Wet weather and wildlife

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Last week I wrote that populations of slugs and snails have boomed this year, due to the incredibly wet conditions between April and June. But how has other wildlife fared?

Early reports suggest that it’s been a terrible year for swifts. Bats have also suffered, with many local bat groups reporting an increase in the number of bats found on the ground, unable to fly. This comes as no surprise, swifts and bats eat insects and insects cannot fly in rain. The worrying thing is that swifts and bats are already suffering huge declines.

But what about everything else? For many species, it’s too early to say, but I’ve done six butterfly counts for the Big Butterfly Count, and I haven’t seen a single peacock, small tortoiseshell or painted lady butterfly. I’m not alone. Butterfly Conservation’s chief executive Martin Warren said: "We think this may be the worst ever summer for the garden species. Because of the hot weather, people are now out looking for butterflies, and they're telling us they're seeing nothing.”

I’ve seen a lot of tree bumblebees, but less of those that nest underground, such as the red-tailed, white-tailed and buff-tailed bumbles. I presume this is because nests were flooded during the rains (tree bumblebees typically nest in trees, lofts and bird boxes). I didn’t see a single honeybee in my garden until about two weeks ago.

What have seen large numbers of, is baby blackbirds. Everywhere I go there’s a baby blackbird or three, clumsily hopping about, snatching at snails. Could it be that they’ve had a particularly good breeding season, given that they eat worms, slugs and snails? I’ve also seen a lot of ringlet butterflies, which apparently fare well in wet summers due to abundance of their caterpillars’ foodplant: grass. And I’ve noted a lot of gatekeepers and green-veined whites.

Now the weather is looking more stable, survivors of the wet spring and early summer have a fighting chance of building up their reserves in time for winter hibernation. But if you do find an animal in trouble – be it a grounded bat or starving hedgehog, then please call an organisation or charity for help. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society can give you advice on how to care for a needy hedgehog, while the Bat Conservation Trust can put you in touch with your local bat group. Sometimes all these animals need is some food and shelter.

We’d love you to share your sightings and anecdotes of the wildlife that’s been your garden this summer. Have you, like me, seen more baby blackbirds and fewer garden butterflies? Or is the wildlife in your garden bucking the trend?

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