The hot summer enjoyed in Britain this year gave a clear boost to the nation’s wildlife.
Butterflies, moths, and grasshoppers all benefitted, according to the National Trust which proclaimed it “one of the most remarkable wildlife years in living memory”. Bees and crickets also thrived in the warm sunny spell.
The warm weather also led to an explosion of berries, nuts and seeds.
The lead-in to summer, however, was cold. This left badgers and hedgehogs without their usual quantity of worms, while many summer migrating birds, such as swallows and martins, suffered and many died of starvation.
But the cool weather provided a long flowering season for snowdrops, primroses and bluebells. And it also kept down the slug population.
When the warm weather hit in July and August, it marked a departure from six consecutive poor summers.
Last summer was a boost for insects whose numbers had dwindled in 2012 as a result of the poor weather. The distinctive tree bumblebee, which only started to colonise the UK in 2001, spread considerably, going north of Hadrian’s Wall for the first time.
According to the National Trust, there were more winners than losers in Britain’s wildlife in 2013.
