With summer fully underway the fields, hedgerows and gardens are abundant with wildlife and flowers. Sea life can be spotted off the coast and damselflies with their irridescent wings dive in and around ponds and rivers.
Download the grasshopper picture to use as a monthly desktop calendar (click on the orange link and then right click on the picture and select 'set as background')
'a swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay,
a swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon,
a swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly'
© NTPL / Paul Harris
Wildlife to look out for
The British Isles has six native reptiles: the adders, grass snake, smooth snake, common lizard, sand lizard and slow worm. As the temperature of summer increases it brings these shy animals out into the sun.
North West: Bickerton Heath (adders)
South East: Frensham Commons , Danbury & Lingwood Commons (adders)
Glow worms are a species of beetle and the larva are able to emit a green glow. There are two species in the UK, the common glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) and the much rarer lesser glow-worm (Phosphaenus hemipterus).
Wessex: Tyntesfield, Kingston Lacy, Woodchester Park
East Midlands: Ilam Park, Dovedale
South East: Box Hill
North West: Arnside Knott
Thames & Solent: Pulpit Wood
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© NTPL / Joe Cornish
Birds
There are several species of Tern in the UK, in the summer months young chicks hatch in colonies all around the coast. In the evening if you happen to be on Lundy Island, you can hear the racket of young Manx-shearwaters. Coastal heaths also support a wide variety of coastal birds such as the Dartford warbler and Nightjar, heard particularly well at dusk.
Yorkshire and the NE:Northumberland coast (little and arctic tern)
Wessex: Brownsea
Northern Ireland: Strangford Lough
East of England: Orford Ness, North Norfolk Coast, Blakeney Point, Stiffkey (sandwich, common & little tern colonies), Morston
Devon and Cornwall: Lundy Island
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© National Trust
Flowers
Roses are at their best at this time of year. See sensational displays at the following properties:
Gloucestershire: Hidcote
West Sussex: Nymans Garden
Surrey: Polesden Lacey
Wales: Powis Castle and Garden
Kent: Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Northern Ireland: Florence Court
Sea life
Look out at the coast for porpoise, whales, dolphins, and basking sharks.
Yorkshire and NE: Farne Islands
Devon and Cornwall: Lundy Island / coastal properties
Wessex: Studland (look for shark egg cases), Purbeck
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© NTPL / Ian West
Grassland
Summer brings out the best in grasslands; plants are in full flower attracting a wide range of insects and birds. Look out for beatles and grasshoppers amongst other insects. If you are lucky you may see Britain’s largest mammal the red dear. Giant Puffballs can be found in most grasslands, large ball-shaped fungi.
Grassland can be found all over the country, here are some examples:
Devon and Cornwall: Lizard properties, Lundy, Branscombe, Arlington, Dunsland Park, Hembury
East Midlands: High Peak, Dovedale, Longshaw, Hardwick Park, Crom Estate
East of England: Dunstable Downs, Sharpenhoe Clappers
Northern Ireland: Giant's Causeway, White Park Bay, Rathlin Island, Portstewart Strand, Barmouth
North West: Arnside-Silverdale, Formby, Brotherswater
© NTPL / Paul Hobson
Butterflies
Summer brings out even more butterflies! Look out for Purple Hairstreak butterflies, Purple Emperor in woodlands, Dark Green Fritillaries and Marbled Whites on downland, White Admiral and Sliver-Washed Fritillary.
Wessex: White Admiral butterfly (Golden Cap, Studland) Dark-Green Fritillary (Rodborough Common, Melbury Down and Beacon, Ballard Down)
Wales: Marbled White butterfly (Gower coast & commons)
North West: High Brown Fritillary (Arnside Knott)
Devon and Cornwall: High Brown Fritillary (Heddon Valley), Sliver-Washed Fritillary (Ditts and Heddon Valley and Watersmeet)
South East: White Admiral, Purple Emperor (Bookham Commons)
Thames and Solent: White Admiral (Mottisfont Woods, Ashclyst Forest) Dark-Green Fritillary (Compton and Afton Downs – Isle of Wight)
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