Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Small Heath Butterfly on Therfield Heath. A single Small Heath butterfly was seen today at the bottom of Church Hill - my first of the year. Also lots of Brimstones and Peacocks and a few Orange Tips, Green-veined Whites and Holly Blues in the Church Hill / Jubilee Wood area. Silver Y and Common Carpet moths were also seen. [Posted by Martin Johnson]
Waterford south pit. One Grizzled Skipper along the escarpment on the east side, briefly in a sunny spell mid afternoon. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Planned walk at 10.30 am Incombe Hole in Buckinghamshire either 8th or 9th May. After successful walk last year at Incombe Hole last year where we saw 15 species including Duke of Burgundy, Grizzed Skipper and Dingy skipper etc and many moths. The Dukes are 2 weeks earlier than last year so have decided to move it forward. Will confirm details nearer the time when surer on weather etc. Will ask you to advise me if you are interested in coming. Steve Kiln mobile 07920-482111. I will be there on date chosen. [Posted by steve kiln]
Brimstone, Brimstone Moth, Green-veined White, Large White, Orange-tip, Peacock, Silver Y, Small White & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Trent Park. Amended sightings for Tuesday 30th April 2024 - Brimstone, Brimstone Moth, Green-veined White, Large White, Orange-tip, Peacock, Silver Y, Small White & Speckled Wood - male Brimstone, 6 Green-veined White, male Large White [FOY], 2 Peacock, 1 Silver Y [FOY], 2 Small White & 1 Speckled Wood at private sites near Trent Park. At Trent Park - 2 Green-veined White, 2 male Orange-tip, 2 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood at Trent Park. 1 Brimstone Moth at ASDA Southgate [FOY] [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Peacock & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Trent Park. 2 Green-veined White & 2 Peacock at a private site near Trent Park. At Trent Park - 5 Green-veined White, male Orange-tip edge of Icehouse Wd, 1 Peacock near Ride Wd, 1 Speckled Wood at Moat Wd. 1 Speckled Wood at South Lodge Crescent. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Comma, Common Carpet, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Peacock & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Trent Park. Enfield 'private sites' - male Brimstone, 2 Green-veined White, 2 male Orange-tip, 1 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood. At Trent Park - male Brimstone, 1 Comma edge of Shaws Wd, 1 Common Carpet edge of Shaws Wd, 2 Green-veined White, 3 male Orange-tip & 5 Peacock [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Grizzled Skipper at Waterford Heath. Went up to Waterford Heath this morning. Starting at 11:25 (edited); I walked around the north pit first trying to find sheltered sunny locations and at 12:00 I saw something move and it was my first 2024 Grizzled Skipper (just north of the pond). I continued around the north pit, then onto the south pit, finishing just before 15:00 with no further sightings. I did have to wait for the cloud cover to move through at times but the conditions were good. There were a few fast flying whites, Orange-tips and Peacocks but little else! Photo is a record shot! [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Early morning Orange-tip. The female Orange-tip is still roosting in my Ware garden this morning on Garlic Mustard! [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Butterflies on Therfield Heath. Orange Tip (5), Large White (2), Green-veined White (4), Speckled Wood (1), Peacock (2), Small Tortoiseshell (1), Comma (1). Most seen in sheltered locations in Jubilee Wood, the rest on Church Hill. Daytime temperature 12C but sunny. [Posted by Martin Johnson]
Garden butterflies. In my Ware garden, during a moment of sunshine and warmth, 1 female Orange-tip and 2 Small Whites were active. Edited to say that later the Orange-tip was now roosting on Garlic Mustard whilst it rains! [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Green-veined White, Small White & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Trent Park. 3 Green-veined White, 5 Small White & 1 Speckled Wood at private sites near Trent Park, 2 Green-veined White pr copulating near Ride Wd/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
White Letter Hairstreak larva. 23 White Letter Hairstreak larvae found on Hampstead Heath using a uv torch. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Orange-tip, Peacock, Small White & Speckled Wood at Enfield & Trent Park. Male Orange-tip edge of Williams Wd/Trent Park, 1 Peacock edge of Rough Lot/Trent Park, 5 Small White [3, 2 males & 1 female at a private site near Trent Park & a pair edge of Williams Wd/Trent Park], 2 Speckled Wood [1 at a private site near Trent Park & 1 at Shaws Wd/Trent Park]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Green-veined White, Peacock & Small White at Enfield & Trent Park. 1 Green-veined White & 1 Small White at a private site near Trent Park, 1 Green-veined White at Hadley Rd/Enfield, 1 Peacock edge of Rough Lot/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Silver Y and a variety of butterflies in Pirton nr Hitchin. 1 Hummingbird Hawk-moth (video capture), 1 Silver Y, 10+ Peacock, 10+ Green-veined White, 4 Speckled Wood, 3 Orange-tip (male), 3 Holly Blue (male) & 1 Small Tortoiseshell [Posted by Julia Hawkins]
Garden Capet, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Peacock, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood & Tawny-barred Angle at Enfield & Trent Park. 1 Garden Carpet at a private site near Trent Park [FOY], 3 Green-veined White [1 at Hadley Road, 1 near Water Garden/Trent Park & 1 at a private site near Trent Park], 2 male Orange-tip at Trent Park [1 near Obelisk, 1 along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges'], 5 Peacock [2 at a private site near Trent Park, 2 at two private sites near Trent Park, 1 near Ride Wd/Trent Park], 1 Red Admiral near Ride Wd/Trent Park, 3 Speckled Wood [1 at a private site near Trent Park & another one at a different private site near Trent Park, 1 at Rough Lot/Trent Park], 1 Tawny-barred Angle settled in grass at a private site near Trent Park - my first record of this species. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Peacock, Small White & Speckled Wood at Enfield. 4 Speckled Wood [1 at a private site near Trent Park & 3 at another private site near Trent Park], 3+ Green-veined White[1 at private site near Trent Park, 2 along 'Jubilee Path' near Little Beechill Wd/Enfield Chase], 1 Peacock along 'Jubilee Path' near Little Beechill Wd/Enfield Chase, also here, male Orange-tip & 1 Small White. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Speckled Wood at Southgate. 1 Speckled Wood settled with wings closed on wall near outside light at ASDA Southgate this afternoon. I have seen this species in this situation before. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brown Hairstreak larva. Larva of one of the six hatched Brown Hairstreak eggs found on Hampstead Heath fluorescing under black light. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Cassiobury Park and Whippendell Woods. Rick and myself had a long walk through Cassiobury Park and Whippendell Woods. A speckled Wood was sighted on route along Merton Road. Walking through Cassiobury Park we spotted 5 Orange-tip, 2 Brimstone, 1 Holly Blue, 6 Peacock, 2 Speckled Wood with another along the perimeter of the golf course, 3 Comma and 3 unidentified Whites. Whippendell Woods 1Green-Veined White, 9 Orange-tip, 13 Peacock, 2 Comma, 2 Brimstone. We didn't reach Whippendell Woods until 3pm and suspect we would of seen much more if we had. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Angle Shades, Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Peacock & Small Tortoiseshell at Trent Park. 2 male Brimstone, 6 Green-veined White including a pair mating at Water Garden, 4 Orange-tip [3 males & 1 female], 2 Peacock & 1 Small Tortoiseshell along Leeging Beech Gutter near Water Garden/Trent Park, 1 Angle Shades along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges' Trent Park [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Orange-tip, Peacock & Speckled Wood at Enfield. Male Brimstone, 6 Green-veined White, male Holly Blue, male Orange-tip, 3 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood at private sites near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Green Hairstreak sighting at Stanwell Moor. Whilst out on my usual local walk near Stanwell Moor Village, I spotted a Holly Blue in a tussle with another small butterfly. when the latter had seen the former off, it came down and settled in front of me. This is the first Green Hairstreak I have seen in this area, and I've been looking for around sixteen years... Plenty of other butterflies seen during the walk, including this female Holly Blue and an increasingly rare sight here, a Small Tortoiseshell. [Posted by Dave Miller]
River Colne by Radlet Road Playing Fields and Fishers Field, Watford. Sunny but windy day, first stop River Colne by Radlet Road Playing Fields, Orange tip 1, Peacock 5, Green veined white 1, Comma 1, Small tortoiseshell 1. Then to Fishers Field, Peacock 4, Holly blue 1, Brimstone 1, Speckled wood 3, Comma 1. [Posted by Rick Vickers]
Green Longhorn Moth [Adela reaumurella] at Trent Park. 16 male Green Longhorn Moth settled on hornbeam leaves, Rough Lot/Trent Park at 1005 BST. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Orange-tip at Lonsdale Drive, EN2. Male Orange-tip at Lonsdale Drive, EN2. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Orange-tip, Peacock & Speckled Wood at Boxer's Lake, Enfield. Male Brimstone, 2 Orange-tip [male & female], 2 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood at Boxer's Lake, Enfield this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Orange-tip & Peacock at Enfield Road, EN2. Male Brimstone, male Orange-tip & 1 Peacock at Enfield Road, EN2. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Orange-tip & Peacock at Enfield. 2 male Orange-tip, male Brimstone & 2 Peacock at a private site near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange-tip & Peacock at Trent Park. 2 male Brimstone along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges' Trent Park, 12 Green-veined White including six together at Water Garden & five, including a pair mating along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges' Trent Park, 1 edge of William's Wd/Trent Park, 3 male Orange-tip [2 along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges' Trent Park & one edge of William's Wd/Trent Park, 1 Peacock near Ride Wd/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone & Orange-tip at Enfield Road, EN2. Male Brimstone & male Orange-tip at Enfield Road, EN2. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange-tip & Peacock at Trent Park. Male Brimstone along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges' Trent Park, 2 Green-veined White pair together edge of Williams Wd/Trent Park, 6 Orange-tip [5 males & 1 female] at Trent Park, 2 Peacock together near Water Garden/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Peacock & Speckled Wood at Enfield. Male Brimstone, male Green-veined White, 2 male Orange-tip, 1 Peacock & 2 Speckled Wood at private sites near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Dandelion Patrol. My daughter and I started our season in earnest by walking along the forestry track from Monks Green Farm towards Broxbourne Wood. The tracks are helpfully edged both sides with Dandelions, feeding on them we saw 1 Red Admiral, 8 Speckled Wood, 3 Brimstone, 10+ Peacocks, 10+ Orange Tip (including two females), 5 Comma, 2 Green Veined White. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Peacock & Speckled Wood at Enfield. 1 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood at a private site near Trent Park & 1 Speckled Wood at another private site near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Green-veined White & Peacock at Trent Park. Female Green-veined White at Rough Lot/Trent Park, male Brimstone near Ride Wd/Trent Park & 4 Peacock at Trent Park [2 together at Rough Lot, 1 by lower lake & 1 along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges']. Male Green Longhorn Moth [Adela reaumurella] at Rough Lot/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Church Hill and Jubillee Wood. Only a few Peacocks on the Church Hill transects in the first two weeks, but the Pasque Flowers are prolific this year. The first few are going to seed but the display will be good for a couple of weeks still. More interestingly a Large White and a Red Admiral (first for me this year) coming back through Jubilee Wood. Ash dieback clearance has opened up the wood quite a lot. Also first Comma in my garden today. [Posted by Nicholas Keep]
Common Carpet, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Peacock & Speckled Wood at Enfield. 2 Peacock [one at a private site near Trent Park & another at a different private site near Trent Park], 1 Speckled Wood at a private site near Trent Park, 2 Green-veined White [one at a private site near Trent Park & another male at Hadley Road], 3 Orange-tip [female at a private site near Trent Park & another female at another private site near Trent Park & a male at a private site near Trent Park], 1 Common Carpet settled at a private site near Trent Park - a very early record, but not altogether unexpected. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Garden butterflies. Having failed to see any Orange/Light Orange Underwings at Balls Wood, I returned home and the sun came out! Almost immediately in my Ware garden was a male Brimstone, Holly Blue, female Orange-tip egg laying on both Honesty and Garlic Mustard and a Large White that had to be let out of the greenhouse (the door was open!) [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Lunar Marbled Brown at Oakwood. 2 Lunar Marbled Brown at Bramley Road, N14 this afternoon, after the morning service at St Thomas - God is Good! [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Millhoppers Reserve. At the work party today we saw Peacock, Comma, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and a male Orange Tip. All this despite the very gusty winds. [Posted by Chris Hilling]
Green Veined White at Forty Hall Enfield. My first sighting of it this year. In the walled garden at Forty Hall. [Posted by Dee Cullen]
Cheapside Farm.. 1 Brimstone at Midday nr Texaco Garage hedge [Posted by T. M. Mylett]
Ffy Orange Tip. A male zipping along the main road at Bridgefoot farm Little Hadham. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Brimstone & Peacock at Hilly Fields Park, Enfield. Male Brimstone & 1 Peacock at Hilly Fields Park, Enfield this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone at Enfield. Male Brimstone at a private site near Whitewebbs Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Peacock & Speckled Wood at Enfield. 1 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood at a private site near Trent Park & 1 Peacock at another private site near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Lunar Marbled Brown at Oakwood. 1 Lunar Marbled Brown at Cedar House Financial Services, Bramley Road, Oakwood this afternoon [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brown Hairstreak on Hampstead Heath. Four of the six eggs found on the Hampstead Heath have successfully emerged so far. The first to emerge found at 2nd instar stage today. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Brimstone. Brimstone nectaring on dandelion in Harpenden. [Posted by David Hunt]
Despite the wind.... The warm sunny spells brought out the Butterflies this afternoon , a walk across from Actons farm High Wych to Hunsdon airstrip , 5 Peacock, 2 Red Admiral and my ffy Small Tortoiseshell. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Brimstone, Peacock, Red Admiral & Speckled Wood at Enfield. Male Brimstone, Peacock, Red Admiral & 3 Speckled Wood at a private site near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange-tip & Peacock at Trent Park. Male Green-veined White near Ride Wd/Trent Park, male Orange-tip along Leeging Beech Gutter near Water Garden/Trent Park & 2 Peacock here, male Brimstone edge of Williams Wd/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Green-veined White & Small White at Enfield. Male and female Green-veined White copulating at a private site near Trent Park at 1302 BST & male Small White here. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Green-veined White & Speckled Wood at Trent Park. Male Green-veined White nectaring on dandelions along Leeging Beech Gutter near Water Garden at Trent Park [TQ294976] at 1240 BST. 1 Speckled Wood along Leeging Beech Gutter near Water Garden at Trent Park [TQ294976] at 1244 BST. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Green Longhorn Moth [Adela reaumurella] at Trent Park. Female Green Longhorn Moth observed settled at Shaws Wd/Trent Park [TQ296971] at 1600 BST - an early record! [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
The latest results from the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS). Butterfly Conservation has released details of some shocking declines last year in butterfly numbers (but with some good news as well). Read their blog here [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Big City Butterfly Vacancy. An exciting one year contract with Big City Butterflies, now advertised. Engagement Officer (Big City Butterflies) Butterfly Conservation, Home-based (London region) with frequent travel within inner London, £28,148 - £32,519 depending upon experience. For more details click here [Posted by Paul Busby]
Brown Hairstreak egg. Brown Hairstreak egg at Hampstead Heath [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Speckled Wood at Enfield. 1 Speckled Wood seen at a private site near Trent Park by Eugene Dillon-Hooper. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Peacock at Enfield. 1 Peacock at a private site near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Surrey Butterflies Zoom presentation 7pm-8pm. The last talk in the Surrey & SW London Branch of Butterfly Conservation spring series will be on Tuesday 2nd April. Ken Elsom will provide an update on the database and its capabilities and also use the data to show how Surrey's butterflies are faring, against all the challenges they face. Some of the conclusions are surprising! The database and maps can be viewed Here. This set of web pages has been constructed using the Transect data from 2000 to 2023 in VC17 (Surrey & SW London). Booking is required - please be patient - we will admit you to the Zoom just before the scheduled start. Link to Eventbrite to register is Here. The talk will be available afterwards on YouTube. [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Peacock at Trent Park. 1 Peacock at Rough Lot/Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Peacock at Enfield. 2 Peacock - singles at two private sites near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brown Hairstreak on Hampstead Heath and Heath Extension. The Brown Hairstreak egg found on Hampstead Heath Extension had emerged by 7.30 this morning after first showing signs of emergence on the 30th March. One of the eggs found on Hampstead Heath is at the point of emergence today. [Posted by Rohan Harris]