Summer
Long hot summers: a figment of imagination or memories of our youth, depending upon how old you are! Well, maybe not as long or as hot, but it is summer nonetheless and nature has its cycle to complete - yet another opportunity to watch it unfold.
Venture near any woodland fringe and you will hear the wood pigeon high in the trees. Its calls softly drift on the warm breeze against the backdrop of rustling leaves. Trees that are now in full leaf sway in the wind, offering protection to a myriad of young birds. The young grey (and, in some areas, red) squirrels chase amongst the branches.
Long summer evenings are perfect times for walking in the countryside, far from the madding crowds - stress-busting at its very best! Catch a glimpse of a badger or fox emerging from their set or den for their evening forage. If you are in the right place, as the light dims, you have a very good chance of spotting the nightjar, active from dusk till dawn.
Farmland and Pasture
Midsummer sees the wildlife population dramatically increase. Warmer days and nights encourage the fields and pastures to bloom; attracting butterflies, bees, insects and moths. Do not rush: take time to listen to the buzz of activity.
Hedgerows and field margins hold a variety of plants and grasses, providing wonderful cover for animals and birds to live and breed in relative safety. Look for signs of badger, fox, stoat and weasel tracks along your walk. Hedgerows also support an abundance of wild flowers: move quietly and slowly as you take in the fragrance of honeysuckle, at its best just before dusk when it releases its perfume to attract moths. Patches of nettles give off a delicate aroma and the bell-shaped foxglove proves a major attraction for bees.
Broadleaf Woodland
By July, the trees are in full leaf. Sunlight filters through the canopy to the woodland floor beneath. Surprisingly damp, the air is cool and still. Here, you may see fungi, lichens and self-seeded saplings. Looking up, you may catch the fleeting, undulating flight of the spotted woodpecker. Hidden glades reveal themselves to those who explore the inner sanctum of these old woods.
Often unsighted or, at least difficult to spot, are the woodland birds. Their songs give their presence away if you know what to listen for.
Freshwater
The world of freshwater is at its most frantic during the long sunlit days and warm weather. Plant life grows in abundance. This tangle of vegetation is home to dragonflies and damselflies, feeding and basking on the leaves warmed in the sunshine. Pollinating insects fly from waterside flowers on their day-to-day business. Water voles scurry along the banks. The small jewel, that is the kingfisher, nests at least a metre deep in the riverbank where she lays her eggs and rears her young.
You may see large colonies of sand martins nesting along the sandy banks of the riverside.