One of my earliest memories of the natural world is going with my Dad on a wildlife recording day at the height of summer. We wanted to record all the species we could find within five miles of our home between sunrise and sunset — a tall order for a seven-year-old! I’ve always remembered the feeling of awe at not only the great variety of wildlife in our neighbourhood, but also how many species were active at different times of the day.

Why not celebrate Midsummer Day this weekend with a wildlife survey of your own? With the summer solstice today and 18 hours of daylight predicted for the coming week, it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy the rich variety of wildlife in different habitats on BBOWT’s nature reserves in Oxfordshire and compile an impressive list of species.

You could start with an early morning walk through the dewy grass at Warburg Nature Reserve ,near Henley-on-Thames, and marvel at nature’s own symphony, the dawn chorus. How many birds can you identify and in what sequence do they react to the sunrise and start singing? Birdsong fades as the sun gets brighter and birds start feeding, so this is a good time to head to one of Oxfordshire’s fantastic wildflower meadows.

Asham Meads near Otmoor hosts a wonderful diversity of insects. Pause to listen to the rich buzzing sounds from grasshoppers and crickets in their hiding places deep among the long grasses. This evocative ‘sound of summer’ is made by its hind legs rubbing against the insect’s body. Butterflies like marbled white and meadow brown flit among the colourful flowers of the burgundy-red great burnet and frothy yellow clusters of lady’s bedstraw.

When the sun is high you could look for shade beside pools and streams at Dry Sandford Pit, one of the BBOWT reserves at Dry Sandford village. This is where you’ll see the fascinating aerobatics of colourful dragonflies and damselflies as they dart and flit with astonishing skill; flying sideways, backwards and forwards. For such fragile-looking creatures dragonflies have extraordinarily strong flight muscles. Their wings twist in flight, rotating in a figure-of-eight movement. Dragonflies at rest spread their wings out, whereas the daintier damselflies hold their wings closed over their backs. You’re more likely to spot elusive nocturnal animals now than at any other time of year. As the sun sets, find a strategic vantage point at Iffley Meadows to scan patches of scrub with binoculars and you may see a badger or a fox. At dusk, bats appear like a squadron of fighter planes. You’ll see them reflected in the surface of ponds or rivers, swooping and swerving to feed on insects. If you’re able to use a bat detector you’ll be amazed to hear the variety of ticks, slaps and clicks made by different bat species. These usually inaudible ultrasonic sounds are like a sophisticated radar system for bats to locate their prey and avoid obstacles.

Don’t think of heading to bed once it’s dark as the show isn’t over yet! If you still have enough energy why not venture into the garden with a torch and see if you can spot any marvellous moths nectaring on flowers. You will be amazed at how colourful they are, especially if you’re lucky enough to glimpse the large and very pink elephant hawkmoth.

  • Why not join a BBOWT guided walk across wildflower meadows or discover bats and moths? Go to www.bbowt.org.uk for details of all the BBOWT nature reserves and find out What’s On near you.

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