News

29 May 2024

North Enfield. Male Common Blue, 1 Holly Blue, 2 Large Skipper [male & female] - [FOY], 2 male Meadow Brown, 1 Silver Y, 1 Small Copper [FOY] & 3 Small Heath at a private site in North Enfield. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]


29/05/24. Walk from the house down to the Rivers orchard site Sawbridgeworth lunchtime, 2 Large Skipper, 10 Brimstone (most ever for me here, 3 males and 7 females) ,6 Common Blue (males) ,1 Holly Blue , 2 Speckled wood and 10 Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]


Orange Tip larvae. I went round all the Garlic Mustard in the garden today and found 10 larvae at different stages of development [Posted by Andrew Wood]

Photo © Andrew Wood
Photo © Andrew Wood
Photo © Andrew Wood

A good day for Moths at Heartwood Forest. A cool afternoon with sunny spells presented ideal conditions for day flying moths. Grass Rivulet was the most common moth species, photo shows one egg laying in Yellow Rattle. Burnet Companion, Yellow Shell, Mother Shipton and Latticed Heath all in good numbers plus a few Silver Y. Small Heath was the most numerous butterfly, with a few Brimstones and Peacocks. A bit on the chilly side for the others, I recorded only singles of Small Blue, Common Blue and Brown Argus [Posted by Malcolm Hull]

Grass Rivulet laying on Yellow Rattle
Photo © Malcolm Hull
Latticed Heath
Photo © Malcolm Hull
One sleepy Small Blue
Photo © Malcolm Hull

28 May 2024

Meadow Brown at Enfield. Male Meadow Brown at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park this afternoon at 1300 BST [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]

27 May 2024

Alabonia geoffrella & Large White at Trent Park. 1 Alabonia geoffrella at Rough Lot/Trent Park & male Large White at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]


27/05/24. Walk again from the house down the field to the Old Rivers orchard site Sawbridgeworth , didn't get to the site before a very lively, fresh and bright Painted Lady flew up off the track behind Maybes walk (my ffy) , Still quiet at the site just 2 Brimstone { 1 male 1 female) , 1 Common Blue (male ffy) ,2 Holly Blue , 1 Red Admiral ; 3 Speckled Wood and 3 Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]

26 May 2024

Brimstone, Holly Blue & Speckled Wood at Enfield Town & Town Park, Enfield. 1 Holly Blue along New River at Town Park, male Brimstone & 1 Speckled Wood along New River at Enfield Town. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]

25 May 2024

Adonis Blue and Brown Argus at Therfield Heath. We had 3 sightings of Adonis Blue and 5 sightings of Brown Argus. Also Brimstone seen. [Posted by John Yates]

Photo © John Yates
Photo © John Yates

Adonis Blue out on Therfield Heath. Seen during a very brief early morning visit to Church Hill: Adonis Blue (1 male), Brown Argus (3), Painted Lady (1), Red Admiral (1). [Posted by Martin Johnson]

Photo © Martin Johnson

Waterford Heath workparty volunteers needed. Myself and Andrew Wood on Friday 24th May, had a good meeting with people from Herts & Middx Trust who lease Waterford Heath. What we are expecting is there will be a workparty in July on mid week day date TBA. We are looking for volunteers to help improve the North Pit at Waterford Heath which is the best place locally for Grizzled Skippers. We will be part of a large workparty on the heath. The task will be part of Herts & Middx workparty programme. I am looking for volunteers to help. Work starts 10am finishes 3 -4pm. Tools provided. Please register your interest & contact Steve Kiln on 0792048211 or stevewkiln@gmail.com. Thank you. This is great opportunity to help this important local site. Steve Kiln [Posted by steve kiln]

24 May 2024

First Adonis Blues at Therfield Heath. After a not long hunt around to see if the first batch of Adonis Blues had started to come out. I saw 2. I also saw one Brown Argus and one Common Blue. Numbers still seem to have suffered in this part of the country sadly due to the drought from August 2022 the Small Heath numbers are very good so far this year, they were out in force. [Posted by James Somerville]


Garden Pebble at Enfield Chase Station. 1 Garden Pebble at Enfield Chase Station this evening. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]


Ffy Large Skipper. Light winds and some sun tempted me down the field from the house to the Old Rivers orchard site, not much about but a ffy Large Skipper was an unexpected bonus and my first ever in May, 2 male Brimstone, 2 tatty Green-veined White, 3 Holly Blue and 3 Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]


Red Admirals. Very few on the wing today, I was boosted by seeing a pair of Red Admirals in the West Highgate Cemetery on my transect. Only one Holly Blue otherwise. [Posted by Dee Cullen]

Photo © Dee Cullen

20 May 2024

Alabonia geoffrella, Brimstone, Cinnabar, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Mother Shipton, Orange Footman, Orange-tip, Peacock, Red Admiral, Silver Y, Small Heath, Small White, Speckled Wood & Yellow-barred Longhorn at Enfield, Southgate & Trent Park. 2 Alabonia geoffrella at Trent Park [1 edge of Church Wood & 1 near Water Grdn], male Brimstone at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 1 Cinnabar edge of Church Wd/Trent Park [FOY], 6 Green-veined White [2 at Trent Park & 4 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park], 3 Holly Blue [1 at Dalrymple Close, N14, 1 at Trent Park & 1 at Jolly Farmers PH, Enfield Road, EN2], 5 Mother Shipton at Trent Park [3 at 'New Fields' & 2 at 'Old Golf Course'], 1 Orange Footman at Rough Lot/Trent Park [FOY], 3 Orange-tip [female edge of Church Wd/Trent Park & 2 males at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park], 2 Peacock [1 near Water Grdn/Trent Park & 1 at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park], 1 Red Admiral at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park, 3 Silver Y [1 near Church Wd/Trent Park & 2 at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park], 7 Small Heath [3 at 'New Fields' & 1 at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park, 3 at private sites at Enfield near Trent Park], 1 Small White near Oakwood entrance/Trent Park, 5 Speckled Wood at Trent Park & 2 Yellow-barred Longhorn near Church Wd/Trent Park [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]


Small Heath out in force. This afternoon I visited Nomansland Common, Sandridge and recorded 37 Small Heath and 4 Small Copper. Cinnabar and Silver Y moths were also around in good numbers [Posted by Malcolm Hull]

Photo © Malcolm Hull
Photo © Malcolm Hull

Small Copper. One on allium flowers in my St Albans garden TL130046, in pristine condition while I was hanging out the washing so no chance of a photo as it moved off after a few seconds. [Posted by Alan Gardiner]

19 May 2024

Large Tortoiseshell. Battered LT at Incombe Hole (Bucks) SP 9573 1549 W3W: pulses.upset.stiffly [Added 'Bucks' - Peter Clarke] [Posted by Richard Ashford]

Large Tortoiseshell
Photo © Richard Ashford

Small Heath at Oakwood Park & Holly Blue & Speckled Wood at Enfield Town & Town Park, Enfield. 1 Small Heath at Oakwood Park this morning at 0900 BST. 1 Holly Blue at Chase Green Grdns, Enfield Town this afternoon. 1 Holly Blue & 1 Speckled Wood at Town Park, Enfield this afternoon. 1 Speckled Wood near New River at Enfield Town this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]