mar Brimstone and 2 Comma in Harpenden garden plus a Holly Blue flying weakly through Robin Pearson 22 Mar Male Brimstone in St Albans (TL154063) at 11.30 this morning David Barker 21 Mar 1 Comma at 'Three-bridges' Trent Park this afternoon at 1532 GMT Robert Callf 21 Mar Balls Wood HMWT. Comma x24, Peacock x5, Brimstone (male) x3, Small Tortoiseshell x1. Hertford Heath HMWT. Comma x2, Peacock x1 Chris Benton 21 Mar 1 Comma, 1 Peacock and 1 male Brimstone in our Harpenden garden in today's sunshine Alan Jackson 21 Mar A walk along the north bank of the River Stort at Harlow, TL455120, on the Herts side, 7 Peacock, 3 Brimstone, 1 Comma and 1 Small White Laurence Drummond 19 Mar My first Small White of the year on Camden Square (TQ296844) Nicholas Barnett 19 Mar 1 Small Tortoiseshell - Woolgrove Road, Hitchin (TL192304) David Inward 19 Mar I saw Small White and a Small Tortoiseshell at the RSPB Rye Meads Shailesh Patel 19 Mar Breezier and cooler but still mostly sunny: Small Tortoiseshell: 7, Peacock: 6, Comma: 6 Peter Gore 18 Mar At Trent Park - 4 Comma (1 along bridle path near Merryhills Brook at 1415 GMT, 3 together, clashing, edge of Williams Wd at 1437 GMT), 2 Peacock (1 along bridle path near Shaws Wd at 1417 GMT, 1 edge of Williams Wd at 1440 GMT), 1 Small Tortoiseshell at Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) at 1542 GMT. 1 Light Orange/Orange Underwing at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park at 1506 GMT Robert Callf 18 Mar 1 Brimstone - Meadowbank/Cambridge Road junction, Hitchin (TL19592992); 5 Brimstone - Jackmans Estate east, Lrtchworth (TL2331); 4 Brimstone - Jackmans Estate northeast, Letchworth (TL2332) David Inward 18 Mar Hounslow. I must have been close to stepping on my first two Small Tortoiseshells of the year although I think they were in the preliminaries of mating rather than actually having begun. They moved only a few feet away close to ground level; the larger, presumed female, in front, limiting herself to an occasional flick of her wings whilst the presumed male, smaller, faced her an inch or so behind, constantly shaking his own wings in an agitated fashion. They repeated this in two other close spots at which point I concluded I might be restricting their activity in this rather small area and left them to it. Two other Small Tortoiseshells later were also seen simultaneously but this was clearly a more usual battle for territory. A good sunny afternoon with all four hibernating species seen: Brimstone: 2, Peacock: 9, Comma: 11, Small Tortoishell: 4 Peter Gore 18 Mar Verulamium Park, St Albans - And they're off! 4 Small Tortoiseshells, 3 Peacocks and 2 Comma all on nettlebeds during todays lunchtime stroll, 14 degrees and sunny. A pair of STs in a courtship flight were joined by a Peacock and Comma, keen for some action. All four were swirling around in mid air above my head. Back in the hibernation shed, a different picture. Just one Peacock has left in the last week. 3 out of 6 (50%) have left hibernation so far, whereas just 1 of the 5 Small Tortoiseshells (20%) has gone. I'm expecting more butterflies over the weekend Malcolm Hull 17 Mar New England St., St Albans - My first flying Small Tortoiseshell this year Malcolm Hull 17 Mar I've just seen the first Comma butterfly in our Gadebridge garden this year enjoying the heather. He's having a good feed has been on the plant for at least 30 minutes Chris Ridley 15 Mar We undertook our last Brown Hairstreak egg hunt of the season, starting at Yeading Brook Meadows where for the first time we found two Brown Hairstreak eggs. Further searches south east along the Yeading Brook and along the Hillingdon Trail were unsuccessful although at times were hampered by the blackthorn starting to flower (hence why this was our last trip!). However, throughout the day we encountered several butterflies which made up for the lack of eggs. First sighting was a Red Admiral, followed by male Brimstones, Peacock and several Commas. No Small Tortoiseshells were seen Liz Goodyear Andrew Middleton 15 Mar First two sightings of the year in Wareside garden: 1 Brimstone and 1 Small Tortoiseshell Lorraine MacMurdie 15 Mar My first butterfly sightings of the year this afternoon & 4 species recorded. 3 Comma edge of Church Wood/Trent Park including two together at 1254 GMT. 2 Peacock (1 edge of Church Wood & 1 near Sport's Field/Trent Park). 1 male Brimstone edge of Church Wood/Trent Park - seen twice in two different places, but possibly the same insect. 1 Small Tortoiseshell at Park Farm, Enfield (TQ2998) at 1416 GMT. 1 Light Orange/Orange Underwing disturbed from ground at Camlet Moat/Trent Park (TQ288982) at 1408 GMT - probably the latter species, as Birch trees nearby Robert Callf 15 Mar Hounslow. A mostly sunny afternoon with good numbers of butterflies. Two Peacocks vied for possession of a nettle patch within the Pevensey loop and three Commas disputed an always contentious strip alongside one of the meadows. Otherwise all were singletons generally dispersed across the area. Several sightings of white butterflies, probably Brimstones, have not been counted; those listed were all males: Comma: 13, Brimstone: 3, Peacock: 3. A smaller Lepidoptera first attracted my attention flying in the open above me. It subsequently rose higher and headed off over adjoining Silver Birch trees. Almost certainly an Orange Underwing moth but no colours discernible Peter Gore 15 Mar Seen out of the office (dining room) window in my St Albans garden: A male Brimstone, up and down the borders for a hour or so. Should have been here yesterday, there was a female that made a brief appearance. Also a Small Tortoiseshell, sitting on a pansy. Various other fleeting flybys which I couldn't be certain of, but a proper Spring day. Also, a female Brimstone seen on the CEMEX site car park, Oaklands Lane, Smallford Robert Bull 14 Mar Peacock in Stevenage, by Popple Way shops Stefan Hunt 12 Mar Hounslow. Not as consistently sunny as Wednesday nor as warm. Just one butterfly identified, a Comma on the Marshalling Yards, third species of the year and first there Peter Gore 10 Mar 6 Brimstone in the Graveley area David Inward 10 Mar Hounslow. A full walk and the first butterflies of the year seen on the walk, both male Brimstones on the Pevensey Road loop. Last year I felt that I saw none of the summer brood of Brimstones and was concerned that the species might prove difficult this year from the outset - Not so! Reliable reports from another walker of sightings which sounded most like Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell so I expect the hibernating species have all been flying here in today's sunny weather at least in small numbers Peter Gore 10 Mar Looking for other butterflies but surprised to find an early Small White feeding on catkins near the Wood Green Reservoir in Alexandra Palace Park this afternoon Anthony Jakeman 10 Mar Five male Brimstones in North Harpenden Alan Jackson 10 Mar My first Ware garden butterfly of the year was a surprise - a female Brimstone but it wasn't long before a male found her - so 2 Brimstones! Also later in the afternoon, a Peacock was seen basking in the sunshine Liz Goodyear 10 Mar Stevenage - Brimstone, narrowly avoided being a Blue Tit's breakfast in Fishers Grn Rd. A fleeting probable Red Admiral in Primett Rd. Peacock, Gunnels Wood Rd. Another Brimstone south end of High St. Stefan Hunt 10 Mar A Brimstone and a Comma in my Harpenden garden this morning Rob Pearson 9 Mar Stanwell Moor: One Brimstone and two Peacocks Dave Miller 8 Mar Astonished and delighted to see a Hummingbird Hawk-moth nectaring on the patio primulas in our north Harpenden garden in bright sunlight early this afternoon! Only 9 degrees C at the moment Alan Jackson February Date Description Recorder 28 Feb Comma in Bengeo garden Simon Knott 27 Feb Brown Hairstreak egg searching found 3 eggs at Charville Lane recreation ground in Hillingdon (previous searching had been negative). A fourth egg was found along the wood edge of grassland just east of Yeading Brook on the south side of the road. 1 Comma was also seen at Charville Lane recreation ground Liz Goodyear Andrew MIddleton 27 Feb 1 male Brimstone and 2 Commas in Great Mole Wood, Bengeo, (TL318144) this afternoon Chris Benton 26 Feb We had a single Comma in our St Albans garden Peter Ewer 26 Feb Enjoying a walk in the Amwell area this morning, we saw one Red Admiral (TL 384132) and one Brimstone (TL 376128) in the sunshine Roger Newbold 25 Feb Red Admiral outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square. London Chris Benton 22 Feb Hounslow. First butterfly of the year here, a Red Admiral seen in a little sunshine in my garden this morning. Nothing at all seen on my full usual walk which followed. Trees down across both the riverside paths on the Pevensey loop and one other path revived the little boy in me but meant that 'walk' wasn't always an accurate term:tiring but without mishap Peter Gore 21 Feb St Albans - first adult clothes moth of the season, found hiding underneath a picture rail above my stair carpet this evening Malcolm Hull 11 Feb Red Admiral spotted in the sunshine flying across Wormwood Scrubs at 1300 hours Jed Corbett 9 Feb Stevenage, Red Admiral flying in garden of Mulberry Tree pub, High St. Stefan Hunt 9 Feb At lunchtime I spotted a Peacock fluttering beneath a perspex outdoor awning at Alexandra Palace Garden Centre. It then flew off over the roof. This was my first sighting of 2022 Dee Cullen 8 Feb Red Admiral in garden in Bengeo Steve Kiln 3 Feb St Albans shed - 2 of my hibernating Peacocks have flown this week. That leaves 3 Peacocks and 4 Small Tortoiseshells still in hibernation Malcolm Hull 2 Feb One Red Admiral seen this morning in Woodhall Park between Hertford and Watton at Stone Andrew Wood 2 Feb Bow churchyard EC4 - Red Admiral Malcolm Hull 1 Feb I saw my first butterfly of the year - a lovely male Peacock came to greet me before settling on brambles in a sunny nook at the western edge of Batchwood Hall golf course (TL134086) Andrew Neild 1 Feb My first butterfly sighting of the year was a Comma, seen in Copse Wood, Ruislip TQ082901 Dick Middleton 1 Feb One male Brimstone fighting the breeze over the River Beane at Waterford Marsh (TL315146) Chris Benton 1 Feb A fresh Red Admiral basking in the sun in Millennium Wood, Stevenage at 1:25 pm Peter Clarke January Date Description Recorder 31 Jan 1 x Red Admiral seen Welwyn Garden City garden David Wheatcroft 30 Jan A second visit to Fryent Country Park produced 5 Brown Hairstreak eggs all in the same area on the east side of the road and not that far from where an adult was observed last summer - we spent 6 hours searching again and we didn't find these eggs until about 5 hours after we started looking Liz Goodyear Andrew Middleton 30 Jan A Peacock in our Harpenden garden at 13:30 Tim Hill 29 Jan Panshanger Park, a Red Admiral at the Rifle Butts at noon Tim Hill 29 Jan Around the middle of the day, with sunshine and a temperature of around 13 degrees, I had a walk on my local patch near Heathrow. I soon encountered a surprisingly fresh-looking Red Admiral enjoying the sun as well Dave Miller 28 Jan Male Spring Usher fluttered down into leaf-litter at Monken Hadley Common (TQ268971) at 1358 GMT, 'played dead' & allowed me to pick it up on a leaf for close inspection [FOY] Robert Callf 27 Jan My first butterfly of the year, male Brimstone flying along southern edge of Watery Grove at 1:30 pm Peter Clarke 23 Jan 9 Brown Hairstreak eggs were found at Fryent Country Park after a 6 hour search - all on the west side of the road Liz Goodyear Andrew Middleton 19 Jan A sad sighting to share: I spotted this Peacock in my Hitchin garden and realised its early emergence was short lived as it got caught in a spider web. On a happier note there are still two Peacocks over-wintering in my outhouse Lucy Claxton 17 Jan St Albans - took this photo of a Red Admiral outside office window this morning. There's still ice on the pond and the air temperature is just 6 degrees, though the sun is shining Duncan Gibbons 14 Jan A Red Admiral basking on the house wall Miswell Lane, Tring at about 12.30 Nick Bowles 14 Jan First butterfly of year in Bengeo garden, Red Admiral sunning on back wall Simon Knott 12 Jan Red Admiral (my first bufferfly of the year) seen at East Acton tube station after a day birding on wonderful Wormwood Scrubs! Nicholas Barnett 3 Jan Peacock hibernating on the outside of a garage door at Garston near Watford (TL1100) in a very sheltered location Colin Everett 1 Jan I saw an adult Brimstone at Old Hall Green TL3697 2201 flying along the hedgerow at 11:00 Andrew Bradford 1 Jan St Albans - First butterflies of the New Year - 5 Peacocks and 4 Small Tortoiseshells hibernating in my shed. Numbers in the shed are unchanged since October, so good news there has been no further Spider predation and none have been tempted out by todays warm sunny weather - it reached 15 degrees here Malcolm Hull 1 Jan Small Tortoiseshell seen at 11.15, Stevenage, junction of Fairview Road and Julians Road Stefan Hunt 1 Jan In the old ex gravel pit and waste dump near Southend farm, near Stony hills, now a nature reserve. My first Red Admiral of the year 11am Steve Kiln