Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Northaw sightings. 3x Large White, 2x Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood in midday sun today - on Ivy and Verbena [Posted by Sam Fuller]
Sightings in Enfield, Southgate & Trent Park. 8 Speckled Wood [1 at Chase Rd/Grovebury Crt, N14 & 7 at three private sites near Trent Park], 1 Small Copper & female Green-veined White at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park & Comma & Red Admiral nectaring on Michaelmas daisies at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park, male Brimstone basking on Ivy near Merryhill's Brook/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Magic Garden. Following a couple of Commas that set up residence in the Garden last week, it was all change today with a Red Admiral, Painted Lady and a Large White. St Mary's Road, Watford [Posted by Rick Vickers]
Painted Lady. Painted Ladies have been a rare sight in St Albans this year. Today I found a Buddleia in full flower by St Albans station with 1 Painted Lady and 2 Red Admirals nectaring on it. Elsewhere round town 3 more Red Admirals, 3 Large Whites and 1 Small White [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Hampstead Heath Extension. One Brown Hairstreak egg found on Hampstead Heath extension. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Enfield sightings. 2 Comma at Rectory Farm Rd near railway bridge, including one nectaring on Ivy blossom, 2 Speckled Wood [1 at Flash Lane, EN2 & 1 at Cook's Hole Rd, edge of Hilly Field's Park], Red Admiral at Flash Lane, EN2, Comma & 2 Large White at Gordon Hill Station. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Croxley Common moor. Two Brown Hairstreak eggs. One adult Small Copper. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Brown Hairstreak eggs. Two Brown Hairstreak eggs laid a few inches apart at Parliament Hill tennis courts Hampstead Heath. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Enfield. 1 Large White nectaring on Michaelmas daisies at a private site near Trent Park, female Green-veined White nectaring on Bramble blossom along 'The London Loop' at Bay Farm, Enfield, 2 Small White [1 near Brooke Wd & a female at Rectory Farm near 'The Red House']. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Red Admiral at Enfield. 1 Red Admiral seen in flight during rain from platform at Enfield Chase Station at 1433 BST. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brown Hairstreak Hampstead Heath. Brown Hairstreak egg found in a new area at the north of Hampstead Heath. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Speckled Wood at Enfield. 1 Speckled Wood at a private site near Trent Park this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Speckled Wood at Town Park, Enfield. 1 Speckled Wood at Town Park, Enfield this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Small Coppers on last Herts & Middx BC butterfly walk this year. Grey skies, a stiff breeze and temperature of 13 degrees greeted us on arrival at Nomansland Common. 8 optimistic butterfly spotters set off and we’re soon rewarded by some excellent views of a knot-grass caterpillar. A few glimmers of sun encouraged the Small Coppers, with several seen in flight. Others were sunbathing, but the sun did not shine and most were hunkered down on prominent sprigs of Heather. Later we found a group of six Small Coppers all close together with mating in mind. Crossing to the east side more Small Coppers were seen nectaring on Ragwort. In total 27 seen along with a possible Red Admiral, many Yellow legged mining bees and a couple of Dung Beetles playing football with rabbit droppings. A cool but satisfactory end of the season [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Large White, Red Admiral & Small Copper at Enfield. 1 Large White, 1 Red Admiral & 1 Small Copper at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park during late morning & early afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Large White at Enfield. 2 Large White nectaring on buddleia at Enfield Rd, EN2 this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Garden Carpet & Meal Moth at Southgate. 1 Garden Carpet & 1 Meal Moth at ASDA Southgate this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Hampstead Heath Brown Hairstreak. Three Brown Hairstreak eggs at new locations on Hampstead Heath. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Croxley Moor. After reading about Malcolm's count of Small Copper at Croxley Moor I hooked up with Rick Vickers for an afternoon visit. We didn't reach the numbers seen by Malcolm but still reached 48+. They were in various states of condition from fresh to semi tatty. Some with variant blue scales on the lower hind wing and others without. Some finding the dwindling amount of ragwort to feed on others basking on semi dried cow pats. Looking at where we had travelled on site we realised there was a lot we missed. We can conclude that there must have been well over a hundred on the wing and probably over 200 over the entire site! Thanks Malcolm for sharing the info on Small Coppers. Other butterflies seen 11 White's unidentified , 1 Green-veined White, 8+ Small Heath, 2+ Meadow Brown and a single Comma. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Brown Hairstreak at Hampstead Heath. Two Brown Hairstreak eggs found at Hampstead Heath. [Posted by Rohan Harris]