Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Grizzled Skipper at Waterford Heath. With the recent run of sunshine I suspected the Grizzlies could be seen early this year but today the car said 12°C and cloud was looming so I was clutching at straws. The early afternoon sun arrived on cue and aided my search as did the lovely peace and quiet that you get there. Between 2-3.30pm I had 4 photographic sightings all on the SW facing bank in the South Heath, never needing to leave the main path. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Sightings at Enfield, Southgate & Trent Park. Female Brimstone, 2 Comma, male Green-veined White, 2 male Orange-tip, 4 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell - my first for the year [FOY] & 2 Speckled Wood at private sites near Trent Park. 1 Comma at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park. Male Large White at Dalrymple Close, N14. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
My Watford Garden. Warm and sunny again, a nice day to sit and watch the Garden buzzing. Large white x 1, peacock x 1, comma x 1 - egg laying on hops. Four eggs found later [Posted by Rick Vickers]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. 1 Peacock at a private site near Trent Park & another one near Ash Wd/Enfield Chase. Male Orange-tip near Obelisk at Trent Park at 1231 BST. 1 Light Orange/Orange Underwing settled on ground along 'vista' between Moat Wood & Rough Lot/Trent Park. 5 Peacock at Trent Park. 1 Small White settled at Water Grdn/Trent Park. Male Brimstone & 1 Speckled Wood at Williams Wd/Trent Park. 1 Large White at Trent Park Equestrian Centre. 1 Comma at Boxer's Lake, Enfield at 1615 BST. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Small Tortoiseshell at last!. Returned to finish my walk Ayot Greenway at the Wheathampstead end, including a detour through the Ayot Estate. Best butterfly totals for the year so far with 38 Peacock, 3 Comma, 13 Green-veined White, 4 Large White, 1 Brimstone, 3 Orange Tip, 1 Speckled Wood and last but by no means least 2 Small Tortoiseshell. This last being my tenth Herts butterfly species of the season [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
River Cole by Radlet Road Playing Fields and Fishers Field, Watford. Another lovely sunny day. Time for a walk along the Colne by Radlet Road Playing Fields - It was getting a bit windy and I nearly lost my hat! Unknown white x 2, peacock x 4, orange tip x 2, comma x 1. Over Link Road to the Lake. Large white x 2, unknown white x 5, peacock x 6, comma x 1, orange tip x 2. Then on to Fishers Field, Unknown white x 3, peacock x 2, speckled wood x 1 Brief stop in the Golf Course for a picnic, peacock x 1, brimstone x 1, orange tip x 1 [Posted by Rick Vickers]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. A similar day on my local patch today, with the same ten species seen as yesterday. I noted a succession of Green-veined Whites egg-laying close to the bank of the River Colne, and managed to find one of the eggs that was laid. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Ayot Greenway. Lunchtime stroll along this disused railway line to inform the Branch input into a new management plan. Two Speckled Woods twirling round each other in a courtship dance, at Sparrowhall Bridge, my 9th Herts butterfly species of this year. Also 8 Peacocks, 1 Comma, 1 Green-veined White. Back home in my hibernation shed, the last Peacock left yesterday, quite a late emergence compared to recent years [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Northaw Butterflies. 2x holly Blue, Orange Tip, Large White, Female Brimstone, Peacock and Red Admiral in the garden today [Posted by Sam fuller]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Another glorious day - they seem endless at the moment - and I counted over 100 butterflies on my local patch again: Peacock 31, Small/Green-veined White 27 (approx half-and-half), Brimstone 12, Comma 11, Orange Tip 9, Large White 9, Speckled Wood 3, Red Admiral 2, Holly Blue 1. [Posted by Dave Miller]
First Orange Tip. My first Orange Tip of the year, a male along the path up to Hardmead lake HMWT viewpoint 12.30. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Rick's garden/ Whippendell Woods and Cassiobury Park. It was a delight to start the day's butterfly observations with a home grown male Orange-tip in Ricks garden emergence date the 5th April. I got there just in time before he took to the wing. Venturing into Whippendell Woods after another 12+ Orange-tip were seen. The most abundant species seen were Peacock 33 in total including 3 the brief later part in the afternoon in Cassiobury Park. Brimstone 4, Holly Blue 1, Comma 8 in total with the 2 basking late in Cassiobury Park. A further 4 unidentified flying whites and a few unidentified flying butterflies high above the trees. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Sightings at Enfield. 3 male Brimstone [1 at Hilly Fields Park & 2 together at Gordon Hill Station], 2 Comma [1 at Rectory Farm & 1 at Flash Lane, EN2], 4 Peacock [1 at a private site near Trent Park, 1 along the 'London Loop' at Bay Farm, 1 at Rectory Farm & 1 at Strayfield Road, EN2] & 4 Speckled Wood [3 together at Brooke Wd & 1 at Flash Lane, EN2]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Waterford Heath. After a quick wonder around Waterford Heath (North and South) around midday in the strong sunshine I saw - Brimstone 2, Red Admiral 1, Peacock 12, GVW 2, Orange Tip 2, Small White 1, Large White 1, Comma 2 and happy to see Small Tortoiseshell 1 which was on the path and welcomed change from all the peacocks. The wild Strawberry is in flower in a few small isolated patches. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Sightings at Enfield. 4 Brimstone [3 males & 1 female], 3 Peacock & 2 Small White [male & female] at private sites near Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Eighth butterfly species of the year. Green-veined White became the 8th butterfly species I’ve seen in Herts this year. 20 degrees and sunny this afternoon in St Albans. Also spotted during my walk over Batchwood and Gorhambury - Brimstone (3), Comma (1), Peacock (6) and Orange Tip (2) [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
A trio of Emperor Moths. A trio of Emperor moths to lure in just over two hours this afternoon in my Ware garden. Lure put out at 2.40; first buzzed at 2.50; first capture 3.37, then 4.15 and finally 4.43 and the lure came in at 5.15. All happily gone on their way! [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Hibernating Peacock emergence. St Albans shed - 4 Pecocks hibernated in my shed this winter All of them survived through to the Spring. The first emergence was recorded on 26th March. In the last week two more have flown the shed, leaving just one in hibernation In the last few days I’ve seen Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Small &Large Whites on the wing locally, Interesting that the hibernators are emerging at the same time as this years butterflies are hatching out [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield. 1 Peacock & 2 Comma at private sites near Trent Park. 2 Speckled Wood together & male Brimstone at Brooke Wd. 2 male Brimstone together & 1 Peacock at Rectory Farm Road. Female Brimstone at St John The Baptist Church, Clay Hill. 1 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood at Flash Lane, EN2. Male Brimstone & 2 Peacock at Hilly Field Park. Male Small White settled at Cook's Hole Road. 2 male Brimstone & male Orange-tip at Gordon Hill Station. Several Whites were left unidentified. The Orange-tip & Speckled Wood were both new for the year. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Wareside butterflies. Lovely day lots of butterflies inckuding my first orange tip Large white 3 Peacock 3 Comma 2 Small white 1 Brimstone 4 Orang tip male 1 Green veined white 1 [Posted by Phil macmurdie]