Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Brown Hairstreak. Brown Hairstreak egg at Hampstead Heath Extension [Posted by Rohan Harris]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At a private site near Trent Park - 1 Small White & 1 Clouded Yellow nectaring on Ragwort. At Trent Park - 2 Red Admiral [1 near Obelisk & 1 nectaring on Ivy, edge of Water Grdn], 2 Comma [1 at 'Old Golf Course' & 1 nectaring on Ivy, edge of Water Grdn], 1 Small White by lower lake, male Holly Blue [worn & faded] settled on Ivy, edge of Water Grdn & 1 Green-veined White near Ride Wd. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield, Trent Park & Oakwood. At private sites near Trent Park - 2 Small White, 1 Red Admiral nectaring on Ivy blossom, 2 female Small Copper, female Common Blue & 1 Speckled Wood. At Trent Park - 3 Comma nectaring on Michaelmas daisies, by lower lake & 2 Red Admiral [1 edge of Water Grdn & 1 edge of Williams Wd]. 1 Painted Lady nectaring on the last remaining buddleia flowers at Oakwood Station this afternoon from 1522 to 1530 BST, at least. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Gutteridge Woods LWT Reserve. Hillingdon.. 6 of us assembled on a sunny breezy day on the Hillingdon Trail for a session of bramble and blackthorn thinning on the meadow plus clearing growth from the currently dried out old water treatment pond before the rains arrive. A Common Blue then a Small Copper settled soon after arrival and then not much else due to heads down activities that is till we entered the warm pond 'amphitheatre' where after a time a medium brown butterfly very briefly and tantalisingly settled amongst us then took flight before settling 8ft up a sallow to reveal a female Brown Hairstreak. It then moved around the pond and stayed maybe 8ft up another sallow (I think) for us all to enjoy for it's 15 minute visit. The area is smothered in blackthorn and borders a small oak wood with very few Ash. I think this could be the first brown hairstreak sighting in this area albeit less than a mile south along the Yeading Brook from Ickenham Marsh [Posted by Nick Furtek]
Toadflax Brocade. St Albans - a second generation of Toadflax Brocade caterpillars on Purple Toadflax in my garden. First year I’ve noticed a second generation here [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Red Admiral nectaring on Ivy blossom & 1 Speckled Wood. At Trent Park - 2 Red Admiral [1 at 'Old Golf Course' & 1 by lower lake], 2 Comma nectaring on Michaelmas daisies, by lower lake, 6 Small White by lower lake & 2 Large White [male & female] near Water Grdn. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Green-veined White, 3 Speckled Wood, female Common Blue along 'Jubilee Path/London Loop' at Park Farm, male Large White along 'Jubilee Path/London Loop' at Bay Farm, 1 Small White & 1 Small Heath. At Trent Park - 5 Small White & 1 Comma nectaring on Michaelmas daisies, by lower lake. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Speckled Wood at Town Park, Enfield. 1 Speckled Wood along New River in Town Park, Enfield this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Croxley Common Moor - Branch Butterfly Walk. Despite the dismal weather forecast the afternoon, though overcast was warm with a few glimpses of sun. Six of us set off across the moor, noting the abundance of Sheep’s Sorrel, the favoured larval food plant for Small Copper. Grass on the site is well grazed by both cattle and rabbits Our first butterfly though was a Small Heath, soon followed by Common Blue. Small Copper was not as plentiful as we hoped, but we recorded a total of 4 Meadow Brown, Large White, Green-veined White and two more Common Blues made up the days haul. Plus 3 Speckled Wood on the way back to the car. A thoroughly enjoyable social afternoon This cracking site is well worth a visit at anytime during the butterfly season [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. 1 Small White by lower lake/Trent Park & 1 Speckled Wood at a private site near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Ruislip Gardens & Ickenham Marsh. Sightings from my 3+ mile loop on a glorious sunny day. 5 Speckled Wood, 1 Peacock, 2 Red Admiral, 3 Small Copper, 3 Common Blue, multiple whites and 1 mystery brown hairstreak sized butterfly taking flight over the blackthorn. Earlier in the day 1 Comma in my garden for an hour or so. [Posted by Nick Furtek]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - male Common Blue nectaring on Ivy blossom, 4 Speckled Wood including two together, 1 Small White, 1 Comma & male Large White. At Trent Park - 2 Comma [1 edge of Moat Wd & 1 by lower lake], 1 Meadow Brown 'fresh' near Ride Wd, & 1 Speckled Wood at Icehouse Wd. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Walk cancelled - Sunday 21st September. Please note the butterfly walk at Nomansland Common this Sunday afternoon 21st September has been cancelled due to bad weather being forecast. The walk at Croxley Common Moor on Saturday 20th is still going ahead. [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
West Hyde - new chalk grassland habitat near Rickmansworth. HS2 has rightly been criticised for damaging good wildlife sites along its route. This video highlights a significant habitat creation project on the Herts/Middx border, right by the M25. Chalk excavated from the tunnel under the Chilterns is being used to create new chalk grassland on an impressive scale. Completion is due well before the line opens and should provide good habitat for butterflies in years to come West Hyde [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Red Admiral & 1 Yellow Shell. At Trent Park - 1 Red Admiral near Water Grdn. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Small White, female Common Blue, 4 Speckled Wood including two along 'Jubilee Path/London Loop' & 1 Comma nectaring on thistle head along 'Jubilee Path/London Loop'. At Trent Park - 1 Small Heath at 'Old Golf Course', 1 Green-veined White & 1 Small White by lower lake & 1 Speckled Wood along Leeging Beech Gutter near Water Grdn. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Save our Green Belt - Please sign this petition. Recent Government changes to Planning rules have watered down the protections for Green Belt land. This threatens much of the open countryside remaining in Herts & Middx. The newly introduced concept of "Grey Belt" land now applies to large areas and removes their protection from development. Government originally claimed the new designation would allow housing development and apply just to disused petrol stations and car parks. In practice a large portion of our countryside now qualifies as Grey Belt. This includes many sites which are good for butterflies and other wildlife. Examples include old gravel pits and scrub mosaic habitats which have developed on abandoned farmland. Butterfly World, one of our best Small Blue sites was recently approved for development using the Grey Belt rule. Ironically the development is not housing, but a new car park - we are fighting this. Government is currently having a reset. Please do sign the petition asking them to look at this again before we lose good butterfly sites Rethink Grey Belt [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At a private site near Trent Park - 1 Speckled Wood. At Plumridge Farm along 'London Loop' - 1 Green-veined White. At Trent Park - 1 Comma edge of Moat Wd. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Small Coppers at Nomansland. 9 Small Coppers on a brief stop at Nomansland Common this morning. The site looks in great condition with a new flush of Sheep’s Sorrell leaves across the heathland areas. So I’m expecting good numbers of Small Coppers for our last butterfly walk of the season. Join me at Nomansland next Sunday 21st, or at Croxley Common Moor on Saturday 20th. Details on the Events page [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Clouded Yellow. Digswell, Clover/sunflower field west of Tunnels, Harmer Green Woods [Posted by Jeff Davies]