This will be an evolving section of the site and should help visitors to know what wildlife to look for through the year. If you would like to contribute pictures or stories to this section then please email David Horsley davidth@holtlowes.org
We will work on the basis of 4 seasons
Winter (Dec-Feb)
Winter is a relatively quiet time on the Lowes.
Birds are generally quiet, but the resident species like Wrens and Robins are busy finding food – often spiders – in the heath areas.
Kestrels and Buzzards will be active all this period
The reptiles will be hibernating so will not be visible. Adders underground and grass snakes in the piles of rotting vegetation
Keep a watch out for the ponies nibbling last summer’ gorse growth
Spring (March-May)
The busiest organisms are the Reptiles in the early part of this period. When the reptiles come out of hibernation depends very much on temperature. It is possible yo see adders basking on a warm January morning. However the main activity of courtship and mating really gets underway in mid March to mid April
Resident birds will be in full song, and fairly soon summer migrants will also be here and the first of these will be the Chiffchaff
Green Hairstreak butterflies – one of the earliest insects in April/May
Summer (June-August)
One of the busiest times of year for insects, and many of the Lowes’ plants will be in flower. An evening visitshould provide the opportunity to hear Nightjars and woodcock roding
Look out for Silver-washed Fritillaries. They are a recent recolonist and lay their eggs on violets – mostly in the Country Park. Howeverthey are regularly seen nectaring on brambles on the Lowes
White Admiral are also to be found. They have appeared on the Lowes around 30 years ago as part of their northward advance due probably to climate change
In late summer the heathers and western gorse are in full flower – a wonderful site and of course their flowers will be visted by a great variety of pollinting insects
Autumn (Sept-Nov)
The stars of the Autumn are of course the Fungi
The Fly Agaric, which is associated with Birch is relatively common on the Lowes