Enter the dragonflies
summer’s best treats, and a variety of species can be found wherever there are pools or streams.
New discoveries are always possible – banded demoiselle dragonflies were first seen on Rimrose Valley in 1997 and are now present in many areas where there is flowing water.
Butterflies too are being pushed north by warming temperatures – ringlets are recent arrivals on the coast and can be found at several sites in Sefton, and purple and white letter hairstreaks are relatively recent colonists.
In a way, enjoying these new arrivals is something of a guilty pleasure – as population ranges are pushed north it means ultimately they may not be able to move further and could begin to die out.
Exciting new species may be a treat for us, but will future generations have the same experience?
Don’t forget it is possible encounter some great summer insects in your own back yard or garden as the summer heats up, and a particular favourite of mine is the holly blue, a tiny powder blue butterfly that may be found wherever there is ivy, leylandii or as the name suggests, holly nearby. It loves shady corners in parks and gardens, but when the sun’s bright light hits it, this busy insect can often look almost white.
In these difficult times the pleasures closest to home are often the best.
John works for Green Sefton, the Sefton Council service that brings together the coast & countryside, parks & green spaces, flooding & coastal erosion, risk management and grounds maintenance teams for a joined-up approach to the vital management, development and oversight of Sefton’s beautiful coastline, parks and green spaces. This column looks at the flora, fauna and history of the coastline, and the work carried out to protect it.