Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Merry Hill. When the wind finally calmed down, out to Merry Hill again, rather quiet but it is that time of a quiet year, couple of whites, 8+ Speckled Woods, similar amount of Meadow Browns, 1 Small Heath and 1 Brown Hairstreak (spotted by Pete), but as I got the pic this week (not a dodgy video), I got to put the post up. [Posted by Rick Vickers]
Merry Hill Bushey. I took another look over at Merry Hill last Friday (23 August) afternoon. I had to enter from Carpenters Park side as there are road works blocking the entrance to Merry Hill Road. I would have walked if my lower back wasn't so bad as I live close. Although no sightings of Brown Hairstreak today I was looking for potential areas to look for eggs later in the year. There are a few spots with ash and blackthorn that I have noted as potential so far, but there are areas that are yet to be explored at this site and yet to be discovered! Rick also went to Merry Hill today but we didn't meet. No Brown Hairstreak sightings for Rick either but he came up with better numbers for my count on Small Heath and Speckled Wood than I did. My personal count was 25+ Meadow Brown, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Small Heath, 2 unidentified Whites. 5 Common Blue all males. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Red Admiral at Trent Park. 1 Red Admiral basking on E edge of Icehouse Wood/Trent Park & female Green-veined White & female Small White settled near Shaws Wd Cottages/Trent Park this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Holly Blue at Enfield Town. 1 Holly Blue flying around ivy near Silver Street, Enfield Town this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Lots of Blues on Therfield Heath. Good numbers of Adonis Blues were on the wing on the eastern side of Therfield Heath this afternoon. I saw at least 15 males and there were probably plenty more. Most but not all of the activity was on Lankester Hill (Old Rifle Range). Most of the Chalkhill Blues look pretty ragged now, but there are still quite a few about and others saw females egg laying. Similar numbers of Brown Argus and Common Blue were seen - most of the Common Blue females were suffused with blue. A single Holly Blue was seen on my way to the heath. I also checked out Church Hill early evening: not a single blue could be seen on the south side, but some Chalkhills were roosting on the north side and in the chalk pit at the bottom (one female seen), so there is hope that they will re-establish themselves given the right conditions (and some ants). Several Common Blues and a Brown Argus were roosting at the bottom of the hill, some dangerously close to the web of a Wasp Spider! Small Heath butterflies have been on the wing here continuously since the end of April. With very warm weather forecast for the middle of next week, I recommend that this will be the optimum time if you want to see Adonises on the wing. [Posted by Martin Johnson]
Second Brood Adonis Blues At Therfield Health. I was already at Therfield Heath so thought I would have a quick look for second brood Adonis Blue. I saw about five stunners in about 20 minutes in sunny but very windy conditions. My daughter then decided finding some ice-cream was far more important. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Brown Hairstreak in South Harrow. Was very surprised to find the odd looking Gatekeeper on the buddleia in my garden in South Harrow this lunchtime turn out to be a female Brown Hairstreak. Had a good look at it through my binoculars. Also, had one Speckled Wood, one Small White and one Large White in the garden. [Posted by Michael Robinson]
Common Blue, Green-veined White, Purple Hairstreak & Small Heath at Trent Park. Female Common Blue, 1 Green-veined White & 1 Small Heath at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park this morning & 1 Purple Hairstreak [worn & tatty] settled low down along bridle-path between Merryhills Brook & Shaws Wd/Trent Park at 1111 BST - quite a late record, but I have seen them in early September in the past. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Bad weather for Therfield Heath Branch Walk. The forecast is for rain tomorrow morning (Sat 24th) when I am due to lead a Branch Walk on Therfield Heath. I will go to the start for 10.30 anyway, but it is probably not worth travelling far for this event tomorrow. Weather looks better in the second half of next week if you want to do a self-guided walk. [Posted by Nick Keep]
Jersey Tiger at Oakwood & Light Emerald at Southgate. 2 Jersey Tiger [1 at Lakeside, EN2 & another at South Lodge Cres, EN2] this morning & 1 Light Emerald near outside light at ASDA Southgate. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brown Hairstreak South Oxhey. Following on from the other weeks success at Merry Hill, and finding a second four leaved clover in the garden, time to go searching... South Oxhey Playing fields, same point I found the egg earlier in the year, just as the sun shone (about only time today) 1 Brown Hairstreak TQ10443 93638. Unfortunately I only had the video camera and it went into Bigfoot/UFO mode - a bit fuzzy! [Posted by Rick Vickers]
Minet Country Park sightings. The photos relate to two butterflies we saw today (along with plenty of commoner butterflies including Holly Blue and Small Copper). They are Brown Hairstreak and Long-tailed Blue, both of which are new species for us. [Posted by Dave Bookless & Colin Conroy]
Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Hummingbird Hawk-moth at Coldharbour Allotments, Harpenden, at midday [Posted by Alan Jackson]
Garden Pebble at Southgate. 1 Garden Pebble at bus-stop shelter at Chase Road/Charter Way, N14 this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Branch walk at Clothall Common. Pair of Chalkhill Blues, Brown Argus & Small Blue [Posted by Paula Moore]
Herts & Middx branch butterfly walk on Clothall Common, Baldock. 8 of us gathered for our first branch walk at this new location, famed as the best place in Herts for seeing 6 different species of blues. Butterflies were fairly scarce to start with, but by the time we reached the top of the slope both male and female Chalk-hill Blues and Common Blues were seen in good numbers. We examined many blues closely, noting the different colours and spots. Sadly no Adonis Blues were seen, but the second generation has not yet fully emerged. Back down at the foot of the slope we added Brown Argus, Small Blues and Small Heath. Ten species in total, with 18 Chalkhills and 16 Common Blues altogether. Stopping off at Weston for lunch, I immediately spotted a Holly Blue bringing my personal total for the day to five. [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Hexton Chalk Pit. We hadn't been over to Hexton Chalk Pit for a long time so it was great to go to a reliable site for Chalk Hill Blue, although already passed mid August we did see 30+ with the number of females almost matching the males. Some of the males looked relatively fresh and some were in hot pursuit of females making them easy to see. 4+ Common Blue 3 were females.1 Brown Argus, 30+ Meadow Brown, 1 Small Heath and 10+ Six-spot Burnet Moth. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
The Skype, Wheathampstead. 7 Common Blue and 2 Small Heath at this traditional meadow filled with Birds foot Trefoil and other wild flowers. Shame St Albans Council have allocated it for development [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Red Admiral at Trent Park. 1 Red Admiral flew & settled in bushes by upper lake, Trent Park this morning at 0758 BST. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Another Jersey Tiger. A Jersey Tiger has been seen for a couple of days in my Welwyn Garden City garden. It was nectaring on Buddleia this evening [Posted by John Yates]