Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Small Blue. Hillbrow, Letchworth Garden City - Early afternoon visit, Small Blue x11, Common Blue x2, Small Heath x5 and Brimstone x6. [Posted by Roger Millard]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Today's local walk began with a Painted Lady, but otherwise included everything seen the day before - plus a few Brimstones, a Peacock and another Small Copper I'd not seen before. I also managed to get close enough to a Mother Shipton moth to snatch a photo before it whizzed away. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings from Staines Moor. I visited Staines Moor again today to see if any more Large Skippers had appeared. I found three in all (including the one seen on 21st), plus a few Small Heath, a Peacock, a faded Orange Tip, a GVW and a single Common Blue. I also came across yet another nest of Peacock caterpillars. [Posted by Dave Miller]
A walk north of Hertford & Ware. A pleasant walk today seeing Holly and Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Small Heath, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock and most pleasing Small Tortoiseshell. Also several Peacock nests and Orange Tip larvae. On the moth front a Brimstone Moth and Mullein moth larvae and webs of Yponomeuta padella on Hawthorn and Blackthorn and Yponomeuta cagnella on Spindle. [Posted by Andrew Wood]
Sightings at Enfield. 10 Small Heath counted this morning at a private site near Trent Park. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. I saw my first two Meadow Browns of 2025 today on my local patch near Heathrow - one of the earliest dates I have found them. Among the 25 Common Blues today was a particularly blue female, and with similar numbers of Small Heath I made an effort to get an image or two. Also seen were Red Admirals, Speckled Woods, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Small White and Large White. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. After the thunderstorm this afternoon, sunshine reappeared and I had a local walk as usual. The main highlight was a female Holly Blue laying on goats' rue, but Common Blues put on a good show as well. Only seven species seen today, though: Common Blue 25, Small Heath 14, Brown Argus 9, Holly Blue 4 and Red Admiral, Small Copper and Speckled Wood one each. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings from Staines Moor. I managed a brief look at Staines Moor this afternoon before a large storm moved down from the direction of Heathrow. However, I noticed that a nest of Peacock caterpillars I'd been keeping an eye on were starting to disperse out across the extensive nettle bed. I was also pleased to find a Large Skipper in a spot where I'd seen good numbers a few years ago. Hopefully more will follow. There was also a Small Heath before the sunshine disappeared. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Sightings at Trent Park & Monken Hadley Common. At Trent Park -1 Alabonia geoffrella & 1 Cinnabar near Cockfosters entrance - my first of the year [FOY]. At Monken Hadley Common - 1 Alabonia geoffrella at TQ260970 & 1 Latticed Heath at TQ269972 - my first of the year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Small Blue. Letchworth: Hillbrow. Late morning, the only butterflies seen were two or three Small Blues [Posted by Phil Barron]
Sightings at Trent Park & Monken Hadley Common. At Trent Park - 3 Chimney Sweeper at 'New Fields' - my first of the year [FOY], male Common Blue, 5 Small Heath & 2 Holly Blue near Oakwood entrance. At Monken Hadley Common - 1 Alabonia geoffrella at TQ258970, male Brimstone at TQ269969 & several Speckled Wood. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield, Oakwood Park & Southgate. At Oakwood Park [1245 to 1345 BST] - 3 male Common Blue E of 10 km line, 1 Holly Blue W of 10 km line, 1 Small Heath & 1 Burnet Companion - my first of the year [FOY]. At private sites near Trent Park - 2 Green-veined White mating, 2 Painted Lady [1 'faded' & another 'fresh'] - my first of the year [FOY], 1 Red Admiral, 1 Peacock, 1 Small White & 1 Mother Shipton. Male Poplar Hawkmoth at ASDA Southgate this evening - my first of the year [FOY]. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Chorleywood Common transect. We spotted our first ever Green Hairstreak on our 17th May transect walk. To our knowledge, this species hasn't previously been recorded on Chorleywood Common. Other species spotted this week were Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Small Copper, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood and Small Heath. 44 butterflies seen against 33 seen in the same week last year. [Posted by Chris Hankinson]
Merry Hill Bushey. I met up with Rick Vickers at Merry Hill who informed me of sightings of 2 Peacock and a Speckled and a few Small Heath before reaching me. Otherwise the butterfly count was as follows. Small Heath 21+, Brimstone 6+, Speckled Wood 3, Green-veined White 2, Small White 1, unidentified flying whites 3, Red Admiral 1, Small Copper 2, Holly Blue 1, Common Blue 5+ including a very blue female. Peacock 2 [Posted by Peter Fewell]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. Over 100 butterflies again today on my local patch next to Heathrow, but a slightly different mix than the day before. Nearly three weeks since the unusually early sighting here of a female Large Skipper on 29th April, I finally came across a male today. Common Blue continued to live up to their name, with nearly 50 counted today. Small Coppers also continue to impress (on a much smaller scale!) with two more individuals I had not come across before. They seem to be widespread across the whole large area of the site, but at a low density. 13 species seen here today, and an impressive 17 over the course of the last week. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Butterfly walk at Shrubhill Common Nature Reserve, Hemel Hempstead. Shrubhill Common is looking very good this spring, with lots of Bird's foot Trefoil, especially on the south facing slope, and the number of butterflies we saw today, reflected this. Three people joined the walk while Malcolm and I led, and altogether we found 10 Dingy Skipper, 14 Common Blue, 19 Burnet Companion as well as 1 Small Heath, 1 Large White, 1 Brimstone, 2 Cinnabar moths, a Mother Shipton and a Common Carpet moth. [Posted by Christine Ridley]
Branch butterfly walk at Bovingdon Brickpits. 13 degrees and cloudy when I arrived at the site this morning. But the sun was soon peeping out and 16 of us set off looking for Dingy Skippers. Not much flying at 10.30 and we spent some time searching old knapweed seed heads for roosting Dingies. Birds-foot Trefoil was showing well and we began to see Common Blues, nearly all males. In total we saw 30 of this species, including one very blue and one mostly brown female. Other species included 3 Burnet Companion, 2 Small Heath, 1 Brimstone and 2 Peacock. Eventually we found a skipper …a Large Skipper, my first of this year. They aren’t usually on the wing until after Dingies have finished . So the timing of our visit to this site may have been too late in the season. [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Grovelands Park. 3 male Common Blue, 1 Holly Blue, 1 Small Copper, 4 Small Heath, 5 Speckled Wood & 1 Mother Shipton. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings from Stanwell Moor. The 100+ butterflies seen on my local walk today included the only Painted Lady I've seen here so far this year. There was also a very fresh and boldly marked female GVW that may possibly be a second brood individual, given the way this year is going. I found several nicely marked female Common Blues among the 30 or so seen - the species is doing well here this year after a slowish start.. [Posted by Dave Miller]
Holly Blue at Town Park, Enfield & Edmonton. 1 Holly Blue at Town Park, Enfield & another one at Starks Field Primary School, Church Street, Edmonton this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]