Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Sightings at Enfield. At a private site near Trent Park - 1 Common Blue & 1 Vestal. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Brimstone Moth at Southgate. 1 Brimstone Moth at ASDA Southgate this afternoon, above the ATM machines. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Lots of Common Blues near Albury. A walk from Albury Hall to Patience End along the footpath produced well over 50 Common Blues (males and females) feeding on the lovage crop and the blackberries. Also 10 Small Heath, 3 Clouded Yellow, 2 Meadow Brown and 2 Small White [Posted by Paula Moore]
Sightings at Trent Park & Enfield. At Trent Park - 1 Small Copper near Shaws Wd Cottages, 1 Clouded Yellow near Dew Pond, 1 Hummingbird Hawkmoth, edge of Icehouse Wd - my first of the year [FOY] & my first for several years, 1 Small Heath near Water Grdn & 1 Green-veined White nectaring on buddleia, edge of Water Grdn. At Plumridge Farm, Enfield - 1 female 'helice' Clouded Yellow along 'London Loop/Jubilee Path' & 1 Brown Argus. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Jersey Tiger, 1 Vestal - my first of the year [FOY], 1 Small Heath, 1 Comma & 1 Red Admiral nectaring on buddleia. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Good news at Butterfly World. Good news for the Small Blues at Butterfly World St Albans. Last month I reported the sad news that planning consent had been granted for stage facilities on the site of the best Small Blue colony in Herts. After spotting some procedural irregularities I took steps to have the decision overturned. With much help from local pressure group “Keep Chiswell Green” a case was prepared and submitted. The government has now accepted that they got it wrong and agreed to quash the consent granted. You can read the full story in the St Albans Times. This is unlikely to be the end of the matter, but if the application is presumed further, we will have a chance to have our say and speak up for the Small Blues [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Clouded Yellow & 3 female Common Blue. At Trent Park - 1 Comma near Water Grdn & 2 Clouded Yellow together near Dew Pond. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Adonis Blues on Therfield Heath. Slightly breezier and cloudier weather today. Large areas of the heath have been cut, probably to reduce fire risk but the uncut patches alongside the paths attracted several butterflies. We visited the southern part of the heath where Chalk Hill Blue was the most numerous (100+) with Meadow Brown close behind (80+). 50+ Adonis Blue (mostly males) also seen along with 10+ Gatekeeper, 20+ Small Heath, 5 Small White, 2 Common Blue and 1 (possibly 2) Clouded Yellow. [Posted by Peter Clarke & Bob Clift]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. I haven't submitted regular sightings throughout the height of the season as they have been too numerous! However today was a redletter day for me. I had initially set out on my local patch near Heathrow just to count the butterflies, but ended up being distracted by a Clouded Yellow, one of three seen today in the end. Shortly afterwards came the real highlight - a female Brown Hairstreak. I was able to confirm immediately with the Heathrow conservation people (who were onsite at the time) that this is the first record of the species from this site. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Clouded Yellow at Trent Park. 1 Clouded Yellow near Dew Pond, Trent Park this morning. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Jersey Tiger Moth sighting. I came across this beautiful moth on my patio doors in Letchworth 26/07/2025 16.24. I had to look it up as I have never seen one like this. A week later spotted another one in Royston on a shrub.. [Posted by Emma Cutmore]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At a private site near Trent Park - 2 Clouded Yellow & male Common Blue. At Trent Park - 2 Clouded Yellow [1 at 'Old Golf Course' & 1 near Dew Pond], 1 Holly Blue by lower lake near Icehouse Wd & 2 Jersey Tiger. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Clouded Yellow Therfield Heath. Several photographers trying to image Clouded Yellows on Therfield Heath this afternoon. Adonis Blue, Common Blue and Chalk Hill Blue and Small Heath also seen. [Posted by Nick Keep]
Sightings at Enfield. At a private site near Trent Park - 1 Red Admiral & 2 Common Blue [male & female]. At Bay Farm, Enfield along 'London Loop/Jubilee Path' - 1 Small Copper & 2 male Common Blue. At Rectory Farm - 1 Red Admiral. At Flash Lane, EN2 - 1 Jersey Tiger. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Saw my first Hummingbird Hawk-moth of the year in my garden in South Harrow this afternoon. [Posted by Michael Robinson]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Clouded Yellow, 1 Common Blue & 1 Jersey Tiger. At Trent Park - 1 Red Admiral near Water Grdn, 2 Green-veined White & 2 Small White edge of Icehouse Wd. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Clouded Yellow & 2 Jersey Tiger. At Trent Park - 2 Clouded Yellow. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Another Silver Washed Fritillary on Therfield Heath SSSI. I saw my first Silver-washed Fritillary for 3 years on the Therfield Heath SSSI in the non-common land woods just beyond the end of the Church Hill Transects. This was not as tatty as the one seen by Martin Johnson on 14th July judging by the photo on his blog. Whether this is two dispersing individuals or there is a small colony in Jubilee Wood is not clear. Just over 100 butterflies on the transects; similar selection to last week (30th July). No Adonis Blue seen but we were working on the other side of Church Hill mostly. [Posted by Nick Keep]
Stafford Road / Ickenham Marsh. I arrived noon in sunny breezy conditions at Stafford Road soon meeting up with 3 cheery photographers enjoying the presence of several Brown Hairstreaks on the plentiful bramble. Sadly the big fields are not in flower due I guess to little rain since the July cut. No small heath today. The tally of my 2 hour 4 mile route over to Ickenham was;- 5 Brown Argus, 7 Common Blue, 3 Small Copper, 2 Holly Blue, 1 Comma, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Peacock, 5 Speckled Wood, 2 male Brimstone, plenty of whites, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper, 1 brown coloured hairstreak in an elm and 22 Brown Hairstreak mostly males in locations throughout with all but 4 low down mostly on bramble with some feasting on blackberries enabling plentiful photo opportunities even on my basic phone. 3 seen in the field corner south of Austins Lane where a good amount of eggs were found 18 months ago and a further 3 along the brookside path which are both a first in these locations for me. [Posted by Nick Furtek]
Sightings at Enfield & Oakwood. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Clouded Yellow, male Common Blue, 4 Comma nectaring on buddleia, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Large White & 2 Jersey Tiger. 1 Old Lady at bus-stop shelter at Bramley Road, N14 - my first of the year [FOY] & first one for many years. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Bishops Stortford. 14 Clouded Yellows around the Lucerne fields west of Bishops Stortford on the Hadham road, roughly TL456199 lunch time. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]