Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
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 Money 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]
Prestwick Road Meadows. Rick and myself arrived about 2.30pm but the promised sun didn't really happen until late afternoon apart from a few sunny intervals. Like many areas the heat of the past few month's means less flowers in bloom to nectar on and since our last visit there was much less in flower. The pond was bone dry also but there were butterflies to be seen. Gatekeepers as expected were the most abundant species seen with 75+ with 25+ taking nectar from the only good patch of creeping thistle still in flower. Meadow Brown about 10+ a few were also seen on the thistle flowers with the single Small Copper we also saw feeding up in the mix. We encountered our first Speckled Wood on entering and 9 seen overall. 2 Holly Blue seen, 5+ Common Blue, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Jersey Tiger moth, 1 Ringlet, 8+ Large White, 2+ Green-veined White with several unidentified. You might be wondering if we saw any Hairstreaks? Well yes we did, but they were not easy to spot let alone photograph today. Purple Hairstreak 3+ and 4 maybe 5 Brown Hairstreak at the tops of the ash trees there. Although not much nectar available there is an abundance of ripening blackberries! [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Sightings at Trent Park & Enfield. At Trent Park - 1 Purple Hairstreak settled on ground edge of Moat Wd. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Red Admiral, 1 Small Heath, 1 Holly Blue settled on damp mud, 3 Common Blue & 2 Shaded Broad-bar. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Purple Emperor sightings in Heartwood Forest. A tattered male Purple Emperor was lured down to an overripe banana placed on the gate by the dog pond. It fed from 09:26 - 09.33, next to Andrew's fermented banana bait (although the latter has become rather dry, it is still attracting red admirals and commas to feed). This individual visited a second time from 09:43 - 09:51, but it just sat on the gate, apparently to thermoregulate as it kept changing which side of the gate it was on (sunny / shady). Andrew joined me around 10 am but left without seeing any Emperors. It seems the sap run on the oak above the dog pond has run dry, as not even hornets or wasps were visiting it. [Note added by Andrew: it's surprising that a male is still flying, and that no females were visiting today, given that the females mostly hatched many days later than the males. Given the presence of this male, and the fact that we saw relatively new females only a week or so ago, I am convinced females will still be flying this coming week at least. Anyone who spots Emperors is encouraged to please post the sightings here. The total Emperor numbers seen this year is now 22, including 7 females and 15 males; my previous total for males in my post of 12th July should have been 14, and not 15.] [Posted by Andrew Neild on behalf of Alex Penn]
Merry Hill, Bushey. I had a walk around for a couple of hours with my daughter who is six, she wanted to tick off Brown Hairstreak from her butterfly book; having got all the others. Fortunately we did spot 2 Brown Hairstreaks (one photographed) right in the SE corner of the fruit field. Also seen at least 6 Purple Hairstreaks, 3 Holly Blues and 1 Small Copper plus the usual browns. No great pictures but we had a great time and enjoyed a lovely picnic. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Sightings at Enfield, Oakwood & Trent Park. At a private site near Trent Park - 2 Jersey Tiger. At Trent Park - 3 Red Admiral, 2 male Clouded Yellow [1 at 'Old Golf Course' 0959 to 1002 BST & 1 near Water Grdn at 1028 BST] - my first of the year [FOY], 2 Jersey Tiger, 2 male Common Blue by lower lake, 2 Purple Hairstreak near Ride Wd & 1 Comma nectaring on buddleia near Shaws Wd Cottages. At Bramley Road, N14 - 1 Red Admiral. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Branch Walk Therfield Heath. The weather for the branch walk on Therfield Heath to see Chalk Hill Blues was poor. Not something we can control for when we pick the dates in the early Spring. It was overcast and 18°C when fourteen of us set off just after 10.30. The drizzle held off until 11.15, so we headed back to the car park/cafe by 11.30. Several dozen male Chalk Hill Blues were seen by everyone and a few Gatekeepers. Many were obligingly resting with wings open to try and get warm enough so photographers were able to take shots easily, One female Chalkhill Blue was seen but was not so obliging. Both Gatekeeper and Chalk Hill Blue are currently present in 100s if not 1000s on the Heath. [Posted by Nick Keep]
Sightings at Enfield & Southgate. 1 Shaded Broad-bar at a private site near Trent Park. At ASDA Southgate - 1 Lime-speck Pug - my first of the year [FOY] & still 1 Red Underwing. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Hayes - Brown Hairstreak. A male seen at TQ 12260 81086 fluttering around blackthorn by the canal near to Hayes Marina and Yeading Brook. Plenty of blackthorn and mature ash trees. I was in a group on the move so just a fleeting but unmistakable glance. My 1st BrHk sighting outside the Ickenham/Ruislip area. [Posted by Nick Furtek]
Clouded Yellow. Saw Clouded Yellow at Waterford Heath south this afternoon. [Posted by steve kiln]
Jersey Tiger Moth. Thought people might be interested in this sighting of a Jersey Tiger Moth resting on a yellow flag iris in my small pond in my garden in West Harrow. [Posted by JEREMY CLIVAZ]
Jersey Tiger moth. 2 Jersey Tiger moths seen in my garden in Enfield today. I have seen a number of these over the last few years. Quite spectacular! [Posted by Stuart Cooke]
Sightings at Trent Park & Enfield. At Trent Park - 2 male Common Blue [1 field near Dew Pond & 1 at 'Old Golf Course'], 2 Comma & 1 Red Admiral by lower lake. At private sites near Trent Park - 2 Red Admiral, 1 Small Heath, 3 Jersey Tiger, 1 Shaded Broad-bar - my first of the year [FOY] & 1 Rose Chafer on thistle-head - my first of the year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]