Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Tracks around Danemead HMWT. Hot day so I stayed on the wooded tracks for a afternoon walk around 16.30. Luckily I saw two White Admiral silhouettes ascending into the Fir tree canopy. I gave chase and eventually found the Hornbeam outpost where he returned to again and again. I was busy fiddling about with the shaky zoom on my phone when another White Admiral landed on the bramble next to me. Also seen 2 SWF flying full throttle. This morning I saw 1 White Admiral at Balls Wood HMWT near the bridge during a very very quick walk around but that's all I saw. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Sightings at Trent Park. 5 Comma & 2 Ringlet at 'New Fields' Trent Park this afternoon from 1515 to 1610 BST. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
WHITE LETTER HAIRSTREAK. Batford - weedy/ scrubby field by the B653 - 2 WHITE LETTER HAIRSTREAKS in elms surrounding large Bramble bush in SW corner. [Posted by Darin Stanley]
White-letter Hairstreaks in Verulamium Park. At least five WLH on the tallest elm on Bluehouse Hill, opposite the lower end of Seabrook Meadow. Around 9am this morning I saw two clashing pairs of males and another individual all in flight at the same time. I also had several good views of WLH at rest on leaves near the top of the Elm. Earlier, a single WLH on Elm viewed from the park, close to the layby on King Harry Lane [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. The overall butterfly numbers and variety of species on my local patch near Heathrow are still increasing as the season progresses - a lengthy walk late morning produced over 450 butterflies with 18 species represented. A further walk early evening specifically to look for Purple Hairstreaks turned up a couple in the oaks bordering the J14 roundabout - 19 species for the day. Other highlights were the first Essex Skippers of 2025, and a second brood Brown Argus arguing with a second brood Small Copper. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Trent Park, Enfield & Southgate. At Trent Park - 2 Comma by lower lake, 2 male Large Skipper together edge of Moat Wd near Obelisk. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Comma, 1 Holly Blue, 1 Large Skipper, 1 Small Tortoiseshell & 1 Painted Lady nectaring on Bramble blossom. 1 Peach Blossom at ASDA Southgate - my first record for this site & my first of the year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
White Admirals at Potters Crouch Plantation. Among the few butterflies flying within the wood we found five different, as far as we can tell, White Admirals. Two were clashing in a clearing and all were very restless. None were seen on the abundant bramble blossom. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Rivers Orchard Sawbridgeworth and fields. Mid-morning, min 92 Marbled White, almost certainly 100+ but only 2/3 of the main field covered, 2 Small Skipper (ffy), 7 Ringlet (ffy) 20+ Meadow Brown, 2 Speckled Wood, 2 Common Blue, 2 Small Heath, also 3 White Letter Hairstreaks on the sheltered side of the Orchard Elms, 1 Perched male and 2 that spiralled 20ft up from the canopy. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Cassiobury Park. Following our trip into the woods, it was time to have at the Park which we missed, it was a fine day with at least 3 Large whites, 2 Commas, 50+ Meadow browns, 3 Speckled wood, 1 Marbled white, 3 Large skippers, 1 Small white, and 1 Small heath. I had a brief look in the Nature Reserve with another 3 Meadow browns, 1 Red admiral and 1 Comma. I had a short look up the Lime Avenue but no sign of the Purple Emperor yet... Back in the Park there were another 6 Meadow browns, and the I had a look by the Croquet Club with 20+ Meadow brown, 2 Large skippers, 1 Small white, 1 Comma, some other Whites and finally a confirmed Ringlet. [Posted by Rick Vickers]
White-letter Hairstreak colony & Dark Green Fritillary. A thriving White-letter Hairstreak colony observed in the canopy of a group of fairly mature Elms at approx TL141303 about 225m north of Hexton Rd. Also a few seen in nearby Wood Lane, again in Elm canopy. A single but rather fine looking Dark Green Fritillary seen in field-side wild flower patch adjacent to a footpath at approx TL141301 about 60m North of Hexton Rd. [Posted by Gillian Marchant]
Clouded Yellow in Royston. A Clouded Yellow passed through a local field just south of Royston, stopping just long enough for me to confirm its identity but not to take a photograph! It flew off strongly to the west. It looked to be in pristine condition. At least four Small Skippers were also seen - a very early date for this area. Interestingly, Large Skippers are emerging at the same time - bang on cue for a 'normal' summer here, if such a thing exists any more. [Posted by Martin Johnson]
Sightings at Trent Park & Monken Hadley Common. At Trent Park - 5 Comma, 1 Painted Lady nectaring on Bramble blossom & 1 Ringlet near Triangular Wd - my first of the year [FOY]. At Monken Hadley Common - 2 Comma, male Large White, 1 Small Heath & 1 Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet settled - my first of the year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
White Admiral at Symonshyde Great Wood. A single WA at this wood between Hatfield & St Albans - welcome as its several years since I last saw one there. No sign of SWF's yet. Last night, the unexpected sight of a Gypsy moth in my bedroom! First both for this year & that location [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. A short walk locally at the end of the afternoon today produced the first of the new brood of Peacocks. Having seen probably thousands of caterpillars locally over the last couple of months, I suppose it's no surprise - but it does seem very early. I would say the likelihood of a second brood is quite high. There were lots of fresh Commas around, and several new Red Admirals -amongst all the usual suspects. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Purple Emperor pupae in Heartwood Forest. Last night I visited Heartwood Forest to search for Purple Emperor pupae using an ultraviolet torch (they fluoresce spectacularly when illuminated). After the first couple of hours I drew a total blank, and around midnight I decided to return home. However, I thought I'd give it another 5 minutes to check a short distance up the main ride northwest of Langley Wood before turning back to the car. I'm thrilled to report I found two pupae in quick succession, about 4 metres up, in adjacent mature sallows beside the ride. I returned this afternoon with my camera and managed to get some decent photos, despite the tremendous gusts of wind! I noticed a whole load more sallows in the vicinity and will return later this week to check them out (we usually don't see grounding males in Heartwood until at least a week after the first UK reports, so there's still time!). [Posted by Andrew Neild]
SW Fritillary and WL Hairstreak in Northaw. Silver-washed Fritillary in the garden today plus double figure Meadow Browns. A couple of White-letter Hairstreaks flitting around the garden and finally got a photo. Seen them in the village in the past but this is the first year they have been in my garden [Posted by Sam Fuller]
Whippendell Woods. A delightful afternoon in Whippendell Woods to see our first White Admirals of the year also Silver-Washed Fritillary on the wing. 2 White Admiral 3 SW Fritillary, Meadow Brown 25+, Speckled Wood 3, Comma, 14+, Large Skipper 4, Red Admiral 3, Holly Blue 3+, Cinnabar moth 2, Large White 4+, Unidentified flying Whites 10+ and 2 Peacock caterpillars going off to pupate. [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Sightings at Oakwood Park, Trent Park & Town Park, Enfield. 2 male White-letter Hairstreak together 'spiralling' & settled at Oakwood Park this morning from 0930 to 0945 BST - my first of the year [FOY. 1 Comma near Oakwood entrance at Trent Park at 1248 BST. 1 Comma at Town Park, Enfield. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
White-letter Hairstreak at Horsenden Hill. Pete Fewell, Rick Vickers and I took the branch stall to the Horsenden Festival of Nature in Ealing today. An excellent event and good to meet so many branch members and supporters in person. At lunchtime we visited the Elms behind Horsenden Farm and saw two White-letter Hairstreaks in the canopy [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield & Southgate. 2 Small Tortoiseshell together at a private site near Trent Park & 1 Common Emerald at ASDA Southgate this evening - my first of the year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]