Summer is a time of colour and life. Last month, our nature reserves were awash with jewel-hued kingfishers, butterflies and wildflowers; as well as a host of young animals growing up as quickly as they seemed to appear.

Brockholes

Brockholes nature reserve in Preston was a haven for all things feathered and furred in June. Little egrets and kingfishers fished on the Ribble, a fox was seen pottering across the entrance road, and reed, sedge and willow warblers filled the air with song.

Summers at Brockholes are great for family days out, and not just for us humans. June days were filled with the comings and goings of baby animals and their parents. Juvenile whitethroats and blue tits were spotted striking out on their own, while goosander and mallard chicks paddled after their parents. Great spotted woodpeckers were seen feeding their young at their tree holes, and each roe deer doe seemed to be followed by one or two youngsters that were losing their newborn-spots.

There were still lots of insects to see at Brockholes in June, including small skipper butterflies, magpie moths and brown hawker dragonflies. It was little surprise when you set eyes on the incredible-looking meadows; brimming with bee orchids, common spotted-orchids and yellow rattle.

Middleton Nature Reserve

There was so much wildlife to see at Middleton Nature Reserve near Heysham in June. A whole collection of warblers (including Cetti’s, sedge and lesser whitethroat) sung visitors and volunteers around the paths. A weasel was seen scampering through the undergrowth, bee orchids were in flower, and we even had some fairly rare sightings for the reserve.

The first was a lunar hornet moth attracted to a pheromone lure. These fantastic moths evolved their hornet-like looks to deter predators, and they spend two whole years as larvae before transforming into adult moths.

The second was a clouded yellow butterfly. This stunning species is one of the truly migratory European butterflies and visits our shores fairly regularly, though in much smaller numbers up north. They’re attracted to land with clovers, which their caterpillars eat, and southern visitors have a particular preference for chalk downland.

Heysham Nature Reserve

Nearby Heysham Nature Reserve was also a brilliant place for a spot of Lepidoptera watching last month. The grassland was alive with burnet companion moths, drinker moth caterpillars roamed around the paths, and we even spotted a dark green fritillary butterfly.

This big, beautiful fritillary loves flower-rich grasslands, especially if its caterpillar foodplants, violets, grow there.

The Chat Moss peatlands

June was an exciting month across the Chat Moss peatlands in Greater Manchester. Volunteers spotted a bright green, squidgy emperor moth caterpillar on a mission to find something to eat, plus a fancy-looking wasp beetle. Most exciting, though, were the wildlife sightings that proved our peatland conservation work is paying off.

At Birch House Farm, which is just 18 months into its restoration journey from agricultural field to bog, we have already found a sundew! Best of all, we didn’t even have to plant it – this carnivorous plant arrived under its own steam, proof that if conditions are right then nature can recolonize.

June also saw our second large heath butterfly release. We introduced 20 more pupae into their peaty new home, and they’re now flying free across the Moss. Large heaths were also on the wing at Astley Moss – the second native generation after we reintroduced them to the site in 2020.

Mere Sands Wood

Wildflowers were the order of the day at Mere Sands Wood in June. White campion, elderflower and brambles bloomed across the reserve, and our meadow really burst into life, with orchids flowering beneath fluttering green-veined white and comma butterflies, and speedy emperor dragonflies.

It was wonderful to see so much wood avens in the woodland, too. Also known as ‘herb bennet’, it flowers in late spring, producing small, bright yellow blooms. These flowers then turn into red, hooked seedheads which are fond of sticking to passing animals, and your clothes!

What will you spot at our nature reserves this month? Let us know on social media using the buttons below.