June
Great Tits
Keep a look out for great tits during June. They can often be seen visiting birdtables and feeders. Great tits are the largest of the British tits. They have blue and yellow plumage with a black cap. Both males and females have a black stripe running down the middle of the chest but males have a broader stripe than females. A pair of great tits delivers more than 10,000 caterpillars to their young, each pair flying at least 100km to collect them!
Bats
A great idea for how to spend a June evening is to go on a bat walk! Try throwing a pebble in the air and watch for bats swooping towards the insect-like stone. A bat will soon realise its mistake and change course. Your garden is the best place to watch more common species, such as the pipistrelle. It has a tiny body and fluttering flight. The noctule bat lives in parks or woodland edges. It is one of the largest bats in Europe and is golden-brown with pointed narrow wings. The Daubenton’s bat lives near lakes and feeds by catching tiny insects from the water surface. It is medium-small sized and has a fluffy appearance.
Daisy
Did you know that the name daisy started off as 'day's eye'? It was called 'day's eye' because of the flower's yellow centre, which is revealed every morning as the white petals open when the sun rises. The Latin name for daisy is 'bellis', which means beautiful.
Newts
Keep an eye out for adult newts during the month of June. It is often a surprise when you first find them out of water but after breeding in the pond in the spring they emerge on to land to feed. The newt tadpoles can be found in the weeds around the edges of ponds. They look just like adult newts but with fluffy things sticking out of the side of their heads, which are gills used for getting oxygen while underwater.
Little Grebes
Look out for little grebes while walking along the riverside. The little grebe is a dumpy bird with a 'fluffy' rear end. They can be very noisy with a distinctive whinnying trill and ‘bee-eep’ calls. In summer little grebes have bright chestnut throats and cheeks and a pale gape patch at the base of the bill. Adult little grebes often carry their young on their backs and will give them feathers to eat. This prevents their stomach being damaged by the bones of the fish they eat.
Fox Cubs
June is the best month to see fox cubs play happily with their siblings and parents. As they grow bigger they become more adventurous and frisky. Fox cubs, impatient for the cover of dusk, often emerge above ground early to bask and play. You often hear the cubs before seeing them as they make a lot of noise!
