Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Some hazy sunshine after the early fog over my way this morning before cloud crept in from the west. I managed to spot a couple of Red Admirals, and then flying low across the very dewy grass I found a Small Heath. Surprisingly, this individual was one I'd last seen on 30th October, rather than the one encountered on 4th and 5th November in the same spot. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Brown Hairstreak eggs. Five Brown Hairstreak eggs found at Park Fields and Allum lane spinney. Also one egg found at Harper Lane footpath near Shenleybury TL 168 022. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Trent Park. We visited the area of Trent Park referred to as the butterfly fields today, and spent 2 x 3 hrs searching the blackthorn extensively. The blackthorn in these fields has been regularly searched since 2018 and as recently as January 2025. 4 Brown Hairstreak eggs were found close together on what was the best looking blackthorn we found - a resounding success! [Posted by Liz Goodyear and Ian Watts]
BH eggs in river Pinn catchment. Three Brown Hairstreak eggs found good quality Blackthorn hedge near River Pinn and Cannon Brook confluence. Previous had a zero result along good quality but short Blackthorn hedge in Long Meadow, Eastcote. Certainly worth checking along Pinn catchment, as adult found by Pinn meadow transect walker earlier this year [Posted by Paul Busby]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Frustratingly, the very warm weather today contained just one decent sunny interval. However, I found two butterflies making the most of it - one of the Small Heaths I'd seen yesterday, and a female Small Copper I'd previously encountered in the same place on 26th and 30th October. She looked somewhat slimmer now, presumably after ten days of laying eggs on the many sorrel plants around this spot. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Another very warm day for November, and some sunshine too after lunch. After finding a couple of Red Admirals (I don't think either were any I've seen in recent days), I then disturbed a fresh male Common Blue from the grass. However, it sailed off directly into the low sun and I lost track of it. No Small Coppers appeared today, but in the same general area where they've been flying I found two Small Heaths, one of which was the one I saw here on 28th October. I've never seen the species anywhere in November before. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Clay Hill area of Enfield. In light of a report on social media of 4 Brown Hairstreak eggs being found in the Picketts Lock area of Enfield, I revisited the Clay Hill area again, hoping that I might find some Brown Hairstreak eggs on the extensive blackthorn - unfortunately I failed but I did find a White-letter Hairstreak egg on an elm that I have looked at on several occasions over the years with the last success in 2021! This was at least some form of compensation! [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Merry Hill (Woodland Trust) Brown Hairstreak egg rescue. We were asked by the Woodland Trust to search for Brown Hairstreak eggs that were vulnerable to a programme of imminent hedge and tree work around the site. These eggs were subsequently rescued and put into safe storage for return to the site when the work has been done. The areas that needed to be checked were scattered across the site and varied in quality. In total a minimum of 55 eggs were rescued and casual sampling of blackthorn that was not at risk yealded 42 eggs (32 yesterday on one hedgeline alone!) - completed over 3 days by myself, Pete Fewell and Rick Vickers [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Just two Red Admirals today, sitting not far apart in the brief spell of sunshine here around 1030 this morning. The feeble November sun couldn't provide enough energy to get through the cloud and wake anything else into action for the rest of the day despite the air being warm. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. After the overnight rain there was cool sunshine through the day, but I managed to find a few butterflies on my local patch. The Red Admiral came as no great surprise, but I was pleased to find a Small Copper still flying in the usual spot and also a male Small White. However, the best of the lot was a fresh male Clouded Yellow that I only managed to photograph from a distance before it headed off downwind in the stiff breeze and I lost sight of it among the sea of yellow flowers that persists here at present (mostly bristly oxtongue and some hawkbit). [Posted by Dave Miller]
Clouded Yellow butterfly. At College Lake, Bulborne, Tring. SP93101491. Feeding on Hawkweed sp. [Posted by Judith Knight & Bob Hook]
Hartham Park Hartford. Three Red Admirals seen together in the sunshine feeding on Ivy. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Red Admiral in Hertford. Nectaring on ivy in the Warren, Hartham Common. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Red Admiral at Trent Park. 1 Red Admiral settled near top of Snakes Lane, Trent Park at 1228 GMT. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Delicate at Southgate. 1 Delicate at ASDA Southgate this afternoon & 1 White sp [butterfly] edge of Water Grdn/Trent Park this afternoon - only seen in flight. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Saffron Green area (east of the A1). 2 Brown Hairstreak eggs found 400m north west of Saffron Green Open Space (700 north east of Rohan's find last week). In 2003 the late Nigel Agar, was convinced that this HCC owned blackthorn rich open space could support Brown Hairstreak and as a result the site, has been searched many times since then with no success - even this week! Hopefully we can prove that Nigel was right one day maybe next year? Also found today were 8 Blue-bordered Carpet eggs and 2 Oak Eggar caterpillars! [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Morning sunshine again today near Heathrow after a wet and grey day yesterday. Six butterflies seen: Red Admiral (2), Small Copper (2), Small Heath (1), Small White (1). The last of these was a surprise as I'd not seen one for nearly a week and had thought they were finished for the year. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Feathered Thorn at Southgate. 1 Feathered Thorn at ASDA Southgate this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Once again the day started with sunshine, and it was a little warmer again. I found 15 butterflies in all on my usual local walk, including the same three Small Coppers and eight Red Admirals in all. I disturbed a Peacock from the ground at one point, and near the Coppers I found the same Small Heath I'd seen on 25th - it must be a hardy soul! Nearer home, I came across a Comma that I think had found a sap run judging by the cluster of grey bugs on the same bit of tree. Finally, nearby there was another Small Copper, a fresh male. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Brown Hairstreak at King George’s Field Watford.. Eleven Brown Hairstreak eggs found at King George’s Field Watford. [Posted by Rohan Harris]