Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Sightings at Enfield & Southgate. 1 Peacock this morning at a private site near Trent Park. 1 Lunar Marbled Brown at ASDA Southgate this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Distinctly chilly again first thing, but a local walk before the sun disappeared was productive. A third Small Copper appeared (yesterday's pair were around again as well), and two Small Tortoiseshells - the extensive nettlebeds by the River Colne seem to be a suitable habitat for them as well as the many Peacocks. Orange-tips were the most frequently seen butterfly of the morning. The totals seen today: Orange-tip (22), Peacock (12), Holly Blue (10). Green-veined White (7), Red Admiral (6), Small White (4), Speckled Wood (3), Small Copper (3), Small Tortoiseshell (2), Comma (2), Brimstone (1), Large White (1). I also spotted half a dozen Silver-Y moths, and with the increase in the number of Red Admirals, I suspect there may be some immigrants arriving so will be on the lookout for Painted Ladies in the coming days. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. A cool sunny morning became distinctly hazy by the end of the afternoon. The butterflies were a bit slow to appear today on my local patch near Heathrow, but they did include my first Small Coppers of the season (appearing a week earlier than last year). They were a long way apart, but both were occupying territories used by their forebears in previous years. Sightings today: Peacock (22), Orange-tip (20), GVW (13), Holly Blue (13), Brimstone (8), Small White (7), Comma (5), Speckled Wood (5), Red Admiral (4), Small Copper (2) [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Enfield. At Glenbrook wetlands, Lonsdale Drive, EN2 - 1 Speckled Wood this morning. At Chase Green, Enfield Town - 1 Holly Blue & 1 Green-veined White. At Chase Green Grdns, Enfield Town - male Holly Blue settled. At River View, EN2 - male Orange-tip. At Town Park, Enfield - 1 Speckled Wood. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Grizzled Skippers at Waterford Heath. This morning, one towards the northern end of the east bank of the south heath and two individuals (in view at the same time) on the north heath between the pond and the east bank [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Large White on Harpenden Common. Large White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Peacock, Comma and Speckled Wood on Harpenden Common this afternoon. [Posted by David Hunt]
Grizzled Skipper at Waterford Heath. Popped into Waterford Heath today before the big shop. Whilst I scoured the East bank of the South Heath from the path hoping for a sighting, my daughter who is seven went with her mum to do a loop around. I didn't see any Grizzled Skippers the entire walk (very dry) but my daughter was extremely smug as she had found one basking amongst a large patch of Ground Ivy, SW side near the small exposed steel pipe. Mum helping to provide the photographic proof. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Clouded Yellow. Whilst walking my transect today at Greenwood Park I was very surprised to see a Clouded Yellow flying in my first section. I didn’t get a photo as it wasn’t settling much, but definitely a Clouded Yellow. Is this very early? [Posted by Mandy Floyd]
Sightings at Enfield, Edmonton & Southgate. At a private site near Trent Park - male Orange-tip & 1 Speckled Wood. At Statham Grove, N18 - 1 Holly Blue, 1 Green-veined White, male Orange-tip & 1 Speckled Wood. At Tanners End Lane, N18 - male Brimstone. At ASDA Southgate - 1 Holly Blue. At Southgate Chase Allotments - 2 Holly Blue together. At Dalrymple Close, N14 - 1 Holly Blue. My first sightings of Holly Blue this year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Grizzled Skippers. I walked my transect at South Heath Waterford Heath and saw a small butterfly on the purple ground ivy after settling twice I realised it was a Grizzled Skipper. There was plenty of wild strawberry on the south heath but in exposed positions. This was a nice sheltered area from the north wind near the steps up in the middle. With optimism I went to the North Heath, which is under renovation but in a scrubby area to the west of the pond near the wood I spotted another Grizzled Skipper, quite flighty. I got no pictures of either one. Saw both about 2pm. [Posted by steve kiln]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. A mixed bag weatherwise today near Heathrow, with a bright warm morning, a cloudy afternoon and the a fine end to the day. Butterflies were around early and late, with the morning being mostly Holly Blues and the early evening Orange-tips going to roost. Numbers seen today: Orange-tip (19), Peacock (14), Holly Blue (13), Green-veined White (10), Small White (6), Comma (4), Speckled Wood (3), Red Admiral (2), Brimstone (2). I found a Green-veined White laying on hoary cress (and an Orange-tip was doing the same thing close by). [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Trent Park & Enfield. At Trent Park - 2 male Orange-tip [1 at Shaws Wd & 1 near Shaws Wd Cottages] & 1 Speckled Wood at Icehouse Wd. At a private site near Trent Park - 1 Small White. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Some spells of intermittent sunshine today locally after a drizzly start - not cold, but the warmth of the sunny spells was tempered by a cool breeze. However, there were a lot of butterflies around, and all eleven of the species I've seen here this year made an appearance. In particular, Holly Blue numbers rose dramatically - good news after two comparatively poor seasons. Orange-tip numbers were high too, a new set of Red Admirals were occupying the favoured spot, and another Small Tortoiseshell appeared today. The totals: Peacock (34), Orange-tip (31), Holly Blue (25), Green-veined White (14), Brimstone (12), Small White (11), Speckled Wood (4), Comma (4), Red Admiral (3), Large White (2), Small Tortoiseshell (1). [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Enfield. At Enfield Rd, EN2 - male Orange-tip & female Small White. At private sites near Trent Park - male Brimstone, 1 Comma, male Orange-tip, 3 Peacock & 1 Painted Lady at Hog Hill/Vicarage Farm - my first of the year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
UKBMS 2025 results. How did our butterflies fare in 2025? Check the results from the UKBMS here [Posted by Peter Clarke]
Peacock at Enfield. 1 Peacock at a private site near Trent Park this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. It felt warmer today, but the very limited sunshine only came in short bursts in the afternoon. It was enough to bring out a few dozen butterflies on my local patch near Heathrow. Holly Blue (7), Orange-tip (7), Peacock (6), Small White (4), Green-veined White (4), Brimstone (3), Large White (1), Speckled Wood (1), Red Admiral (1), Comma (1). The Holly Blues were the most noteworthy with half a dozen appearing within a minute or two of home, including a mating pair. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Peacock at Enfield Town Station. 1 Peacock at Enfield Town Station at 1537 BST - seen from the train carriage. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. After a few chilly days away in Devon with very few butterflies, I returned to my local patch near Heathrow and a sunny morning with quite the opposite. Seen today: Peacock (31), Orange-tip (18, inc. 4 females), Green-veined White (15), Small White (10), Holly Blue (8), Brimstone (6), Comma (3), Speckled Wood (2). One of the Holly Blues was a beautiful new female. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Painted Lady!. Just seen a fresh Painted Lady, two Holly Blue and a Peacock in a garden in Berkhamsted. [Posted by Sue Taylor]
