Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
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]
Small Tortoiseshell. Very gladdened to see my first Small Tort of the year in Lea Valley Country Park in the bramble down the railway track close to Cheshunt train station. 1 x Brimstone too. [Posted by Nicholas Barnett]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor and Staines Moor. With more sunshine and warmth, as well as a quick tour of my local patch I braved the mud and trekked down to Staines Moor. The weather of the last twelve months has made the path impassable without hefty wellies, but the recent sunshine has dried things up just enough to make it possible to get through with care in my walking boots.. I had hoped to see Small Tortoiseshells, but was out of luck and had to make do with just a couple of Brimstones. There were one or two on the way down as well, and I counted another five on my usual walk, along with two Commas. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Brimstone at Edmonton. Male Brimstone reported by Dobrina Dobreva at Cedars Court, Edmonton, N9 during the afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone at Forty Hall CP, Enfield. Helen Shore reports a sighting of a Brimstone at Forty Hall CP. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. A warmer day with no frost overnight: the Brimstones in particular responded, and I recorded nine today around my local patch, including an obliging female. Also seen: two Commas, two Peacocks and a Red Admiral. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Comma at Broomfield Park, Palmers Green, N13. 1 Comma flew around & settled on Conservatory roof at Broomfield Park, Palmers Green, N13 [TQ304927] this afternoon at 1446 GMT. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Balls Wood and Hertford. A Comma and Brimstone in Balls Wood and 2 male Brimstones clashing on Hartham Common, Hertford. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Brimstone & comma. Further to my previous report, the male brimstone in my Harpenden garden has now been joined by a very fresh-looking comma. [Posted by Robin Pearson]
Brimstone. Male brimstone in my garden today, first sighting of anything this year! [Posted by Robin Pearson]
Comma. There was a Comma this morning on the back wall of my South Mimms house. [Posted by Terence Wood]
Sighting from Stanwell Moor. Just one butterfly on my local patch today: a Red Admiral, the same individual as seen on 1st of the month in the same spot. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Butterflies in Hertford. A male Brimstone on Hartham Common, Hertford and a Peacock sitting on a sunny fence in our garden in Bengeo. My first butterflies bar one in Wiltshire last month. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Small Tortoiseshell. We had a Small Tortoiseshell yesterday (4/3/25) in our South Mimms back garden. [Posted by Terence Wood]
Woodberry Wetlands LWT - Brimstone. Pleasantly surprised to see my first Brimstone of the year. As well as 1 x Red Admiral. [Posted by Nicholas Barnett]
Batford Springs Nature Reserve, Harpenden. One Comma flying somewhat lethargically in the sunshine - my first sighting of 2025 [Posted by David Hunt]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. The sunshine continues! A Comma and a Red Admiral seen on my local patch today, the latter butterfly being a different individual from those seen so far this year as it had the white spots of the bialbata variation (therefore likely to be female I believe?). [Posted by Dave Miller]
