August Wildlife Highlights – by Trentham’s Wildlife Ranger!

A blog by Trentham’s Wildlife Ranger, Duncan.

August is upon us – how did the year go by so quickly?

2025 has, on the whole, been a very warm and dry year, with the driest March in 60 years and no significant periods of spring or summer rain. As a result, the West Midlands region is now officially in drought.

Some highlights from this summer:

The wildlife at Trentham has been thriving over the summer months.

Tufted Ducks are regulars on the lake throughout the year, with up to 100 present during the winter months. In spring and summer, their numbers dwindle as they head off to breeding sites elsewhere. This year, we’ve spotted at least two sets of tufted duck ducklings swimming up and down the lake.

Our resident Kingfishers have been busy as always, darting across the lake and along the River Trent. There have been plenty of great photo opportunities from our otter and kingfisher hide.

This year appears to be better than recent years for butterflies, with a wide range of species active across the site. From the bold and eye-catching Peacocks and Red Admirals to the more subtle Wall and Purple Hairstreaks, there’s been plenty to spot. (Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell pictured.)

Bird life on the lake remains rich in variety. Grey Herons and Little Egrets are nesting among the mature trees on the islands, while our swans and geese have welcomed many goslings and cygnets. One successful female Mute Swan hatched 10 cygnets – nine of which have survived and are now fast approaching adolescence.

Trentham is a brilliant site for damselflies and dragonflies, with an impressive variety of species breeding across different water bodies. Large Brown Hawkers can be seen patrolling the woodlands on the west side of the lake, while bright blue Emperor Dragonflies – the UK’s largest native species – are visible at both the north and south ends of the lake.

Autumn is not far off. Our migrant birds are preparing for the long journey south, and autumn fungi are starting to appear. Summer is gently passing the baton to autumn – with plenty more wildlife sightings still to come in 2025.

Thank you to our member John Ruggiero for the photos.