It’s official, the Met Office has confirmed that summer 2024 was the coolest since 2015. We also saw average sunshine amounts and, surprisingly rainfall rates for the UK were around average, although there were substantial regional variations.
The poor summer inevitably had a negative impact on wildlife, in particular some of my favourite bird species, although the wet weather has been beneficial to certain other breeds.
This year’s wet spring of delayed the arrival of migratory birds such as swifts and swallows and any early arrivals had to search for food in the cool weather before nesting, using up vital energy levels needed to start and maintain a family.
I also heard reports of heavy rain flooding nests of ground nesting birds like Lapwing and reports of swifts throwing eggs out of their nests to reduce the number of hungry mouths to feed once hatched.
On the plus side, all the wet weather provides more worms in soggy ground for species like blackbird to feed on. Such species can do well in these conditions, although the blackbird, one of our most loved and easily recognised birds is currently declining in some areas, particularly the south-east due to a mosquito borne virus, which is on the rise and is yet another consequence
of generally warmer temperatures as a result of climate change.
The wet weather has also made it difficult for other species such as bats, butterflies and bumblebees. The wet and cool conditions has meant less insects around for the bats to feed on with many reports of underweight and grounded bats being found.
I can probably count on both hands the number of butterflies I’ve seen, similarly with bumblebees. With the wet spring and a cooler than normal summer butterflies need both warmth and dry conditions to be able to fly around and also to reproduce. Wet weather makes it hard for bumblebees to forage, add to the mix the trees blossoming later this year and an overall decline in bumblebees due to loss of habitat, pesticide use, climate change etc. the overall picture is particularly grim. I’ve also seen very few wasps, everyone’s favourite picnic and pub garden pest. I’ve seen maybe four or five this year and as much as I’m not a fan of them, their absence is worrying.
Summer can mean mixed fortunes for some species with some doing better in dry, warm summers and some thriving in cooler, damp summers. Song birds struggle in long, dry spells where the ground can be hard whereas insect eating species can thrive with an increase in food during warmer spells. I suppose it is a fine balance and all nature relies on their individual and preferred conditions, however we are seeing more and more extremes in weather from very wet to increasingly hot spells.
Some species cope better than others and can adapt, which we are seeing with some species changing their feeding habits or migrating northwards but overall the future looks bleak for many of our birds and wildlife and we must do more to tackle climate change. It’s a long road ahead and we must expect to see further changes and challenges for our wildlife.
These are worrying times and sadly I remain pessimistic for the future of many of our much loved and well known species. We have many individuals and organisations out there trying so hard to help our most vulnerable species but it’s an uphill struggle and we have a massive job on our hands.
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