Higlights to Look Out For
From late spring into summer many migratory birds return to the UK, including swifts, cuckoos and nightingales, before heading back to Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa for the winter.
In June pine marten kits, badger cubs, and fox cubs start to leave their dens and explore their surrounding woods and forests, and bats are born.
In July you may see birds starting to take their first practice flights.
During summertime, insect life is at its busiest too and you should see meadows, gardens and green spaces teaming with life - look out for dragonflies, butterflies, flying ants, and grasshoppers.
Butterflies and Moths to See
(Butterfly Conservation charity)
on Butterfly Conservation's website:
Don't Forget to Put Out Water
for Birds and Other Wildlife
Advice from the RSPB:
When the summer heat hits the high notes, water for wildlife can become scarce. Birds have no sweat glands, so they need less water than mammals. Even so, small birds need to drink at least twice a day as well as using it to bathe to keep feathers clean.
If you can, put out water in a birdbath, replacing it every day with fresh and cleaning the bath around once a week. You can also put out a shallow container at lower levels, for mammals such as Hedgehogs to get a much-needed drink.
During dry spells your lawn may also become brown. But grass is pretty hardy, and it will recover once it rains. You can try letting the grass grow a bit longer to help it stay healthy.
Lots more information and tips from
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/birds-and-water/
Some Outdoor Activities for Kids
from The Woodland Trust:
Woods hum with life in the summer months – trees and plants flourish while animals make the most of the warm weather and abundant food. It’s a fantastic time to take children out for a bit of wildlife spotting. Look out for:
- dragonflies darting above ponds and streams
- busy pollinators bobbing from flower to flower
- a line of speedy ants marching back and forth
- reptiles basking in the sunshine
- swallows soaring high in the sky
- developing tree seeds – autumn’s still a long way off, but look closely and you might spot green acorns, prickly conker cases and bunches of winged seeds growing already.