Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Sightings at Enfield. 4 Brimstone [3 males & 1 female], 3 Peacock & 2 Small White [male & female] at private sites near Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Eighth butterfly species of the year. Green-veined White became the 8th butterfly species I’ve seen in Herts this year. 20 degrees and sunny this afternoon in St Albans. Also spotted during my walk over Batchwood and Gorhambury - Brimstone (3), Comma (1), Peacock (6) and Orange Tip (2) [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
A trio of Emperor Moths. A trio of Emperor moths to lure in just over two hours this afternoon in my Ware garden. Lure put out at 2.40; first buzzed at 2.50; first capture 3.37, then 4.15 and finally 4.43 and the lure came in at 5.15. All happily gone on their way! [Posted by Liz Goodyear]
Hibernating Peacock emergence. St Albans shed - 4 Pecocks hibernated in my shed this winter All of them survived through to the Spring. The first emergence was recorded on 26th March. In the last week two more have flown the shed, leaving just one in hibernation In the last few days I’ve seen Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Small &Large Whites on the wing locally, Interesting that the hibernators are emerging at the same time as this years butterflies are hatching out [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield. 1 Peacock & 2 Comma at private sites near Trent Park. 2 Speckled Wood together & male Brimstone at Brooke Wd. 2 male Brimstone together & 1 Peacock at Rectory Farm Road. Female Brimstone at St John The Baptist Church, Clay Hill. 1 Peacock & 1 Speckled Wood at Flash Lane, EN2. Male Brimstone & 2 Peacock at Hilly Field Park. Male Small White settled at Cook's Hole Road. 2 male Brimstone & male Orange-tip at Gordon Hill Station. Several Whites were left unidentified. The Orange-tip & Speckled Wood were both new for the year. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Wareside butterflies. Lovely day lots of butterflies inckuding my first orange tip Large white 3 Peacock 3 Comma 2 Small white 1 Brimstone 4 Orang tip male 1 Green veined white 1 [Posted by Phil macmurdie]
Ellenbrooke Fields. Probably double figure Peacocks out to day in the heat with Commas and a White sps [Posted by John Yates]
5 Species at Myddleton House Garden Enfield. The garden was full of flowers and there were many Green Veined Whites, Small Whites, Brimstones and Peacocks. I saw a lone Holly Blue also. [Posted by Dee Cullen]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. 1 Peacock at a private site near Trent Park. 2 Comma together at another private site near Trent Park. Female Brimstone nectaring on Dandelion near Duncan's Wd/Enfield Chase at 1247 BST [My first female of the year]. Male Brimstone at Ferny Hill Farm, Enfield. Male Brimstone & 1 Peacock at Rough Lot/Trent Park. 1 Peacock at 'Old Golf Course' Trent Park. 1 probable Small White seen in flight along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges' Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Therfield Heath-Church Hill. I started the Church Hill transects today. The site is well protected from the current unusual strong ENE wind so most of it was less windy than it often is. A couple of Peacocks and a Brimstone recorded, with a few more of each on the walk in and out. Perhaps more interesting was a Small Tortoiseshell in my garden in Royston just before setting out. The Pasque Flowers (County flower of Hertfordshire) are about at their peak for this year on Church Hill, perhaps showing signs of the dry March, [Posted by Nick Keep]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Just as sunny as yesterday, but a chilly breeze kept the temperature down a bit, and also restricted the number of butterflies on my local patch. However, I still managed to find nine species, including one that I hadn't seen the day before: a female Holly Blue. The others were: Small White, Large White, Green-veined White, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma and Speckled Wood. It was obviously too chilly for Orange Tips! [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. 2 male Brimstone at Trent Park. 4 Comma [1 at Trent Park & 3 at private sites near Trent Park], 9 Peacock [3 at Trent Park & 6 at private sites near Trent Park], male Small White settled on the ground by lower lake/Trent Park & male Green-veined White nectaring on Blackthorn blossom [a few inches from my nose] at a private site near Trent Park - both new for the year. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Small Tortoiseshell outside Brickendon village. In this glorious spring sunshine I have seen the other hibernators in good numbers, so I had been keeping a special eye out for Small Tortoiseshell. Pleased to have spotted one holding territory amongst the cut maize stalks in the cover crop between Celtic Harmony camp car park and Monks Green Farm. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. Male Brimstone at a private site near Trent Park. At Trent Park - 3 male Brimstone, 2 Comma & 2 Peacock. Male Brimstone, 3 Comma & 4 Peacock along the 'London Loop' at Park Farm. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Another glorious day on my local patch, and I managed to find just over 100 butterflies for the first time this year, with 10 species represented. These included the first Orange Tips of 2025 (none of which was prepared to stop, so in flight blurs were all I managed) and that increasingly rare sight, a Small Tortoiseshell. The overall tally was: Peacock 26, Brimstone 22 (18m, 4f), Comma 17, Small White 13, GVW 8, Orange Tip 5, Speckled Wood 5, Red Admiral 4, Large White 1, Small Tortoiseshell 1. A splendid day again. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Brimstone at Southgate. Male Brimstone at Chase Road/Charter Way, N14 bus-stop [TQ295951] at 1300 BST [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings Tunnel Gardens Bounds Green. Excited to see my first butterflies of the year today, 3 comma 3 brimstones and 1 pristine peacock in Tunnel Gardens TQ293914 [Posted by Miles Attenborough]
Plenty on the wing at Totteridge. On a walk along Folly Brook to Finchley Nurseries this afternoon I saw the following : 4 Peacocks, 1 Brimstone, 1 Comma, 1 Red Admiral. [Posted by Dee Cullen]
Butterflies from wareside. Hi some sightings from wareside in rhe garden. Saturday 29th march Large white 1 Green veined white 1 Brimstone 5 Peacock 3 Small tortoiseshell 1 Comma 2 Red admiral 1 Hopefully a sign of things to come. [Posted by Phil macmurdie]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor (and Staines Moor). Lots of sunshine, but a cool breeze again today. There were good numbers of Peacocks, though, including several seen on the northern edge of Staines Moor as well as a selection on my usual wanderings. Overall, I counted 20, along with 4 Red Admirals, 3 Commas and 3 Brimstones. I also saw the male Large White spotted on two previous days, plus a female of the same species some way away. [Posted by Dave Miller]
