Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust: Make sure to make the most of a wild summer

Following one of the driest springs on record and the scorching end to June, it is easy to forget that Summer only officially started on June 21st, writes Erin McDaid of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

Summer is a great time to get out and about to see, hear and connect with nature. The generally warmer weather (hopefully not as warm as we’ve been experiencing of late), the good chance of dry spells and wonderfully long days are perfect for getting out and about and perhaps settling down somewhere to take in a long, lingering sunset.

Wildflower meadows are bursting with blooms and beneficial insects from bees and hoverflies to delicate butterflies; wetlands are alive with ducklings, signets, and goslings as well as swooping swifts and martins - while woodlands offer a shady retreat when the sun is high.

With Nottinghamshire being just about as far from the coast as you can get in the country, the long days are also perfect for a trip to the seaside for the spot of rock pooling or a chance to explore sand dune systems – safe in the knowledge that you can make it pretty much all the way home with daylight to spare.

If you are thinking of heading to the coast you can also take in the wonderful seabird colonies on the East Coast at places such as Bempton, where you can enjoy impressive gannets, cute puffins, and more from a clifftop path or a trip boat.

There really is so much choice for anyone who enjoys the natural world. Our gardens are temporary crèches for fledgling birds, whilst garden ponds and damp meadows attract dainty damselflies and more robust dragonflies.

Out in the wider countryside, it is possible to seek out the mysterious nightjar in Sherwood Forest and there still just about time to hear the evocative sound of the cuckoo before they start their long journey back to Africa after their vital, but all too fleeting, visit to breed here.

House martins can be seen searching the skies above suburban gardens in search of insects before being replaced at dusk by bats – always a delightful sight while you are relaxing in the garden with cool drink at the end of long summer’s day.

As summer gets underway, dragonflies and damselflies will continue to delight, but you’ll also be able to go on the hunt for the impressive hummingbird hawk moth. These colourful day-flying moths can be heard ‘humming’ as they move from flower to flower – so keep an eye out on species such as valerian, honeysuckle and buddleia.

On sunny mornings you could look out for lizards or slow worms basking in the sunshine whilst visiting heathland. This month you might also spot young stoats. While kits are born in spring, the family stays together for a couple of months before the young stoats make their way in the world as the females mate again before summer is out.

As well as taking opportunities to see and enjoy summer species, the long days also provide an ideal chance to visit nature sites near and far – so why not check out some local Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust sites or those cared for by our sister Trusts across the East Midlands and beyond?

We’ve got dozens of sites here in Notts and well over 2,000 across the UK – so there’s plenty to keep you busy.

Details of all our nature reserves across the county can be found at nottinghamshirewildlife.org/nature-reserves