Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
'What's happened since the book? - 10 years of change' - with Andrew Wood. Our last Zoom presentation will be this Wed 26th. Details and zoom link here [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. The sun emerged at lunchtime today as forecast and I had a look around my local patch near Heathrow. The butterflies were quick to respond as well, and I came across my first Small Whites of 2025. Overall, I counted 6 Peacocks, 4 Red Admirals, 4 Commas and 3 Small Whites. I think the sun arrived just too late in the day to rouse any Brimstones. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. 1 Comma at a private site near Trent Park & 2 Comma & 1 Peacock at Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Comma, Peacock & Red Admiral at Enfield & Trent Park. 1 Comma & 1 Red Admiral at a private site near Enfield this afternoon & 1 Peacock at Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Hummingbird hawk moth. ...on daffodils in our Tring garden! [Posted by Colin Sturges]
Comma Muswell Hill. I saw a Comma twice today in my garden, it may have been the same individual. It stayed for around 20 minutes on the fence which gets late afternoon sun. [Posted by Dee Cullen]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. 2 male Brimstone, 3 Comma & 2 Peacock at private sites near Trent Park. 7 male Brimstone, 4 Comma, 2 Peacock, 1 Small White or Green-veined White & female Large White nectaring on Sallow by lower lake - my first of the year. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Comma at Oakwood Station. 1 Comma at Oakwood Station at 1429 GMT. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Small Whites in Fairlands Valley Park. Afternoon walk in the park yielded my first Small Whites (x3) of the year including one feeding on blackthorn blossom but did not stay still long enough for a photo. Also seen were 5 Comma, 4 male Brimstone and only one Peacock (expected far more). [Posted by Peter Clarke]
Comma & Red Admiral at Trent Park. 2 Comma together & 1 Red Admiral near Oakwood entrance/Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Orange Underwing at Trent Park. 1 Orange Underwing seen in flight & settled at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park at 0956 GMT, photographed by Eugene Dillon-Hopper - our first for the year. Male Brimstone along the 'London Loop' path at Park Farm, Enfield. 1 Comma at a private site near Trent Park. Male Brimstone at Bramley Road, N14 at 1236 GMT. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. After a series of cold and mostly cloudy days, there was more sunshine today (though it was actually no warmer). I set out hopefully around my local patch and managed to locate a Comma hunkered down low on the ground out of the chilly breeze. I also spotted two different Red Admirals, one by the River Colne and the other near the path down to Staines Moor. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Butterfly sightings Wareside. some sightings from wareside (TL396156) Monday 10th March 2025 Brimstone 4 (3 males and 1 female) Comma 2 hopefully the signs of a successful season. [Posted by Phil MacMurdie]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. I counted 30 butterflies today on my local patch, making the most of the last of the warm sunny spell: 12 Brimstones, 10 Commas, 5 Peacocks and 3 Red Admirals. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Enfield Town. Male Brimstone at River View, Enfield Town [TQ324968] at 1221 GMT & 1 Peacock at Carr's Basin, Town Park, Enfield [TQ323962] at 1231 GMT. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
2024: 'A Year of Surprises in Provence'. Did you miss our latest Zoom talk - with Roger Gibbons? It is now available to view on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5joNvy0Puw [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Fishers Field/ Bushey Hall golf course and a power station Letchmore Heath. Rick and myself took another look at Fishers Field on Saturday partly to take a look at pond activity as the frogs although late this year were just getting going favouring one of the ponds on the Bushey Hall golf course. As the weather was good it was reasonable to expect to see a few butterflies. The first Brimstone was seen towards the River Colne with a further 4 seen at Fishers Field and a further 2+ on the golf course. It was lovely to see my first Comma of the year also at Fishers Field and a further 5+ over the golf course. After we went over to Letchmore Heath in search of blackthorn. We trecked up the side of the Hare- Krishna temple towards the power station. We found a good patch of blackthorn there near the power station but only 2 BB Carpet moth eggs found no B Hairstreak eggs this year. The site has good potential for other species though as the sign indicates that a wildflower meadow is planned there! [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. More warm sunshine and more butterflies on my local patch, including my first Small Tortoiseshell of the year which gave me the runaround close to the River Colne near to the M25 spur to T5. Also seen were 12 males Brimstones (all except one were found before 1300), two Peacocks, two Red Admirals and three Commas. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Grovelands Park, Southgate. 2 male Brimstone & 3 Comma at Grovelands Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Major new study of butterfly declines. Brian Cassie has recently published a major new study on the decline of butterflies in north america. The major causes are pesticides, climate change and habitat loss. Many of you will know Brian is a regular attendee at our branch Zoom meetings. Read a summary of his findings on this link butterflies decline by 22% [Posted by Malcolm Hull]