Hertfordshire Natural History Society

Field margin with wildflowers that can support butterflies in arable farmland

Livestock grazing is essential to maintaining grasslands in the mountains of Europe. Extensive cattle grazing has been shown to be the most beneficial but any extensive system is good

Grassland butterflies are declining across Europe, but how do we reverse that trend? We have just produced a report with some simple guidance to land managers and policy makers on how to 'Bend the curve' and help increase butterflies and other pollinators. www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Nice walk in Panshanger Park, Hertford, 02/03/2026.
Tachinid fly-Gonia picea, Queen Early Bumblebee, Dark-edged Bee-fly and Brimstone.
@hnhsoc.bsky.social @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social

Herts & Middx Butterflies in 2025 and can we predict long term changes?' by Andrew Wood YouTube video by Herts & Middx Butterfly Conservation

Did you miss our Zoom talk last night? Andrew Wood discusses predicting long term changes to butterfly and moth flight times in this really interesting talk based on branch data. Now available on YouTube! youtu.be/jsFvmdfiq5M @savebutterflies.bsky.social @lnhs.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker on the reserve. Photo taken by member Iain Nibbsy.
@colnevalley.bsky.social @colnecan.bsky.social @hertsbirds.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

This fantastic exhibition has been extended for a fortnight, so you can still catch it if you're quick...

Do you know anywhere in Hertfordshire where there might be a suitable spot to plant a black poplar? If so, please get in touch with Nicholas Buxton - email below. Thanks.

Common Snipe @maplelodgereserve.bsky.social. Photo by Daniel Ellerby.

@colnevalley.bsky.social @colnecan.bsky.social @hertsbirds.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @rspbengland.bsky.social

#birds #waders #snipe

Parrot waxcap fungi. Image credit Ellyn Baker

UK Fungus Day 4/10/25
British Mycological Society aims to inspire preservation of native fungi and improve scientific knowledge of these unique organisms.
Check out Gary Easton blog www.ukfungusday.co.uk/isthataballerinaoraparrot which you can also find on our CfGA website.
#fungi #ukfungusday #CFGA

CPRE Hertfordshire Countryside Day 2025 CPRE Hertfordshire is working to enhance, promote and protect our countryside. Love Hertfordshire's beautiful rural areas? Find out more and get involved.

Do come along to the @cprecountryside.bsky.social Countryside Day @knebworthhouse.bsky.social on Saturday for nature, fun, local conservation charities and a guided tour of Knebworth House Estate gardens. Plus I'm giving the keynote speech on nearby nature and local landscape. #Herts #Hertfordshire

Episodes from the Pinetum Radio Lento episodes recorded from the footpath through the Clinton-Baker Pinetum near Hertford.

To mark #UKFungusDay, we've updated a blog post from a favourite location in Hertfordshire, with new photos of various fungi we have spotted there.

River Mimram, Hertfordshire
Watercolour 8x14”
#river #hertfordshire #chalkstream #countryside #watercolour #art

Close-up photograph of a Nuthatch on a tree in a typical Nuthatch pose.

Nuthatch at the reserve yesterday. Photo by @maplelodgereserve.bsky.social member, Iain Nibbsy.

@colnevalley.bsky.social @colnecan.bsky.social @hertsbirds.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social @rspbengland.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social #nuthatch #birds

Black Redstart near Baldock, Herts. #birds

A picture of bumblebees pollinating purple geraniums with details about the wildlife trust nature writing workshop session - follow link for more information.

Have you always wanted to write about landscape and nature, but never quite known how to get started? Then come and join me at this friendly @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social session on 15 Sept in #Hitchin #Hertfordshire. Everyone welcome!

www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/events/15sep... #booksky

On the off-chance that there's anyone who's not tired of Clouded Yellow photos, here's a male from a north Hertfordshire clover field yesterday. Surely one of our hardest butterflies to photograph, this one was relatively docile in a cloudy spell @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

A lovely Dewick’s Plusia. A first for me. Found in my Hertfordshire garden this evening. An immigrant moth & possible recent colonist #teammoth @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

A new set of signs for our hides! Produced and installed by @maplelodgereserve.bsky.social volunteer, Paul Marshall. @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social @colnevalley.bsky.social @colnecan.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @hertsbirds.bsky.social @ruislipwoods.bsky.social @woodoaksfarm.bsky.social

So where did the time go? After fifteen fantastic weeks the 'Wild about Hertfordshire' exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of @hnhsoc.bsky.social is over. Huge thanks to everyone who helped make it a success @stalbansmuseums.bsky.social!

protect wildlife Wild about Hertfordshire

Even though 'Wild about Hertfordshire' exhibition has now closed, we asked our visitors to make their own  pledges to support our local wildlife - here's just a few to inspire you!🦊🐦‍⬛🦋🦉🐛🐝

What's your wildlife pledge?
With @hnhsoc.bsky.social

@hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @hertsbirds.bsky.social @colnevalley.bsky.social
@colnecan.bsky.social @ruislipwoods.bsky.social
@gwksouth.bsky.social @chilternoam.bsky.social
@bbowt.bsky.social @woodoaksfarm.bsky.social
@thesoilassociation.bsky.social

Silver Washed Fritillary, female

White Admiral

Common Blue, male

Brown Argus

Nice selection from HMWT Balls Wood, Hertford, 29/06/2025
@hnhsoc.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

Taxidermy badger nose

Victorian slides

Microscope slides

Wild about Hertfordshire includes objects from St Albans Museums collection which link to @hnhsoc.bsky.social .

Look out for microscope slides from the 1800s or our fantastic fox and badger leading building wildlife trails 🦊

https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/wild-about-hertfordshire

Just a few days left to catch this fantastic exhibition!

I've got a feature in @britishwildlife.bsky.social on my nature memoir #LandBeneaththeWaves and how vital natural history records (like the @hnhsoc.bsky.social's journals going back to 1875) are in identifying shifting baseline syndrome.

@summersdalebooks.bsky.social @globalbirdfair.bsky.social

@colnevalley.bsky.social @colnecan.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social @ruislipwoods.bsky.social @woodoaksfarm.bsky.social @chilternoam.bsky.social @rickmansworth.bsky.social @chorleywood.bsky.social

This patch of bright, fluorescent blue is the pupa of a Purple Emperor butterfly, photographed in Herts using ultra-violet light. Visit www.hnhs.org/news/discove... to find out what happened next... @hnhsoc.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social Photo©Andrew Neild

Privet Hawkmoth - photo by Paul Davis. @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social @colnevalley.bsky.social @colnecan.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #moths

Hertfordshire Natural History Society botanical book with UCL

Hertfordshire Natural History Society botanical book with UCL

Hertfordshire Natural History Society botanical book with UCL

Botanical book published in 1479

These 3 gentleman are book illustrators, for a book published 483 years ago.

This book was written by Leonhart Fuchs on medicinal herbs. Each woodcut pictures has been hand-coloured.

With @hnhsoc.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk 
https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/wild-about-hertfordshire

SCARCE CHASER at the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal near Wilstone, Herts, this afternoon…

@chilternsnature.bsky.social @hnhsoc.bsky.social #dragonfly #dragonflies #nature #wildlife

We have a full programme of butterfly walks in 2025. Many are now listed on our branch website & are open to all - non-members are welcome. Some will require pre-booking - details are on each entry. @savebutterflies.bsky.social Link: www.hertsmiddx-butterflies.org.uk/events.php