Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Speckled Wood at Southgate. 1 Speckled Wood at Dalrymple Close, N14 this afternoon at 1532 BST settled on a car. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Hummingbird Hawkmoth at Capel Manor. 1 Hummingbird Hawkmoth reported by Neville Smith near Cafe at Capel Manor today. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Yesterday was good, but today was even better - sunshine all day, temperatures over 20 degrees, and lighter winds. I counted 58 butterflies today on my local patch near Heathrow, across a range of 12 species (a good tally for October in both criteria): Small White (15), Small Heath (13), Small Copper (8), Speckled Wood (5), Red Admiral (3), Common Blue (3), Holly Blue (3), Brown Argus (2), Comma (2), Peacock (1), Clouded Yellow (1), Green-veined White (1). [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Trent Park & Southgate. At Trent Park [1200 to 1245 BST] - male Brimstone near Oakwood entrance, female Meadow Brown nectaring on Michaelmas daisies, edge of Triangular Wd, 1 Peacock edge of Triangular Wd, 2 Small Copper [1 nectaring on Michaelmas daisies, edge of Triangular Wd & 1 at 'New Fields'], 4 Speckled Wood [3 near Oakwood entrance & 1 edge of Triangular Wd]. Male Large White nectaring on buddleia at Oakwood Station. 1 Box-tree Moth at ASDA Southgate. Male Brimstone at Dalrymple Close, N14. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Late Clouded Yellow. Visiting Rickneys Quarry. There was a late Clouded Yellow, two Common Blues and a Small Copper. [Posted by steve kiln]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Things are winding down now on my local patch near Heathrow, but after the rain, wind, cloud and cool nights of the last few days, I was pleasantly surprised by what I came across on a walk today. I counted 31 butterflies and found 10 species: Small Copper (7), Common Blue (5), Small Heath (4), Small White (4), Red Admiral (3), Holly Blue (3), Speckled Wood (2), Comma (1), Brown Argus (1), Clouded Yellow (1). The Small Coppers have been doing well this autumn, and were a mix of venerable old timers that I've been seeing regularly plus one or two shiny new ones. The Clouded Yellow was a male, and followed the sighting of a female here on 3rd October. I strongly suspect these butterflies are the offspring of the ones I saw here back in the middle of August - which included at least one egg-laying female. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Town Park, Enfield. 1 Red Admiral & 2 Speckled Wood at Town Park, Enfield early afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Speckled Wood at Grovelands Park, Southgate. 3 Speckled Wood together around flowering Ivy in Grovelands Park early this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing at Southgate. Female Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing at ASDA Southgate this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Red Admiral at Trent Park. 1 Red Admiral by lower lake, Trent Park early this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Warner Brothers studios. Two more Brown Hairstreak eggs found at Warner Brothers studios Leavesden. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Clouded Yellow near Brickendon. During today's sunny lunchtime walk across the local meadows this male Clouded Yellow flew right under my nose. I gave chase and soon found him on Hawks weed then Ragwort, luckily he wanted the nectar enough to tolerate a close up. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At Trent Park - 1 Small Copper & 1 Small White by lower lake. At a private site near Trent Park - 2 Small White. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Small White & 1 Green-veined White. 2 Speckled Wood along 'Jubilee Path/London Loop' at Bay Farm. 2 Speckled Wood together at Brooke Wd. Male Brimstone at Rectory Farm. 1 Small White at Brayside Farm. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Ware. A walk around my local fields this afternoon, produced a bumper crop of Small White's on several fields with 'crucifer' crops growing. Also seen were 3 Speckled Wood and 3 Large White by the woods as well as a Peacock. Despite passing a lot of flowering ivy in the sunshine, only 1 Red Admiral was seen. [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Brown Hairstreak eggs. Two Brown Hairstreak eggs found at Warner Brothers studios Leavesden [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Green-veined White at Oakwood Park. 1 Green-veined White at Oakwood Park this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brown Hairstreak. Brown Hairstreak egg at Hampstead Heath Extension [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At a private site near Trent Park - 1 Small White & 1 Clouded Yellow nectaring on Ragwort. At Trent Park - 2 Red Admiral [1 near Obelisk & 1 nectaring on Ivy, edge of Water Grdn], 2 Comma [1 at 'Old Golf Course' & 1 nectaring on Ivy, edge of Water Grdn], 1 Small White by lower lake, male Holly Blue [worn & faded] settled on Ivy, edge of Water Grdn & 1 Green-veined White near Ride Wd. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield, Trent Park & Oakwood. At private sites near Trent Park - 2 Small White, 1 Red Admiral nectaring on Ivy blossom, 2 female Small Copper, female Common Blue & 1 Speckled Wood. At Trent Park - 3 Comma nectaring on Michaelmas daisies, by lower lake & 2 Red Admiral [1 edge of Water Grdn & 1 edge of Williams Wd]. 1 Painted Lady nectaring on the last remaining buddleia flowers at Oakwood Station this afternoon from 1522 to 1530 BST, at least. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]