NATURE NOTES

Mint Moth

June is a great month for wildlife watching, with warmer sunny days enabling sightings of a wide variety of vertebrates and invertebrates. Many butterflies and moths are on the wing now and throughout the summer and autumn, including our spectacular and largest of British moths the Hawk-moth species.

Some of the smaller day-flying moths such as the Six-spot Burnet are particularly attracted to knapweed flowers.

New plant growth provides cover for many insects such as the familiar Shieldbugs. There are around forty recorded British species, several of which are commonly encountered locally, including the Green Shieldbug. It feeds on unripe seeds and, confusingly, is brown in winter.

Elephant Hawk Moth Six-spot Burnet Moth

Green Shieldbug Common Toad

All species pass through several moults, changing colour and increasing in size each time, until they reach the final adult stage or ‘instar’. The breeding season coming to an end for amphibians, toads now spend most of their time away from water hiding under stones or in shallow scrapes, so carefully camouflaged in their surroundings by the ability to change shade to blend with ground colour.

The nesting season is in full swing for many birds and, although there should be plenty of insects, bird feeding stations provide welcome help for tireless efforts to feed their young. Remember to offer only crushed peanuts to avoid choking and always remove any netting so that their legs cannot become entangled. Wet and windy weather makes searching for food difficult for birds, so it is especially important to provide food at these times and in dry spells. Much wildlife will benefit if you are able to leave areas in the garden undisturbed where wild plants can grow, providing both food and cover. Log stacks, or just decaying wood will provide good habitat for many species.

Gill Nash