From Chiff-Chaffs to Norfolk Hawker Dragonflies

Hoveton Hall Gardens Guided Tours: What to see in June

Hoveton Hall Gardens will be holding a guided wildlife tour on Wednesday 20th June 2012.  The tour will be led by the Garden’s Head Horticulturist, Dr. Stewart Wright. The Gardens are home to a vast range of wildlife and plants, with different areas of the gardens attracting different species.

During the month of June you can expect to see an assortment of birds nesting in the Gardens, such as chiff-chaffs, blackcaps and spotted flycatchers, as well as swallows, house martins, woodpeckers and marsh tits to name just a few.

June also sees a great increase in the number and variety of dragonflies that can be seen around the Gardens. The hairy dragonfly can often found in the shelter of the water garden, whilst the Norfolk hawker, can frequently be found near the stone bridge. Damselflies are also likely to be seen by the end of the month, most commonly found in the water garden or around the lake.

In previous years, twenty-four different species of butterflies have been recorded in the Gardens, including the green-veined white and the small copper butterflies, whilst around 500 species of moth have also been spotted. Most of these moths are nocturnal, however a number of day-flying species are likely to be seen during the month of June, such as the silver y which is often found feeding at Nepeta flowers in the walled gardens.

The Gardens of Hoveton Hall also play home to a wide variety of insects, as well as mammals such as grey squirrels, rabbits, water voles, water shrews and deer. Muntjac live among the Gardens large collection of rhododendrons, which should also be at their best during June. Otters regularly visit the lake, but it takes a quick eye and an amount of luck to catch a glimpse of these elusive creatures.

During June, Hoveton’s water garden is host to an assortment of flowers and plants, such as yellow flag iris, water forget-me-not, brooklime and water mint, whilst, along the paths, between the stone bridge and the glasshouse, there are woodland species of red campion, pignut and barren strawberry that flourish in the partial shade. The star-shaped flowers of the Star-of-Bethlehem, Ornithogalum arabicum, can be found near the water tower and in the orchard, with the woodland paths being fragranced by the sweet-scented flowers of the wild honeysuckle.

Tours start at the tearooms at 11.00am and are free, as part of the entry fee. At the tearooms there is a wildlife information board that will list the latest sightings.