Spring and Summer
Spring (March, April and May)
Orange tip
butterlfy
Spring is probably the most exciting of
the four seasons after the cold of winter, the Country Park bursts
into life. Flowers stud the meadows with butterflies like the
orange tip and a whole host of insects being attracted to the
smells and colours as they begin to appear.
On a walk through the woods you will see dog
violets, blue bells and the clear white flowers of ramsons.
The approaching songs of summer can be heard as the visiting
blackcaps and chiffchaffs start to arrive. Look in the
ditches and ponds and you may see jelly-like patches and strings of
frog and toad spawn, these will see thousands of tadpoles emerge
later in the Spring.
Great Crested Grebe
Courtship displays of the swan and great
crested grebe can be seen, look out for pairs of grebes ‘head
shaking’ and performing a graceful watery courtship ‘dance’.
Millions of migrant birds arrive, with
chiffchaffs, sand martins and wheatears amongst the first to appear
in March and swallows, swifts, cuckoos, nightingales and many
warblers in April and May. This season is a time of days
getting longer and the spring sunshine bringing growth and
greenery everywhere with buds bursting and leaves
unfolding.
Summer (June, July and August)
Yellow
Flag Iris
Summer is the warmest of our four seasons and
a great time to look for butterflies and plants. The meadows will
be in full flower to include some impressive species of orchids
such as butterfly and pyramidal, these along with other flowers
attract a whole host of associated wildlife. It’s not just
the meadows; flowering aquatic plants such as water lily, yellow
flag iris and marsh marigold can also be seen near the lakes, ponds
and ditches.
Clouds of butterflies like common blues,
peacock, tortoise shell and red admiral can all be seen. Dragon and
damselflies will be busy along the waters edge chasing and darting
through the reed beds hunting their prey or resting on the sun
warmed planks along the boardwalk.
Swan
with Cygnets
With 16 different species found at cosmeston
you are sure to spot an Emperor or common Darter dragonfly or
common blue or blue tailed damselfly. The woodland is in full leaf
and an ideal place to seek shade from the sun and maybe spot a
purple hairstreak or speckled wood butterfly.
This time of year birds are active long into
the evening looking for food to feed their young whilst ducklings
and cygnets will be following their parents and exploring the
lakes. The warm shallows of the lake will also attract some of the
many fish to be found in the lakes to include; eels, roach, rudd,
bream, and carp.