Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Common Blue at Grovelands Park, Southgate. Male Common Blue at Grovelands Park late morning/early afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Large Skipper & Small Heath at Trent Park. Male Large Skipper edge of Icehouse Wd/Trent Park & 1 Small Heath near Shaws Wd/Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Quiet day at Therfield Heath. Despite the cold dull weather at Therfield Heath today, there were 5 Adonis Blue keeping low to the grass, 5 Small Heath quite active and 4 Meadow Brown [Edited by Peter Clarke] [Posted by James Somerville]
2023 Annual Report. The branch 2023 Annual Report is now available online on the website [Posted by Peter Clarke]
Marbled Whites at Therfield. A quick visit to Church Hill to see the Bee Orchids also resulted in half a dozen each of Marbled Whites (ffy) and Meadow Browns, a couple of Small Heaths and a Common Blue (although no sign of any Adonis), despite the cool weather. [Posted by Annie Sutcliffe]
First Marbled White. One Marbled White disturbed in grassland near Stapleford this morning in cloudy cool conditions. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Larval hostplants. How much do you know about larval foodplants? Which butterfly caterpillars feed on them? Find out more here [Posted by Peter Clarke]
Transect Walker need for 2025 at Aldbury Nowers. Aldbury Nowers near Tring in the west of Hertfordshire is one of the best sites for butterflies in our area and has a long running regular transect walk recording and monitoring them. Our current recorder can only cover the route until the end of the 2024 season and we would love to hear from you if you would be interested in helping there. It is a regular weekly commitment for up to a couple of hours from April to September and some parts of the site are a steep walk so you need to be reasonably fit and also able to identify what you see Please contact Andrew Wood (details on the contacts page) if you would like to learn more or to have a visit to the site to see what the recording entails. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Ffy White Letter Hairstreaks. Minimum 5 at Cheshunt Park this morning around the Elms at the sheltered east end this morning before the cloud, also one nectaring on Hogweed. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Chimney Sweeper at Trent Park. I counted 10 Chimney Sweeper in the usual field at Trent Park [TQ287965] this afternoon [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Rivers Orchard Sawbridgeworth. Usual walk from the house lunchtime, 3 Large Skipper, 6 Brimstone (4 male 2 female), 4 Common Blue (3 male 1 female, the female was in a courtship chase with one of the males), 2 Holly Blue, 6 Meadow Brown and 22 Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Butterflies near Royston. From a private site visited with permission near Royston a Small Blue (first for that 2Km square) and a Brown Argus [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Moth larvae in the Royston area. About 10 Brown-tail larvae on sallow on Therfield Heath, 8 Mullein larvae in central Royston and the larval case of Coleophora conspicuella at a private site near the town. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Hillbrow, Letchwoth. I spotted a minimum of 4 Small Blues today, 2 Brimstone and a Small Heath [Posted by Phil Barron]
Local patch. A walk down the fields mid-afternoon to the Rivers orchard site Sawbridgeworth, 5 Large Skipper, 1 Brimstone (m), 2 Common Blue (m), 2 Holly Blue, 1 Peacock (faded but intact), 1 Meadow Brown (first of the year here), 14 Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Adonis Blue at Therfield Heath. Visit to Therfield Heath with Bob Clift in cloudy, breezy weather but warm 17c did not deter some butterfly activity in the sheltered areas between 1100 and 1300 hours. We did not see our first butterfly until about 1130 - a Holly Blue. Towards the southern end where the path bears to the right (TL3492 3996) we saw our first Adonis Blue. In all, we counted 6 Adonis Blue, 3 Meadow Brown, 3 Small Heath, 2 Brown Argus, 1 Common Blue and several Yellow Shell moths. [Posted by Peter Clarke]
Road Along Therfield Heath closed East Bound. For people wanting to come to Therfield Heath the road along the bottom of the Heath is one way until at least the 19th June. This may still be in place for the branch walk on 21st June. Will try and update the day before on this page. You can go from Royston to the McDonalds roundabout but not the other way so to get to the Heath from the West you need to go round the bypass and through town. Both the Cafe and Therfield Road car parks are still open but you have to go west when returning to the Baldock Road from the Therfield Road car park. Adonis Blue and Brown Argus about when it is not raining. [Posted by Nick Keep]
Two Caterpillars at Heartwood. During Saturdays branch walk two caterpillars were located. ID has proved tricky, as can sometimes be the case with moth larvae. Having consulted with Andrew Wood, his view is that they are Scalloped Hooktip and Hebrew Character [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Green Hairstreaks at Horsenden Hill. 2 different Green Hairstreaks this morning at the same part of Horsenden Hill West about 50 minutes apart. [Posted by John Eborall]
Green Hairstreak at Oakwood Park. 1 Green Hairstreak photographed in NE corner of Oakwood Park [TQ30509530] this afternoon by Eugene Dillon-Hooper. The first record for the site, as far as we know. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]