As we move into Summer the wildlife around you is  alive with wonderful and exciting activity for you to notice!

 

Watch out for the following:

Plants

The summer flowers are blooming look out for the following colourful flowers when you are out and about.

• Foxglove
• ragged robin,
• field poppy,
• cowslips,
• buttercups and daisies         

 

Please don’t pick wildflowers. Not picking them means that other people can enjoy them and also gives them a chance will grow back next year and hopefully in larger numbers. 

Many of the flowers that can be seen at the moment are out early due to our surprising good weather. You may have noticed the sweet fruity smell of the gorse and elder plants if you have been out and about in the countryside. Why not make your own wildflower meadow in your garden? By planting certain species of plants you can attract good bugs in to your garden. These good bugs (i.e. Ladybirds, butterflies and lacewings) will help fight against the bad bugs (Greenfly) that eat your garden plants. Below is a list of pretty flowering plants that can help to attract these good bugs.  

 

Insects and flowers

Good Bugs that are helpful to your garden include Ladybirds, Butterflies Lacewings. By planting the right kind of flowers in your garden you can attract these good bugs.

 

 

Red Admiral on Buddleia

 

 

 

 

 

Nettles are a favourite food of caterpillars, ladybird larvae

Caterpillars on leaf

 

 

 

 

Nectar Plants:                                              

Cuckoo flower                                                Red Valerian

Daisy                                                              Knapweed

Dandelion                                                       Lavender

Forget-me-not                                                Thyme

Honesty                                                          Bluebell

Primrose                                                         Clover

Sweet Rocket                                                 Buddleia

Daisy Mint                                                      Ivy

Also provide hibernation boxes or areas for these insects, you can create a bug box. A bug box is easily made just cutting a few lengths of garden bamboo about a 12 inches long, tie these together and that’s it!

Leaving a woodpile in the garden also provides a warm place to hibernate during the winter.

For more information check out the ENFO leaflets on Butterflies and Moths

This early good weather has also encouraged the insects are becoming more active. Many insects such as Mayfly and Stonefly are indicator species; their presence around rivers indicates good water quality. Bees are very busy during the summer months collecting nectar from flowers and also pollinating flowers. This is the transfer of pollen from the male element of the flower to the female element. Many plants need help pollinating to develop fruit, It has been proven that apples, pears, plums and other hardy fruits and soft fruits will yield a much heavier crop and a better shaped fruit when pollinated by the honeybee.

Butterflies can be seen widespread across the country. The Peacock butterfly can be seen in August. There are 34 species of butterfly in Ireland, try keeping a record of what butterfly you see and let us know how many you have found by the end of the summer! There are many good websites which have pictures of the many different butterflies in Ireland (click here to see theIPCC fact sheet on Butterflies in Bogs and Fens ) 

Peacock Butterfly on a fern

 

Mamals

For many mammals the breeding season has started and the countryside is alive with animals and their young.

Keep an eye out for the following mammals and their young over the next few months but please try not to disturb them.  

• The Bat breeding season has started and the roosts are full of activity. Bats can be seen flying out of places like roofs, attics and barns. By the end of August the first young bats will be heading out for their first flights. 
• Common Seal pups are born in June and July, they can be seen in many areas along the coast. Seals, as with all other animals, should not be disturbed especially when they have their young with them. Adult animals can get very protective of their young. 
• Fox cubs are starting to peek out of the dens.  

Hedgehogs young are also born at this time of year and will be seen as the summer progresses.

Reptiles

You many spot our two reptile species out sunbathing in the summer months, the Common Lizard and the Slow Worm. The Slow Worm is only found around the Burren, Co Clare, however the Common Lizard can be found throughout the country. It is about 15cm long, of which the tail makes up the most part. It is usually a green/brown colour with some black and white markings. If you are quick you might spot them on south facing areas in undisturbed ground, with short, dense vegetation, bog land and heathland, road side verges/ hedgerows and scrub, stonewalls and sand dunes. Common lizards prefer sites near water, such as on a grassy tussock in bog lands, this is probably due to the plentiful supply of insects that this type of habitat attracts. 

 

Birds 

Swallows and Housemartins have arrived and can be seen widely around the countryside. Have a look around the roof edges of your house/shed/barn for their nests. As these birds arrive, many move away (migrate) for the summer. Our wintering feathered friends such as the Barnacle and the Canada Geese have left us to fly for hundreds of miles to their Artic breeding grounds. They will return again in the autumn. Birdwatch Ireland are running a survey called Spring Alive which is recording Swallows, Swifts and Cuckoos in Ireland. Spring Alive

The dawn chorus is the time of the morning when most of the songbirds sing, this is most noticeable in the Spring/Summer time when the breeding season has started. The dawn chorus has reached its peak; check out Biodiversity Week Events to join a group heading out to listen to the morning musical adventure. 

At the beach

 The beach is full of life all year round, here are some things to look out for when the tide is out…

-          in the rock pools have a look for sea anomies, crabs, tiny fish and shrimp.

-          Along the waters edge see how many different types of seaweed you can find.

-          Look in the sky around cliffs and along the coast for the many different sea birds, Sea Gulls,

-          There are lots of very interesting items that can be found on the beach, one of which is the Mermaids Purse. The Mermaids Purse is the eggcases of sharks, skates and rays. A survey is being conducted at the moment to identify where nursery areas are in Ireland for these fish, and you can help by recording any you see Purse Search Ireland

 

Rock pools and the seashore is a myriad of life why not bring a note book take notes and sketches of what you see. You can identify them when you get home on the Internet or with a good wildlife book. Colouring and Guide Books produced by Sherkin Island Marine Station are packed with useful facts and descriptions of Sea Creatures can be ordered by clicking here to the Sherkin Island Marine Station site.

 

On your picnic

As more and more people out and about picnicking, it is important to remember not to feed birds in lakes. Throwing bread and food in to lakes and rivers to feed birds can add to pollution of the water. Excessive amounts of bread and other foods in the water can increase the nutrient level causing eutrophication, this can cause decreased oxygen in the water causing many fish and insects populations to decrease and also many species of water plants to grow very quickly and ‘take over’ the water area decreasing room for other species of plants.