Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Holly Blue bonanza. Doing my transect at Waterford Heath South pit. The site has a lot of Holly Blues (13 on the site today ) because of one of its food plants is goats rhue an alien invasive plant. Also had a Painted Lady ,plenty of Meadow Browns but no Common Blues. [Posted by steve kiln]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. On a mostly bright rather than sunny day, I counted over 200 butterflies on my local patch, with 16 species seen. These included 23 Red Admirals, possibly part of a migration as there was also a faded Painted Lady in amongst them. There were good numbers of new Commas, more Marbled Whites (including a female) and as ever the everpresent Small Heaths and Meadow Browns. The former are having an excellent year here. Large Skippers are doing well, but the Smalls are only in single figures without the day-on-day increase I've seen in previous years - and of Essex Skippers there is (so far) no sign. This may be attributable to the timing of the grass cut on this site last year, which was right in the middle of their season. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Cranford Country Park. Purple Hairstreak and Small Skippers seen on long established transect route. This transect and others in Hillingdon are available for volunteers, happy to provide more details and walk the route. [Posted by Paul Busby]
Dark Green Fritillaries near Benington. We walked from Benington to Hooks Cross via the wide conservation verge along Walkern Road. We saw 57 along the verge, they were on pretty well every patch of Greater Knapweed in the cloudy bright conditions. Also seen on the walk were Small and Large Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady, Peacock larvae, Small Heath, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Brimstone, Small White and Green-veined White. On the moth side of things Yellow Shell, Cinnabar, Treble Bar, Pyrausta aurata, Sitochroa verticalis, White Plume, Latticed Heath and Nemophora degeerella. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Sightings at Forty Hall CP & North Enfield. 1 Chimney Sweeper, 4 Large Skipper [3 males & 1 female], 1 Holly Blue, 1 Comma & 2 Speckled Wood at Forty Hall CP, Enfield. 2 Speckled Wood at Gough Park, Forty Hill. 1 Barred Yellow - my first of the year [FOY], 9 Large Skipper, 6 Cinnabar, 4 Small Heath & 1 Comma at a private site in North Enfield. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Wilder St Albans District. The Branch has been supporting St Albans Council in its policy of "low mow" verges and creating wildflower meadows. Find out more about this and other wilding initiatives by joining next weeks online talk on Weds 18th June at 7.30 pm. Speakers include representatives from the council, Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation (me!) and Heartwood Forest. You can register now, by using this link here [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Oakwood Park. Male Large Skipper, 3 Small Heath & 1 Burnet Companion at Oakwood Park this morning between 0855 & 0935 BST - all East of 10 km line. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Walkern Road and Hexton Chalk Pit.. Went to the site mentioned below on Walkern Road and despite it being windy saw at least a dozen Dark Green Fritillaries. Plus half a dozen Meadow Brown. Almost no butterflies at Hexton bar one Dingy Skipper a Small Heath and Speckled Wood. [Posted by sam fuller]
Sightings at Grovelands Park, Southgate. At Grovelands Park this afternoon [1425 to 1630 BST] - 1 Comma at TQ300941, 2 male Meadow Brown at TQ307946 & 1 Straw Dot at TQ308947. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Branch butterfly walk at Heartwood Forest. Despite the unpromising forecast, 30 people joined us for today’s walk. Luckily the rain held off, but the morning was overcast with only brief sunny spells. From the car park we headed towards the scout hut, where the first butterfly seen at rest was a Large Skipper Nectaring on Ox-eye Daisy. Meadow Brown and Small Heath were close by, rapidly followed by Small Blue, spotted by the youngest member of our party. Continuing uphill we saw more Meadow Browns and added Common Blue. In Valley Field, the Kidney Vetch and Birds-foot Trefoil were plentiful, but in the stiff breeze there were no butterflies to be seen … until finally we found a sheltered spot where Small Blues roost and several more were seen at rest. On our way back, the sun came out as we passed another Small Blue roost at the end of Piddlers Wood. First we saw a Small Blue Nectaring on Speedwell. The sun came out and suddenly there were three all flying together and a couple more close by. Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and a fully grown Peacock caterpillar added to the days list. Several species of moths were spotted including Grass Rivulet, Yellow Shell, Green Oak Tortrix, White Plume moth and dozens of Yellow-banded Longhorns. The days total of 10 Small Blues was very satisfying in poor weather conditions and shows that this species can recorded whilst roosting where it adopts a fairly conspicuous position on long grass [Posted by Malcolm Hull and Andrew Steele]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. I made the most of a bright morning before the rain forecast for the afternoon and walked round my local patch. Ten species appeared: Meadow Brown(82), Small Heath(37), Small Skipper(9), Common Blue(8), Red Admiral(8), Large Skipper(7), Marbled White(3), Small White(2), Comma(2), Small Tortoiseshell(2). [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Alexandra Park. After the rain I finally got out to do a transect. It was blowy. I saw Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Small White, Holly Blue, Comma and Speckled Wood. Burnet Companion and Six Spot Burnet. No sign of Marbled White yet. Not huge numbers I hope that will change. [Posted by Dee Cullen]
Spring Fields Butterfly Bank. Christine Ridley and I visited the chalk bank we designed and seeded two years ago in Hemel. Most of the wildflower species we sowed are doing well, including Kidney Vetch and Birds foot Trefoil. No Small Blues or Dingy Skippers yet, but we did see 4 Common Blues, a Small Tortoiseshell, Burnet Companion and Yellow Shell. Also Painted Lady and Meadow Brown nearby. With hindsight, we may have overdone the Oxeye Daisies! [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Small Blues doing well. Technical issues this week, so a late report of my trip on Tuesday 15 Small Blues at Bourne End junction. And 9 at Heartwood Forest [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
A Quiet Day in St Albans. Just one butterfly on my walk today, but delighted to report a Small Tortoiseshell. I noticed several of the stems of Sweet Rocket in the garden had been stripped of all leaves and flowers. I originally introduced this plant to attract Orange Tips, but they much prefer the Garlic Mustard On inspection, the plant damage was caused by Large White caterpillars, one of which is now pupating on the kitchen window! [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Wet Aldbury Nowers. I did a walk out with our new Transect volunteer for the two routes here. Despite the rain we saw an early Ringlet, Meadow Browns, Small Heaths, a Common Blue and Small Skippers. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Tick and Lyme Disease. It's that time of the year where we need to be more aware of ticks and Lyme Disease. If you are an Assemble member you should find more information in the 'No. 24 Tick and Lyme Disease' document in your Document Hub. The updated guidance has been uploaded to our website (under Committee in the menu bar) [Posted by Peter Clarke]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. A strange sort of day weatherwise on my local patch, mostly cloudy but with a few sunny intervals and still a coolish breeze. However, I managed to see around 200 butterflies of 14 species during the day, including my first Marbled White of the year here. Other highlights included more fresh Small Skippers, a female Large Skipper, another very new Painted Lady, more Small Tortoiseshells and at last a definite female Meadow Brown among the many males. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings in the Barnet & Enfield areas. 1 Painted Lady 'fresh' seen in flight & settled on Bramble 1202 BST [TQ269972], 1 Yellow-banded Longhorn Moth [TQ253973], 1 Alabonia geoffrella [TQ257970] & at least 5 Speckled Wood at Monken Hadley Common. 1 Straw Dot near Cockfosters entrance/Trent Park [TQ280967]. 2 Willow Beauty [1 at Oakwood Station & another at ASDA Southgate] [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
A sunny afternoon at Therfield Heath. After a rainy start at Therfield Heath it brightened up quite nicely . A few slightly tattered Adonis blues and lots of small Heath around . Also a very early marbled white first one of the year . [Posted by James Somerville]