Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Merry Hill Butterfly Walk Bushey. My apologies for my late arrival to those who came there was some confusion with what I saw on the eventbright site, I was seeing it put down to a 12pm start! Although prepared for 11am start I relaxed a bit and took more time. Anyway hope all is forgiven as we had a good walk once we got started and despite the cloudy weather we did get to see some butterflies. All those that arrived on time started without us. This included Janet who has volunteered for a long time with the RSPB. Small Copper 1. Thanks Janet! There were also a few Purple Hairstreak noted before we arrived as well as few other sightings of butterflies such as Gatekeeper. Once we finally got rolling we made our way to the field where we had our first sighting in 2024. At that spot a few more Purple Hairstreaks were seen and I just managed to get one photo of one. Overall the count for Purple Hairstreak about 6+. At this stage of the walk we hadn't sighted a Brown Hairstreak. We did start to see more butterflies in this area . The thistle patch we found a male on Saturday we found Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. A little further down from there and bingo! A fresh female spotted by Chris Newman on a gone to seed thistle. It almost seemed to happen at the right moment when all of the group were close enough to see, I hope all who took a photo captured a good one! It was a lovely moment for our first butterfly walk at Merry Hill and I can't thank Chris enough for spotting in cloudy conditions and is likely to be the first those on the walk had seen in Hertfordshire. We tried to find a Small Heath to get the species count to 10. I thought I had cracked it but I was mistaken it turned out to be a lighter coloured Gatekeeper. Chris also thought we had a Small Heath but I think on closer inspection it was probable a stunted Meadow Brown. Butterfly list for the walk as follows Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper estimated at over 20, Small Copper 1, Purple Hairstreak 6+, Brown Hairstreak 2 as a male was sighted by afew members of the group on the return journey, Holly Blue 4, Speckled Wood 3, Common Blue 4-6 sighted, Large White 1 (may of missed some of the whites) and probable sightings of Jersey Tiger moth. As it hadn't actually rained Rick and myself had a brief look over at Prestwick Road Meadows after unfortunately no sightings of brown Hairstreak but we did see 2 Speckled Wood , Gatekeeper, Large and 1 Small White, 2 Comma, 1 Meadow Brown. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Stafford Road Open Space, Ruislip. Whilst visiting the in-laws an opportunity opened up for some impromptu butterflying. The weather was mostly dark clouds, very muggy with faint sunny spells but always the imminent threat of a downpour, fortunately this proved excellent weather for finding and photographing Brown Hairstreaks. I found a female egg laying within the first 30 seconds which is a great start to any session, I had 18 sightings in total between 13.00 and 15.30. Most of the sightings were seen feeding on overripe blackberries, the remainder were resting, leaf walking or basking and most of those were females. Also seen on the ripe blackberries were 2 Holly Blue and a single Purple Hairstreak. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Brown Hairstreaks Stafford Open Space. Mainly in one spot, 10 in total over the course of a three hour visit. The blackberries were the main draw which made them easy to observe. Saw more females than males. It was very overcast with the occasional glimmer of sun when they opened their wings. [Posted by Dee Cullen]
Return to Sutton’s Farm GP, Hatfield. Took my last chance to look for second brood Dingy Skippers. Overcast afternoon and no luck with that. I did spot a single Small Tortoiseshell, an even rarer species this year. Still dozens of Meadow Browns, also Common Blues (21), Small Heaths, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Latticed Heath and 6-spot Burnet flying. Off to look for butterflies further afield tomorrow [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Millhoppers’ butterfly walk August 2nd 2025. In spite of the rather overcast weather, we had an excellent butterfly walk today, enhanced by the enthusiasm and knowledge of the five adults and a child who joined the walk. The young boy, Edmund, who has eagle eyes and a keen interest in the natural world, spotted quite a few butterflies and moths for us, and altogether we saw 9 butterfly species and over 6 species of moths. The butterflies on Millhoppers reserve included: 2 Small Heath, 10 Gatekeeper, 5 Green-veined White, 2 Small White, 4 Common Blue, 4 Brown Argus, 1 Large Skipper, 5 Speckled Wood, 19 Meadow Brown and more than 30 Peacock butterfly caterpillars. Moth species seen were: Blood veined moth, Dingy Footman, Yellow shell, Mother of Pearl, Straw Dot, Common Plume, and the trails of various Leaf Mining moths on the Black Poplar leaves. [Posted by Christine Ridley]
Merry Hill Bushey. Rick and myself went to check out Merry Hill this afternoon as time and weather hadn't been on our side for more visits sooner for our butterfly walk tomorrow. Although cloudy when we arrived the sun did start to breakthrough after 2.30pm. We didn't see many butterflies to start with but the number of Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown numbers started to build and there were well over 20 of each species present. Just after 2.30pm we wee in the field that contained the most Brown Hairstreak eggs earlier in the year not far from our first male last year we did get to see our only confirmed B Hairstreak of the day. This male was the first we had seen there feeding on thistle flowers so far as all the sightings last year were not on flowers. This individual was still feeding on the same patch after surveying the fleabane and coming back on ourselves 20mins later. The photo of Common Blue was seen during the sweep we had a count of 8+ C Blue over all. Rick found the only confirmed Purple Hairstreak of the day feasting on ripe blackberry. Other butterflies seen Green-veined White 4, S White 1, L White 7+ with a couple of others unidentified. Small Heath 6, Comma 2, Speckled Wood 2+ and a few sightings of Jersey Tiger moth. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Second Generation Dingy Skipper near Great Gaddesden. First time in ten years of transect walking that I've noticed a second generation - rather poor photo with iPhone. [Posted by Paul Cross]
Sightings at Enfield, Oakwood & Southgate. At a private site near Trent Park - 1 Red Admiral. 3 Jersey Tiger [1 at Bramley Road, N14, 1 at Chase Road, N14 & 1 at Southgate Chase Allotments]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brown Hairstreak on garden Plum tree. While picking some early ripening plums on the garden Plum tree, I disturbed a Brown Hairstreak. A first record for the garden here in Kenton. This is in the midst of suburban Harrow. In the photograph, the butterfly is actually on a Hazel leaf, but the Plum leaves and plums are all around. [Posted by Leslie Williams]
Sightings at Enfield. 2 male Common Blue along 'London Loop/Jubilee Path' at Bay Farm. 1 Red Admiral at Enfield Chase Station. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield. At private sites near Trent Park - 2, male & female, Common Blue, 1 Brown Argus & 1 Jersey Tiger. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Lots of Chalk Hill Blues at Clothall Common. An estimated 200-250 Chalk Hill Blues were roosting or flying around when I visited Clothall Common this evening: quite a good showing this year. The vast majority were west of the A505 Baldock bypass, near the footbridge. Also seen were small numbers of Common Blues and Brown Argus. Surprisingly few Gatekeepers were seen here. A late Essex Skipper was present and at least three Painted Ladies were feeding voraciously on either side of the footbridge. [Posted by Martin Johnson]
Bishops Stortford. 7 Clouded Yellow over Lucerne fields north of Hadham road , west of Bishops Stortford at lunchtime. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Brown Hairstreak. Nice surprise at end of Minet Country Park transect, a faded Brown Hairstreak on Mayweed patch near Blackthorn hedgerow, first time recorded on this transect. After transect also saw a Purple Hairstreak low down on Oak and a Jersey Tiger. [Posted by Paul Busby]
Sightings at Trent Park. 2 Red Admiral [1 nectaring on white buddleia at Water Grdn & 1 near Shaws Wd Cottages] & 1 Comma edge of Williams Wd. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Second Brood Adonis on Therfield Heath. Today's work party on Church Hill found a second brood Adonis Blue Male. I broke off in the best of the weather to do the transects. Much better numbers than recently: over 50 Chalk Hill Blues, over 40 Gatekeepers and over 30 Meadow Brown. Many more Meadow Browns than recently and seemed slightly smaller and darker. Could this be a second brood or were they waiting for better weather somewhere? A few Common Blue, Brown Argus and Small White completed the tallies. The Adonis kept off the transect. To get regular news of work parties on Therfield Heath email volunteer@therfieldheath.org.uk [Posted by Nick Keep]
Jersey Tiger - both forms together. I saw the red and yellow (lutescens) forms of Jersey Tiger flying together today at the Harpenden Lane end of the Porridge Pot Lane footpath in Redbourn, Herts (TL 109128). [Posted by Rikki Harrington]
Sightings at Southgate, Trent Park & Enfield. At Dalrymple Close, N14 - 1 Red Admiral nectaring on buddleia. At Trent Park - female Large White near Shaws Wd, 1 Comma by lower lake & 1 Painted Lady [very fresh] nectaring on thistles, edge of Moat Wd. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Jersey Tiger, 1 Comma, 2 Brown Argus, 2, male & female, Common Blue, 2 Small Heath, 1 Shaded Broad-bar & 1 White-point. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Marbled White, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Small Heath & 2 male Common Blue. At Bay Farm, along 'London Loop/Jubilee Path' - female Clouded Yellow nectaring on thistles & 2 male Common Blue. At Rectory Farm - male Common Blue & 1 Red Admiral. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Dark Umber at Southgate. 1 Dark Umber caught & identified in my flat in Southgate early this morning [attracted to kitchen light] - my first record of this species & apparently new to the 10 km square. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]