As the weather begins to warm up hedgerows and trees turn green, butterflies can be seen in gardens and birds are busy nesting.
Wildlife to look out for
Goosander with chicks, water vole, otter, Daubenton's bats, kingfishers
About every river in the UK supports wildlife, from tiny kingfishers sat on branches to otter swimming in the water (that’s if you’re lucky enough to spot them). In June young animals are starting to discover the world around them. There is no better time to take a stroll down near a river to see what you can spot.
Otters can be found at Castle Ward in Northern Ireland, Dunwich Heath in the East of England, the River Derwent in the North West, Shugborough Estate in the West Midlands.
In May hedgehogs begin their snuffling courtships, the males can often be heard as they circle the females. Listen out for them in gardens and hedgerows, they are rather noisy.
Badger activity is high and the cubs will be venturing from their setts. Little by little they gain confidence and soon they will be out playing and hunting for food like tasty slugs. If you want to see them remember they are nocturnal.
Download our Kingfisher 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'.)
© NTPL / Joe Cornish
Flowers
Oxeye daisy, buttercups, yellow rattle, pignat, meadow betchling
Wild garlic and bluebells can be found in woodland. Tulips are flowering in gardens and open un-farmed grasslands are starting to come into flower.
Thames and Solent: Morden Hall Park
East Midlands: High Peak Estate
Bats
Barbastelle,Greater horseshoe, Mouse-eared, Lesser horseshoe, Pipistrelle, Grey long-eared, Daubentons, Brown Long Eared
Bats start to emerge from building where they have spent the winter sleeping through the cold nights. When they emerge they are on the hunt for food to replace the energy lost during the winter. This allows them to be seen searching the skies for bugs.
Devon and Cornwall: Ashclyst Forest, Killerton, Watersmeet
East of England: Wimpole
Northern Ireland: Crom Estate
Yorkshire & North East: Malham, Upper Wharfedale, Fountains Abbey
Wales: Carmarthenshire, Eifionydd-Hafodyllan, Hafod y Ponth & Gelli lago
Wessex: Tyntesfield, Croft Castle, Woodchester Park, Dunster Castle
© National Trust
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Birds
Nightingale, Redstart, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Red Kites
Nightingales can be heard singing, swifts scream and chase and nightjars can be heard at dusk and dawn hawking for food. Nightjars are found on heathlands, moorlands and in open woodlands. Merlin, grouse and waders can also be found on moorland. Sea cliffs come alive with the sound of bird calling for food, as the young hatch out in to the nest. Blackcap, Blackbird, Bullfinch, Song Thrush and Chaffinch are looking for mates and nesting sites. The dawn chorus can be heard.
Nightingales can be found at Croome Park in the West Midlands and Red Kites can be found at Gibside, choosing their nesting sites. Nightjars can be found at the following:
West Midlands: Kinver Edge
Wessex: Brownsea Island, Studland
South East: Frensham Common, Hindhead Common, Devil's Punchbowl
East of England: Clumber Park, Dunwich Heath
Devon and Cornwall: Hartland Moor
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Red squirrels
Red squirrels are becoming an increasingly rare sight in Britain due to the destruction of their natural habitat and the threat from the spread of disease from grey squirrels. There are only around 160,000 left in Britain compared to 2.5 million greys. In May the red squirrel is becoming more active on the hunt for food after a winter spent hibernating.
Northern Ireland: Crom Estate
Yorkshire & North East: Wallington, Allen Banks
North West: Ennerdale, Formby Point
Wessex: Brownsea Island
© NTPL / Joe Cornish
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Butterflies
The Duke of Burgundy
The Duke of Burgundy is a small orange and black butterfly that flies from late April to the end of May, on downs where cowslips grow in rough grass. It is only known in England where it is in massive decline. The National Trust owns some of its best sites (Ivinghoe Hills and Rodborough Common).
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Medium-sized and very graceful, the orange and black fritillary flies during May in clearings in woods and on some rough hills, breeding on violets. They are found throughout UK but are in decline, despite much conservation effort. Good National Trust sites are Ashclyst Forest, Devon, and Arnside Knott, Cumbria.
Marsh Fritillary
Medium sized orange, red, yellow and black fritillary that flies from late May to late June in western Britain, occurring in marshy pastures and on chalk downs in Wiltshire and Dorset, and in the Cotswolds. It had become rare, having died out from the east. Good colonies on the National Trust's Gower commons (especially Welshmoor), Hod Hill and Cherhill (Wiltshire). Caterpillars feed gregariously on Devil's Bit Scabious leaves.
Dingy Skipper
Small, moth-like butterfly that flies from late April to late June in various habitats in southern Britain. In decline, having almost disappeared from woodland and is becoming restricted to downland, where it is locally common. Breeds on Birdsfoot Trefoil.
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Amphibians
Natterjack toads and common frogs can be found in dune slacks and on heathland.
North West: Sandscale Haws (Cumbria), Formby Point
South East: Frensham Common
East of England: Horsey
Flowers
This is a wonderful time for flowering species. You may see purple dog violets, the impressive white heads of giant hogweed, pink and white horse chestnut flowers, early purple orchids, rare pasque flowers, cowslips, lords and ladies, and not forgetting the wonderful scent from yellow flowers of common gorse.
The apple blossoms will be delighting visitors to orchards all over the country, the National trust has many you can visit. These beautiful flowers entice bees and other insects with their nectar, ensuring pollination and this autumn’s harvest of fruit.
© www.northeastwildlife.co.uk
Invertebrates
As everything warms insect life goes into overdrive. Look out for armoured chafer beetles, the largest is the chestnut-brown common cockchafer (also known as the maybug), the metallic green rose chafer and the tiny tan and green garden chafer, they are mostly nocturnal but are attracted to artificial lights. Leaf cutter bees begin the job of furnishing their nests with foliage cut from roses, lilac, willow herb and beech trees. Crescent shapes cut from leaves are evidence of their work. Shield bugs can also be spotted crawling about the vegetation.
Dates for your diary
Insect week 23-31 May
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