Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
More Small Coppers. At lunchtime I visited Patmore Heath near Albury, a HMWT reserve. Small Copper was the dominant species with 31 recorded. Most were nectaring, Devils-bit Scabious being the most popular flower at this site, with others on Ragwort and garden flowers from the surrounding houses. Only one courtship today, but plenty of aggression between competing males. Also on the wing Small Heath, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Comma, Red Admiral, Large, Small and Green-veined Whites [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Merry Hill Bushey. Another visit to Merry Hill Saturday saw a drop in numbers of butterflies, not entirely surprising with the temperatures dropping to near freezing during the week. Whites were the most common sighting with a mixture of Large and Small about 20 seen. Meadow Brown sightings down to 2, Small Heath 1, Red Admiral 1, Comma 3 and first spotted by Rick Small Copper 1. We had two glimpses of butterflies unidentified but no further sightings of a Brown Hairstreak. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Return to Croxley Common Moor. After a disappointing year, pleased to have a much better day! 62 Small Coppers, my best total for this species for several years. Most nectaring on Ragwort and just one on Watermint and 7 courting couples. 11 Small Heath, 17 Small White plus Red Admiral, Comma, Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Comma at Trent Park. 1 Comma along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges' Trent Park & 2 female Meadow Brown at a private site near Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brown Hairstreak egg. Brown Hairstreak egg at Fryent Country Park. [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Therfield Heath. Bob and I visited Therfield Heath this afternoon mainly searching for our target species, Adonis Blue. In the end, we counted at least 10 males plus at least one female, all in the area between Two Hills and the cafe, eastern side of the path (TL346401). Also seen were 2+ female Chalk Hill Blue, 2 Common Blue, 20+ Meadow Brown, 1 Brown Argus, 1 Gatekeeper, 5+ Small White [Posted by Peter Clarke]
Trent Park. 2 Comma [1 edge of Moat Wd & 1 'Old Golf Course'], male Green-veined White at 'Old Golf Course', female Meadow Brown nectaring on Bramble blossom, edge of Moat Wd, 2 Painted Lady [1 nectaring on Bramble blossom, edge of Moat Wd & 1 nectaring on Ragwort, by lower lake], 2 Red Admiral edge of Moat Wd, female Small White edge of Moat Wd & 1 Speckled Wood at Water Grdn/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Just seen my first Hummingbird Hawk-moth of the year in my garden in South Harrow. Also, 1 Painted Lady, 3 Red Admiral, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Green-veined White, 1 Large White and 1 Small White. [Posted by Michael Robinson]
Butterflies in northwest Hertfordshire. Liz Goodyear and I visited a woodland in northwest Hertfordshire where there were over 20 Commas feeding on softening blackberries. Also present were Speckled Woods, Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Meadow Brown, Common Blue and Small Heath. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Red Admiral at Enfield. 1 Red Admiral at a private site near Trent Park & 6 nectaring on ivy blossom along Flash Lane, EN2 this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Clouded Yellow. Male Clouded Yellow seen on my local patch close to Heathrow T5 and the River Colne. [Posted by DAVID MILLER]
Trip to Nomansland. 23 Small Coppers at Nomansland this afternoon. Most were nectaring on heather, with one couple mating. Numbers likely to build on this site over the next few weeks. Join me for a butterfly walk an end of season extravaganza on Sun 29th Sept, details on Events page. Also at this site today 4 Small Heath, 1 Burnished Brass, 28 Meadow Brown, 3 Comma and 2 Red Admiral [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Trent Park. 5 Red Admiral [1 at a private site near Trent Park & 4 together along 'vista' between Rough Lot & Moat Wd/Trent Park], 1 Meadow Brown settled near Ride Wd/Trent Park - quite late, 1 Comma basking on ivy, edge of Water Grdn/Trent Park - caught & carried off by a European Hornet, male Green-veined White, edge of Icehouse Wd/Trent Park, 2 Speckled Wood [1 edge of Williams Wd & 1 edge of Shaws Wd/Trent Park]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Double-striped Pug at Southgate. 1 Double-striped Pug at bus-stop shelter at Chase Road/Charter Way, N14 this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Southgate. 1 Common Marbled Carpet at ASDA Southgate this afternoon & 1 Yellow Shell at bus-stop shelter at Chase Road/Charter Way, N14 this morning. 3 Large White nectaring on buddleia & 1 Red Admiral at Southgate Chase Allotments & female Large White nectaring on buddleia at Chase Road, N14 near West Grove Primary School. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Latticed Heath at Enfield. 1 Latticed Heath at a private site near Trent Park this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Therfield Heath. On visiting Therfield Heath we travelled from the car park taking in the areas by the ancient barrows. We had already seen several Whites on the wing and the first of the Meadow Brown on the wing by the time we reached the barrows. Some parts had been cut back so narrowed our search a bit also the flowers had mostly gone over in the barrows area. We spotted a butterfly which was either a Small Copper or Small Heath but we lost sight to determine. We didn't see either species again Saturday. Although warm it remained stubbornly overcast on Saturday which probably contributed the the rather disappointing overall count. After heading past the rugby match to the slopes to the east we did eventually find our target species the Adonis Blue. First was a female and eventually we saw 3 males and Rick managed to spot a further female 5 in total with all looking in reasonable condition. The bonus turned out to be a single male Brimstone otherwise good numbers of Large and probably Small White and 25+ Meadow Brown with Rick tempting one on his finger. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Silver Y at Southgate. 1 Silver Y at ASDA Southgate this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Painted Lady Parkland Walk South. I was rewarded for my efforts on my Parkland Walk South transect today by a pristine looking Painted Lady enjoying nectar from the large Buddleia on the bridge over Northwood Road N6 [Posted by Dee Cullen]
Painted Lady. Painted Lady seen this morning at Brent Reservoir. [Posted by Michael Robinson]