Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Heartwood Forest. Tried for Small Blue today but just had 2 brief sightings, 1 in the carpark that flew around my feet for 2-3 seconds and an egg laying female along the entrance road that just melted away also 10 Brimstone their great summer goes on (4 male and 6 female). 2 Common Blue (males) 2 Holly Blue, 1 Red Admiral, my first 3 Meadow Brown of the year and 20+ Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Small Blues at Heartwood. I returned to Heartwood in better weather to see if I could improve on the meagre Small Blue Counts from my last two visits. In total 10 were recorded, 5 in the Airfield, 3 in Valley Field and 1 at the Ham Wood entrance on Coleman Green Lane. All these were on Kidney Vetch. The tenth was in young woodland near to the Airfield where it was taking water/salts from mud on the path. The only other species today which I’ve not reported from this site recently were Small Yellow Underwing and Green-veined White [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Holly Blues and Bee Orchids at Waterford Heath. 11 Holly Blues feeding on Goat's Rue, and over 300 Bee Orchids on site. 50 by car park and over 200 in central square. the most I have ever seen here. Also first Meadow Browns of the year. [Edited by Peter Clarke] [Posted by Steve Kiln]
Branch Event: Small Blue at Heartwood Forest. Conditions were overcast for the Branch Butterfly Walk, but that did not deter 20 of us from setting off on Saturday morning. On the way to the Airfield, a Meadow Brown was spotted hunkered down in long grass and a roosting cinnabar moth. The Kidney Vetch at the Airfield was in good condition, but no Small Blues were identified (Andrew had seen seven there last week). Moving on to Valley Field we saw Burnet Companion, Small Heath and two Grass Rivulet moths. Finally in an area sheltered from the cold northerly breeze, Andrew found a roosting Small Blue, which posed obligingly for photos. Several children joined the walk and their enthusiasm lifted the mood on a grey day. [Posted by Malcolm HULL and Andrew Steele]
Common Blue & Small Heath at Grovelands Park, Southgate. 2 male Common Blue & 3 Small Heath near tennis court at Grovelands Park this afternoon [TQ307946]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Holly Blue at Broomfield Park, Palmers Green, N13. 1 Holly Blue near Community Orchard at Broomfield Park, Palmers Green, N13 this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
A few sightings from Therfield Heath. Today at Therfield Heath Three Adonis Blues, 3 Common Blues and 5 Small Heaths [Posted by James Somerville]
North Enfield. Male Common Blue, 1 Holly Blue, 2 Large Skipper [male & female] - [FOY], 2 male Meadow Brown, 1 Silver Y, 1 Small Copper [FOY] & 3 Small Heath at a private site in North Enfield. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
29/05/24. Walk from the house down to the Rivers orchard site Sawbridgeworth lunchtime, 2 Large Skipper, 10 Brimstone (most ever for me here, 3 males and 7 females) ,6 Common Blue (males) ,1 Holly Blue , 2 Speckled wood and 10 Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Orange Tip larvae. I went round all the Garlic Mustard in the garden today and found 10 larvae at different stages of development [Posted by Andrew Wood]
A good day for Moths at Heartwood Forest. A cool afternoon with sunny spells presented ideal conditions for day flying moths. Grass Rivulet was the most common moth species, photo shows one egg laying in Yellow Rattle. Burnet Companion, Yellow Shell, Mother Shipton and Latticed Heath all in good numbers plus a few Silver Y. Small Heath was the most numerous butterfly, with a few Brimstones and Peacocks. A bit on the chilly side for the others, I recorded only singles of Small Blue, Common Blue and Brown Argus [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Meadow Brown at Enfield. Male Meadow Brown at a private site at Enfield near Trent Park this afternoon at 1300 BST [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Alabonia geoffrella & Large White at Trent Park. 1 Alabonia geoffrella at Rough Lot/Trent Park & male Large White at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
27/05/24. Walk again from the house down the field to the Old Rivers orchard site Sawbridgeworth , didn't get to the site before a very lively, fresh and bright Painted Lady flew up off the track behind Maybes walk (my ffy) , Still quiet at the site just 2 Brimstone { 1 male 1 female) , 1 Common Blue (male ffy) ,2 Holly Blue , 1 Red Admiral ; 3 Speckled Wood and 3 Small Heath. [Posted by Laurence Drummond]
Brimstone, Holly Blue & Speckled Wood at Enfield Town & Town Park, Enfield. 1 Holly Blue along New River at Town Park, male Brimstone & 1 Speckled Wood along New River at Enfield Town. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Adonis Blue and Brown Argus at Therfield Heath. We had 3 sightings of Adonis Blue and 5 sightings of Brown Argus. Also Brimstone seen. [Posted by John Yates]
Adonis Blue out on Therfield Heath. Seen during a very brief early morning visit to Church Hill: Adonis Blue (1 male), Brown Argus (3), Painted Lady (1), Red Admiral (1). [Posted by Martin Johnson]
Waterford Heath workparty volunteers needed. Myself and Andrew Wood on Friday 24th May, had a good meeting with people from Herts & Middx Trust who lease Waterford Heath. What we are expecting is there will be a workparty in July on mid week day date TBA. We are looking for volunteers to help improve the North Pit at Waterford Heath which is the best place locally for Grizzled Skippers. We will be part of a large workparty on the heath. The task will be part of Herts & Middx workparty programme. I am looking for volunteers to help. Work starts 10am finishes 3 -4pm. Tools provided. Please register your interest & contact Steve Kiln on 0792048211 or stevewkiln@gmail.com. Thank you. This is great opportunity to help this important local site. Steve Kiln [Posted by steve kiln]
First Adonis Blues at Therfield Heath. After a not long hunt around to see if the first batch of Adonis Blues had started to come out. I saw 2. I also saw one Brown Argus and one Common Blue. Numbers still seem to have suffered in this part of the country sadly due to the drought from August 2022 the Small Heath numbers are very good so far this year, they were out in force. [Posted by James Somerville]
Garden Pebble at Enfield Chase Station. 1 Garden Pebble at Enfield Chase Station this evening. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]