Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Grizzled Skipper at Waterford Heath south. An hour or so of warm sunshine saw me up at this site where I saw 7 Grizzled Skippers, including a mating pair. Also present were Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Small Heath, Small White, Peacock and for moths Treble Bar, Silver Y, Cinnabar, Burnet Companion, Celypha lacunana, and Pyrausta aurata and Pyrausta purpuralis. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Trackside Survey and garden butterflies. The annual track side survey north of Hertford went ahead today, in perfect roosting conditions (initially). Accompanied by Alan we found 3 Grizzled Skippers roosting on knapweed seed heads quite close together (they appeared to be all male). A further Grizzled Skipper was disturbed on the opposite track side when it had brightened up. Also seen were 6 Small Heath and 1 Burnet Companion. The highlight was repeat of yesterday when I selected a random agrimony leaf and found 4 Grizzled Skipper eggs underneath! Thanks to Network Rail for allowing this annual survey to continue. Meanwhile back in my Ware garden as the afternoon brightened up there was almost immediately a Holly Blue, female Brimstone, Green-veined White and a manic immaculate Red Admiral! [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Alabonia geoffrella, Brimstone, Green Carpet, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Orange-tip, Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Silver Y, Small White & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Trent Park. 1 Alabonia geoffrella at Rough Lot/Trent Park [FOY], male Brimstone at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 3 Green Carpet at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park [FOY], 10 Green-veined White [7 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park & 3 at Trent Park], 3 Holly Blue [1 at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 1 at Enfield Road, EN2 near Jolly Farmers PH & 1 at Oakwood Station], 2 male Orange-tip at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park, 1 Painted Lady at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park [FOY], 4 Peacock [3 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park & 1 along Leeging Beech Gutter near Water Grdn/Trent Park, 1 Red Admiral at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 10 Silver Y at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park & 3 Speckled Wood [2 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park & 1 at Rough Lot/Trent Park][Edited by Peter Clarke] [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Grizzled Skipper in the Beane Valley. We visited a private site today and found 3 adult Grizzled Skippers and Liz discovered three eggs on the same agrimony plant. The First one she looked at! [Posted by Andrew Wood & Liz Goodyear]
Painted Lady seen in White City. We spotted a Painted Lady in Hammersmith Park (W12) whilst walking the transect(not yet set up on the system). [Posted by Catharine Sowerby]
Green-veined White, Nettle-tap & Speckled Wood at Enfield. Female Green-veined White at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 1 Nettle-tap settled on nettles at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park [FOY] & 3 Speckled Wood [2 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park & 1 at Enfield Road, EN2]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
HEXTON CHALK PIT: DINGY SKIPPERS, SMALL HEATHS & my first BROWN ARGUS of the year.. A quick lunchtime visit to Hexton Chalk Pit yielded half a dozen Dingy Skippers, 2 Small Heaths, 1 Large White and 1 Brown Argus. Not bad considering it was also breezy with intermittent sunny spells. [Posted by Julia Hawkins]
Silver Y & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Trent Park. 2 Silver Y [1 at a private site near Trent Park & 1 at Icehouse Wd/Trent Park], 1 Speckled Wood near Icehouse Wd/Trent Park [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Caterpillar on Hounslow Heath. This caterpillar spotted on Oak during the Branch butterfly walk this afternoon is a Small Quaker. Confirmed by Andrew Wood who advises that there are a lot around. Full report of the trip to follow [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Holly Blue, Red Admiral & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Oakwood. 2 Holly Blue [1 at Oakwood Park this morning & 1 at Holly Walk, Enfield Town this afternoon], 1 Red Admiral & 1 Speckled Wood along New River at Town Park, Enfield this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Dukes and Grizzleds. Went to Incombe Hole yesterday just in Bucks. Saw 16 Duke of Burgundy, 25 Brimstones ,1 Green Hairstreak, plenty of Dingy and Grizzled Skippers. Today on usual sites. No Grizzled Skippers on Rickneys ,10 on Waterford Heath North pit and 2 on South pit. Saw 3 Holly Blue on Goats Rue. [Edited by Peter Clarke] [Posted by steve kiln]
Roughdown Green Hairstreak. A single Green Hairstreak welcome sighting after 2 years of no record. [Posted by Brendan Sheridan]
Waterford Heath. Perhaps it was a little too warm for many butterflies to be flying at lunchtime today, I could only find 1 Grizzled Skipper on the North pit and nothing else, on the South pit 0 Grizzled Skipper and two Holly Blue also my ffy Brown Argus and Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Brimstone, Common Carpet, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Orange-tip, Peacock, Silver Y, Small Heath, Small White & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Trent Park. 3 Brimstone [2 males at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park & female near Ride Wd/Trent Park], 1 Common Carpet at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 10 Green-veined White [6 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park & 4 at Trent Park], 2 Holly Blue [female settled on Holly, Rough Lot/Trent Park & 1 at Oakwood Station], 2 male Orange-tip [male at Hadley Road, EN2 & male at a private site near Trent Park], 3 Peacock at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 1 Silver Y at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 1 Small Heath at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park [FOY], 1 Small White at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park & 4 Speckled Wood [3 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park & 1 at Rough Lot/Trent Park]. [Edited by Peter Clarke] [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Dingy Skippers & Green Hairstreaks @ Hexton. Plenty of Dingy Skippers today at Hexton Chalk Pit and several Green Hairstreaks [Posted by Ian Carle]
Brimstone, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Large White, Latticed Heath, Orange-tip, Peacock, Small White, Small Dusty Wave, & Speckled Wood at Enfield, Southgate & Trent Park. 3 male Brimstone [2 at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park & 1 edge of Icehouse Wd/Trent Park], 4 Green-veined White [2 at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park & 2 at Rough Lot/Trent Park], 2 Holly Blue [1 by lower lake/Trent Park & 1 at Oakwood Station], female Large White at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 1 Latticed Heath at Enfield at a site near Trent Park, 3 Orange-tip [2, male & female, at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park & male edge of Shaws Wd/Trent Park], 4 Peacock at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park, 2 Small White at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park, 1 Small Dusty Wave at ASDA Southgate [FOY] & 5 Speckled Wood [4 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park & 1 near Shaws Wd/Trent Park]. [Edited by Peter Clarke] [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Egg laying day in the garden. Holly Blues, a Brimstone and an Orange Tip all egg laying in my St Albans garden at lunchtime. The Orange Tip flew slowly round searching the Hedge Garlic, Honesty and Sweet Rocket looking for suitable egg laying sites. Initially she selected their usual favourite, Hedge Garlic, but then laid most of her eggs on Sweet Rocket. There were still many unopened flowerbeds on the Rocket, whereas the Hedge Garlic has mostly gone to seed already. The Holly Blue was less adventurous, laying on the Holly flower buds and the Brimstone chose the Buckthorn. Later at Batchwood, my first Painted Lady of the year [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sunny afternoon at Aldbury Nowers. Green Hairstreak (3), Dingy Skipper (3), Grizzled Skipper (1), Small Heath (4), Small Copper (1), Holly Blue (1), Orange Tip (8), Green-veined White (6), Brimstone (25), Peacock (3), Speckled Wood (1), Silver Y (2), Common Carpet (1). Despite the low numbers it feels as though the butterfly season is starting JOIN ME this Sunday for a trip to the best Green Hairstreak site in our area. Or on Sat 18th to see Dingy Skippers - details on the Events page [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Brimstone, Brimstone Moth, Brown Silver-line, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Large White, Orange-tip, Peacock & Speckled Wood at Enfield, Southgate & Trent Park. 3 male Brimstone [1 at Trent Park & 2 at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park], 1 Brimstone Moth at ASDA Southgate, 1 Brown Silver-line edge of Rough Lot/Trent Park [TQ286976] - [FOY], 7 Green-veined White [5 at Trent Park & 2 at a private site near Trent Park], 4 Holly Blue at Trent Park [3 near Oakwood entrance & 1 near Rough Lot], 1 female Large White edge of Ride Wd/Trent Park, 4 Orange-tip [3 at Trent Park - female near Oakwood entrance, male near Ride Wd & male near Rough Lot, male at Enfield at a site near Trent Park], 4 Peacock [1 at Trent Park, 1 at Ferny Hill Farm, 2 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park], 2 Speckled Wood [1 near Snakes Lane/Trent Park & 1 at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park]. [Edited by Peter Clarke] [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Holly Blue Sightings also noticing big drop in Speckled Wood nos. I saw around 6 Holly Blues today in my garden. They seemed to be attracted to a Tamarisk Tree which is in blossom. I’ve been struck by the lack of Speckled Woods so far this year. In previous years I’m used to seeing many, Highgate Cemetery for example. [Posted by Dee Cullen]
