Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch
Saving butterflies, moths and our environment
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]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At a private site near Trent Park - 1 Meadow Brown, 3 Small Heath & 1 Painted Lady. At Trent Park - 1 Comma edge of Rough Lot, 1 Meadow Brown at 'Old Golf Course' & 1 Small White by lower lake. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Small Copper at Trent Park. 1 Small Copper [fresh] nectaring on Michaelmas daisies, by lower lake, Trent Park this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Painted Lady at Waterford Heath. This Painted Lady was seen straight out of the car in the main carpark, busy feeding on a tiny Buddleia. The large abdomen was very apparent, extra fuel reserves for the journey South. Also seen on the short walk were several female Common Blues trying to warm up on the cool morning. [Posted by Nathan Ellis]
Big Butterfly Count 2025. The results are now in. Although it was a dry spring and hot summer the number of butterflies counted, although higher than last year, was about average. Click here to view the results [Posted by Peter Clarke]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Red Admiral, 1 Small Heath, 1 Green-veined White, 1 Comma, 2 Speckled Wood & female Large White. At Trent Park - 1 Green-veined White by lower lake, 1 Red Admiral near Water Grdn, 1 Small White near Water Grdn & 1 Peacock along Leeging Beech Gutter near 'Three Bridges'. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Small Copper on Wormwood Scrubs. Out and about today and saw a Small Copper on Wormwood Scrubs, along with several Speckled Wood and some whites. [Posted by Catharine Sowerby]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Green-veined White, 1 Speckled Wood & female Large White. At Trent Park - 2 Comma [1 at 'Old Golf Course' & 1 nectaring on Ivy blossom, edge of Water Grdn], 2 Green-veined White [female at 'Old Golf Course' & male by lower lake], 4 Speckled Wood [1 near Water Grdn, 1 edge of Icehouse Wd, 1 near Shaws Wd & 1 near Merryhills Brook] & female Small White near Shaws Wd Cottages. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings - Church Hill, Therfield. A visit to Church Hill Therfield, yielded an interesting sighting, one I've never seen here before. Despite the day clouding up significantly 4 Chalk Hill Blues (all female), 10 Small Whites. 1 Large White, 2 Brown Argus. 2 Small Copper, 1 Peacock. 2 Meadow Brown and one Wall Brown. This was flying around the chalky quarry part and we thought it was a very late Fritillary at first until we got close, sorry not great photos as we only had a phone to use but I've never seen one here before. It was seen trying to lay eggs in the grassy tufts (one poor photo note attached), so there is hope for next year. [Posted by Philip MacMurdie]
Meadow Brown & Small Heath at Enfield. 1 Meadow Brown & 1 Small Heath at a private site near Trent Park this morning. 1 Box-tree Moth at a private site near Trent Park. 1 Speckled Wood at Town Park, Enfield this afternoon [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Clouded Yellow - Wareside. Some sightings from Wareside (TL396156) in the early morning sun. 2 Clouded Yellow in the fields nectaring on Chicory, 5 Peacock 3 Small Copper, 2 Small Heath, 1 Comma, 2 Red Admiral, 5 Small White, lots of unidentified whites. also 3 Jersey Tiger moths lingering and 1 Hummingbird hawk-moth on the last of the buddleia flowers. [Posted by Philip MacMurdie]
Adonis Blues still on Therfield Heath. Two fresh male Adonis Blues were seen this morning on the Old Rifle Range, along with several rather tatty females (some of which may have been female Chalk Hill Blues, although no males of this species were seen). At least one female Common Blue and several Meadow Browns were recorded, whilst Speckled Woods and a mating pair of Green-veined Whites were seen just off the heath. Relatively speaking, this has been an excellent year for Small Copper butterflies on the heath, with double figure numbers recorded in late August (normally I only see one or two individuals per year). However, unfortunately Wednesday's monsoon seems to have done for them. [Posted by Martin Johnson]
Leavesden Country Park. After hearing about Rohan Harris finding a Brown Hairstreak egg at this site from last season I did want to pay a visit to Leavesden Country Park. Rick and myself did find some potential spots for Brown Hairstreak although we didn't see any. We did however walk the perimeter between Langley Lane and South Way Grid ref TL097 011 would be the approx centre of site. This area turned out to be another gem. Although we didn't see a Clouded yellow today it was rather windy! There was a good amount of Lucerne growing with a good mix of other wild flowers there. However we did see some butterflies and the Small Copper stole the show with 20+ seen all around that perimeter path mentioned. We did encounter a few other species too today. Comma 1, Red Admiral 1, Speckled Wood 3, Brown Argus 1, Common Blue 3+. There were also some White Butterflies seen some Large and the others Unidentified Flying Whites. This place needs further exploration over the course of a butterfly year! [Posted by Peter Fewell]
3 mile route around Ruislip Gardens and Ickenham Marsh. 5 Common Blue, 1 Small Heath, 4 Small Copper, 8 Speckled Wood, 1 Peacock, plenty of whites and after 1.5hrs a brief but unmistakable sighting of a female Brown Hairstreak deep in the thicket. Yesterday during a 3 hour blackthorn clearing session on the Ickenham Marsh Reserve no Brown Hk (1 possibility) but 2 Common Blue which were a welcome distraction. The motivation for the 2 above visits was 5 days earlier on 31st Aug I had my sighting surprise of the decade which was a female Brown Hairstreak making a visit to my suburban garden coming to rest on Osmanthus (lower left 'topiary' frond in picture) whose leaves are waxy and similar in size to blackthorn. The garden is 2 miles from the area above and 0.6Km from any blackthorn. [Posted by Nick Furtek]
Sightings at Enfield. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Small Heath, 1 Green-veined White, 1 Small White, 1 Red Admiral & 1 Blood-vein. At Bay Farm, along 'Jubilee Path/London Loop' - 1 Small Copper & male Common Blue. At Rectory Farm, Enfield - female Common Blue & 1 Clouded Yellow. At Flash Lane, EN2 - 1 Speckled Wood. 2 Small White nectaring on Michaelmas daisies at Chase Road, N14 at Southgate this afternoon. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Clouded Yellow at Nomansland Common. 2 Clouded Yellows spotted in Nomansland Common. Found East side on knapweed alongside Ferrers Lane and another on the track that runs parallel with High Street road. [Posted by Alex Penn]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Small Heath & 1 Speckled Wood. At Trent Park - 2 Small Heath together at 'Old Golf Course', 1 Small White & 4+ Green-veined White by lower lake, 1 Red Admiral near Ride Wd & 1 Speckled Wood edge of Williams Wd. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
St Albans garden. Gorgeous Knot Grass moth caterpillar in my garden this afternoon. This weeks transect in my hibernation shed recorded 4 Peacocks - one up from last week. I suspect one of those which left hibernation last week for a late top up feed [Posted by Malcolm Hull]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 2 Small Heath, 2 Speckled Wood & 1 Red Admiral. At Trent Park - 1 Speckled Wood edge of Water Grdn. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield & Southgate. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Small Heath & 1 Speckled Wood. 1 Small Dusty Wave at bus-stop shelter at Enfield Road, EN2. 1 Angle Shades at ASDA Southgate. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 2 male Common Blue & 2 Small White. At Trent Park - 1 Speckled Wood near Shaws Wd. Also 1 Garden Carpet at bus-stop shelter at Bramley Rd, N14 at Oakwood this afternoon [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Common Blue. I persuaded a Common Blue to perch on my finger today in cool breezy conditions at Hill End Chalk Pit reserve, near Hitchin [Posted by Phil Barron]
Sightings at Enfield & Trent Park. At private sites near Trent Park - 1 Small Heath, 2 Speckled Wood, 1 Green-veined White & 1 Red Admiral. At Trent Park - 1 Meadow Brown. [Posted by Robert Mark Callf]
Adonis Blues Therfield. A bit late, but I went to Therfield heath on 26 August. I parked at sports ground and walked up towards the Rifle Range. On the left were several male Adonis Blues some recently hatched. I saw about 10 of them plus females and some bedraggled Chalk Hill Blues. Also Brown Argus, Common Blues, Small Heath and Meadow Brown. A bit late but I thought it worth recording. Should be some still there. [Posted by steve kiln]
