Signs of summer in nature

Summer is here, and from our cities to the countryside, nature is alive with sound and colour. We've gathered six signs of the season for you to spot while enjoying the longer days outdoors. As our climate changes, you may notice these signs appearing earlier or later than they once did.

1. Trees in full leaf

The woodland canopy is now full with trees at their most green. This makes it a good time to practise identifying leaves. Use our free tree ID app to help you identify the trees around you and learn more about them.

2. Summer flowers in bloom

As spring flowers fade, summer blooms take their place. Look out for foxgloves, knapweed and common spotted orchids brightening woodland, meadows and hedgerows. Why not take our pocket-sized wildflowers swatch book on your walks to help you identify the flowers you see?

One flower you might smell before you see is honeysuckle, a sweet-scented climber that attracts bees, butterflies and moths. Its fragrance is strongest at night, and some moths can detect it from up to a quarter of a mile away.

3. Fledglings learning to fly

At this time of year, baby birds begin to leave the nest. Many spend a few days on the ground before they’re ready to take flight, building strength and waiting for their flight feathers to fully develop.

If you see a baby bird on its own, it’s best to leave it alone. Its parents are probably nearby.

4. Summer butterflies

Butterflies can be spotted throughout summer, feeding on nectar-rich flowers in gardens, parks, meadows and woodland. You can attract these colourful pollinators to your garden or window box by planting butterfly-friendly flowers for them to feed on. Our butterfly swatch book can help you identify the different species you spot.

5. Bats on the wing

Many bat species give birth in early summer and spend the season hunting insects to feed their young. A summer evening is a great time to spot them swooping through the air. You’re most likely to see them at dusk in woods or near rivers and ponds.

6. Chirping grasshoppers

One of summer's most recognisable sounds is the chirp of grasshoppers. They make this distinctive sound by rubbing their back legs against their wings. The tiny pegs on their legs create vibrations that produce the chirping noise in an action called stridulation. You can make a similar sound by running your fingernail along the teeth of a comb.

While both male and female grasshoppers are able to produce the sound, it’s usually the male you will hear chirping to attract a mate.

7. Ripening fruits

As summer progresses look out for blackberries, sloes, elderberries and rowan berries ripening along hedgerows and woodland edges. Blackberries grow on brambles and are ready to pick once they're plump and have turned a deep purple-black colour.

Help us record the changing seasons 

The Nature's Calendar project tracks the effects of weather and climate change on wildlife across the UK – its records date back to 1736. 

Join Nature’s Calendar to record the signs of summer you've seen, from flowers blooming to birds migrating. The data you provide helps us to better understand the effects of climate change and other patterns in the natural environment. By taking just a few minutes to share what you see, you'll be adding to hundreds of years' worth of important data. We couldn't do this work without you!