34 Nature Notes


Bloom and Grow! May and June are the months of high activity when meadows and hedgerows are full of flowers and wildlife. At this busy time of the lifecycle it’s important to support our struggling species. During peak ‘nesting season’ (1 March to 31August), the advice is to resist cutting or trimming hedgerows to give those birds a chance and remember to keep animals away from ground- nesting birds.


Look out for....


Bats - after winter hibernation, bats are highly active at dusk in May, feeding on increasing insect populations and establishing summer nursery roosts. Take a bat walk around Slapton or Berry Head where you could spot rare species like the rare Grey Long-eared bat and Greater Horseshoe bats. Find a self-guided bat trail at devonwild- lifetrust.org.uk and don’t forget to keep your outside lights to a mini- mum to help these endangered species.


Abundant wildflowers – butter- cups, elderflower, oxeye daisy, cow parsley, greater stitchwort, honeysuckle and speedwell are all around. Look out for the rare, low-growing evergreen White Rock rose which is found on dry grassland and coastal cliffs with its five-petaled white flowers with yellow stamens.


No Mow May


No Mow May is back for 2026 swiftly followed by let it bloom June!


Hedgehogs – it’s mating season for our prickly friends – an interesting concept with all those spikes! But you may well hear scuffling, rhythmic snorting and puffing which are the signs of courtship. Apparently head-butting and chases are not uncommon.


White Rock rose (Helianthemum apenninum)


Buterflies – This is peak time for butterfly spotting – particularly in the morning of sunny, calm days. Look out for Com- mon blues, Meadow browns and Large skippers on rough grassland and road verges.


Lock up your mowers and give your grass and wildflowers a chance to grow and give nature the boost it deserves. Plantlife.org.uk


This is the perfect time to sign up to the ‘30 days wild’ challenge – From planting wildflowers for bees, to listening to bird song or letting a corner of your garden grow a little wilder. Visit wildlifetrusts.org for free resources


World Bee Day is on 20 May and this is a timely reminder of swarming season which normally falls between mid-May and mid-June when warmer weath-


er arrives. Don’t forget to report a swarm and contact a local beekeeper so they can be safely re-homed as quickly as possible. Local facebook sites are always active on this subject or visit Bbka.org.uk to find a local swarm collector.


Large skipper


Common Blue


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