Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Northwick Park Hospital. A brief look at flower beds around Northwick Park Hospital and in a brief sunny spell, a male Common Blue perched on flowers [Posted by Paul Busby]
Branch walk - Hounslow Heath. An enjoyable nature walk through Hounslow Heath and onto Feltham Marshalling Yards looking at butterfly habitats and food plants with expert local knowledge from Pete Gore. Six brave souls completed a 3 hour walk in cool breezy weather conditions. Butterflies few and far between with an unidentified White and Speckled Wood on edge of Heath with a brief glimpse of a Small Copper and a Speckled Wood at the Marshalling Yards. Nice to see a female Mandarin Duck with 5 ducklings along River Crane with a couple of Banded Demioselles. [Posted by Paul Busby]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. After a morning down on Salisbury Plain seeing slightly more exotic stuff, I spent the afternoon back on my local patch. There was plenty to see here, including three species that hadn't appeared in Wiltshire. Highlights today here were a mating pair of Common Blues, a courting pair of Painted Ladys (behaviour I'd not witnessed before in this species) and an unusually marked male Orange-tip with a black "eyebrow" over the forewing eyespot. Today's totals: Small Heath (19), Brown Argus (12), Holly Blue (11), Common Blue (10), Orange-tip (8), Brimstone (5), Peacock (4), Small White (4), Small Copper (4), Red Admiral (3), Painted Lady (3), Green-veined White (2), Comma (1), Speckled Wood (1). [Posted by Dave Miller]
First Brown Argus record on Parkland Walk Site. On my transect at Parkland Walk Transect at the Highgate end in the wildlife reserve I was pleasantly surprised to see a Brown Argus. My first of year and the first record on that site. Record phone shot isn’t great but submitting as evidence! [Posted by Dee Cullen]
Sightings at Grovelands Park & Southgate. At Grovelands Park [1240 to 1510 BST] - 8+ Holly Blue, 1 Small Copper, 6 Speckled Wood, 2 Cinnabar & 1 Mother Shipton - my first of the year [FOY]. At The Bourne, N14 - 1 Holly Blue. At Dalrymple Close, N14 - 1 Painted Lady. At Ivy Road Recreation Ground - 1 Painted Lady. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Trip to Hatfield Quarry (private site). Just a single Dingy Skipper again today, though I did manage a better photo. Fresh Common Blues(13) all males, accompanied by equally fresh Brown Argus (5). There’s been a small migration in the last few days. I saw 3 Painted Lady - 1 still in migratory flight hurtling NE at speed. Also a single Silver Y. Other species on the wing included Small Heath (4), Small Copper (1), Brimstone (1), Small White (4), Orange Tip (7), Large White (2) and Green-veined White (3) [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield. At private sites near Trent Park - 5 Small Heath, 3 Speckled Wood, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Silver Y - my first of the year [FOY] & 1 Cinnabar [FOY]. At Rectory Farm - 2 Brimstone [male & female], 2 Small White, male Orange-tip & 1 Holly Blue. At Strayfield Road, EN2 - female Brimstone. At Flash Lne, EN2 - 1 Holly Blue. At Hilly Fields Park - 2 Holly Blue. At Gordon Hill Station - 1 Figure of Eighty - my first record of this species & 1 Small Dusty Wave [FOY]. At Enfield Town Station - 1 Holly Blue. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Tracks around Danemead HMWT. Another calm cloudy day alternating between cool and warm haze. Spent a peaceful lunchtime hedge walking looking for interesting resting insects, with plenty found and photographed. I found caterpillars for a Copper Underwing and a Drinker moth. Butterflies seen on the wing just along the tracks were Painted Lady (2), Holly Blue (2) laying eggs on Dogwood, Small Copper (3 including 1 ab. caeruleopunctata = blue marks on hindwing), Speckled Wood (1). [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. A bit chilly this morning, but there was some sunshine around initially so I did a quick circuit of my local patch. After seeing so many in April, it seemed strange not to find a single Peacock during the walk. However, I did find 12 other species: Holly Blue (14), Small Heath (8), Orange-tip (4), Green-veined White (4), Brown Argus (4), Speckled Wood (3), Small Copper (3), Small White (2), Common Blue (1), Brimstone (1), Red Admiral (1), Painted Lady (1). [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Enfield & Oakwood. 1 Waved Umber at bus-stop shelter at Bramley Road, N14 - my first of the year [FOY]. 2 Painted Lady & 1 Small White at private sites near Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield. At private sites near Trent Park - 5 Small Heath - my first of the year [FOY],1 Painted Lady, 2 Green-veined White & 1 Speckled Wood. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Waterford Heath. Had a wander around Waterford Heath with Helen Bantock. Started on the north pit in an anti-clockwise direction and in total encountered 6 Grizzled Skipper (scattered around the site), with a further 2 on the South Pit. Also seen were several Holly Blue, 2 Orange-tip, 5 Brown Argus including a mating pair, 2 Painted Lady and a Cinnabar and Treble-bar moth [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. A blanket of low cloud sat stubbornly over my local patch almost all day. However, there was enough solar radiation coming through the cloud to keep the Painted Ladies active. I found six today and there were likely more hiding down in the grass. In rare bright moments a few other butterflies appeared. Totals today: Painted Lady (6), Small Copper (4), Orange-tip (3), Brown Argus (2), Small Heath (2), Red Admiral (2), Common Blue (1), Holly Blue (1). There was also a brand new Burnet Companion moth. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Enfield & Southgate. 1 Angle Shades at a private site near Trent Park this morning - my first of the year [FOY] & 1 Brimstone Moth at ASDA Southgate this afternoon - my first of the year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
White-letter Hairstreak Caterpillars. Cool and cloudy today so didn't look for butterflies but it was good weather to look for caterpillars and other interesting insects. Whilst my daughter went on her scooter around Barclay Park Hoddesdon I managed to find White-letter Hairstreak caterpillars on the very first low hanging Elm tree branch I searched, which was a nice surprise. Even though I forgot my glasses I still found 5 without much difficulty, which is very encouraging. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Whippendell Woods Bluebell butterfly walk. When we arrived we did get some sunny intervals and before the walk started Rick spotted a male Common Blue. We did try and find it once the walk got under way but sadly the rest of us including me missed it, Rick did get a photo though. We found a few people that were in the wrong location eventually and all that attended seemed to enjoy the walk although it went quiet due to the overcast conditions. I didn't see any Holly Blues but Rick sighted one. We did get to see about 5 Orange-tips, 1 Speckled Wood, 1+ Red Admiral, Green-veined White certainly 2 as in the photo's. The female was having none of the males advances! There were a few more white butterflies seen that were unidentified. Although not as good as last weekend we had a better count than last years spring walk. It was great to have Chris Newman with us who does all the great transect work over at Bricket Wood. The bluebells were still holding on although going over in a few places they were at their peak a couple of weekends back as they started flowering early this year. The coral root that was in full flower last weekend had practically gone but we did find the last remnants of flowers. We thank and hope all that attended enjoyed the walk and sorry if we missed anyone trying to find us. [Posted by Peter Fewell/Rick Vickers]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Another sunny and warm day in my part of the world - at least until the rain arrived late afternoon. In a lengthy walk around my local patch I started somewhat unusually with a Painted Lady, two Green Hairstreaks and three Small Coppers. The highlights later in the walk were brand new Common Blues and Brown Argus. The totals seen today: Holly Blue (23), Small Copper (12), Orange-tip (11), Brown Argus (10), Green-veined White (5), Peacock (5), Common Blue (3), Speckled Wood (3), Small White (3), Brimstone (3), Green Hairstreak (2), Red Admiral (2), Painted Lady (2), Comma (2), Small Heath (1). I also saw my first Mother Shipton moth of the year. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - male Common Blue - my first of the year [FOY], 1 Holly Blue, male Orange-tip, 1 Peacock & 4 Speckled Wood. At Trent Park - 1 Green-veined White at Williams Wd, 1 Peacock by lower lake & 2 Speckled Wood [1 along Leeging Beech Gutter near Water Grdn & 1 near Equestrian Centre]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Green Hairstreak. Green Hairstreak found today (02/05/2026) by Neil Anderson while leading a LNHS field meeting on Poor's Field, Ruislip, Grid Ref TQ086895. (also submitted on iRecord Butterflies). [Posted by Richard Middleton]
Sightings at Southgate, Trent Park, Enfield & Edmonton. At Dalrymple Cose, N14 - 1 Holly Blue. At Trent Park - 2 Speckled Wood along bridle-path near Equestrian Centre. At private sites near Trent Park - 2 male Brimstone, 1 Green-veined White, 3 Holly Blue, 3 male Orange-tip, 2 Painted Lady, 2 Peacock, 1 Red Admiral & 1 Speckled Wood. At Pymmes Park, Edmonton - 1 Speckled Wood. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]