ALSO LOOK OUT FOR…

BABY BATS Many female bats will be giving birth to their tiny single pups this month. The e size and location of nursery roosts depe nd on species, but inclu ude hollow trees, roof spaces and crevices in stone structures such as bridges. Adult male bats usually roost separately.

HUMMER SUMMER?

June 2017 was a record for migratory hummingbird hawkmoths in UK gardens, according to the BTO Garden BirdWatch survey. During warm weather and a southerly airflow, keep an eye out for these day-flying moths hovering next to flowers. Buddleia and red valerian are favourites.

TOUSLED BLOOMS

June is peak season for ragged robin, a bright pink wildflower of damp grassland that sports uniquely shredded, messy-looking petals, like a bad case of ‘morning hair’. It is a nectar source for many butterflies, from rarities like the swallowtail ( opposite) to many of the brown and white butterflies.

SPOTTY SPLENDOUR

We usually associate redshanks with winter saltmarshes and mudflats, but should also admire their richly spotted breeding plumage. Though numbers nesting in lowlands continue to fall, there’s some rare good news: redshanks now breed at WWT London Wetland Centre – the closest to the centre of the capital for a century.