June 2025 Wildlife Update
Hope everyone is keeping as cool as possible and enjoying the sunshine! Some of our wildlife is loving the warm weather, some is hating it. Conservation Officer Sophie shares what’s been spotted in the Park this month.
Avian highlights:
- Hobby – spotted at the beginning of the month. A small falcon, that feeds mainly on dragonflies
- Common Tern chicks are doing well on the rafts on Overton Lake
- House Sparrow – spotted feeding a fledgeling in Ferry Meadows
- Pochard – these are mainly a winter visitor so a record at this time of year is unusual
- Long Tailed Tit – a common species, usually in small flocks, but juveniles have been spotted around the southern side of Gunwade Lake
- Cattle Egret – spotted a few times at the beginning of June, with the cattle on Heron Meadow
Other highlights:
- Norfolk Hawker dragonfly is having a brilliant year! Its range has expanded in slowly recent years, but this year it has been found much further west than ever before, even across the border in to Northamptonshire. We had our first records for Ferry Meadows this month, and also records of them egg laying at Thorpe Meadows. Look out for a large brown dragonfly with bright green eyes.
- Pyramidal Orchid – spotted by one of our eagle eyed volunteers in one of the meadows on the Rural Estate. It’s been many years since the last lone one was recorded in Ferry Meadows, so this is an exciting record!
- Small Heath butterfly has been spotted on the Rural Estate, an uncommon one for the park
- An Otter was spotted a couple of times on the river, near the suspension bridge, at the beginning of the month
- Roe Deer – a female with 2 fawns has been seen a number of times from Teal hide
- Various insects, including – Variable Long Horned Beetle, Meadow Plant Bug (pictured), multiple species of Shieldbug, Scarlet Tiger moth and 6 Spot Burnet moth
- Marbled White butterfly – spotted in a new area of Ferry Meadows, but currently in good numbers in the Terrace Field (along the Nene Way, about half way between Station Road in Ailsworth and Sutton)
Surveys!
- July & August means it’s Purple Hairstreak butterfly survey time!
- Rapid grassland surveys – thanks to the volunteers and staff who have helped with the rapid grassland surveys so far. They’re a great way of learning some of the common meadow plants.
- Bats – plenty of bats around at the moment, with another very productive bat survey at Lynch Farm last week showing at least 4 species, but likely more once I’ve gone through all the recordings!
