Spotlight on... summer wildlife
- Jun 1, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 3
What you may see in the park this summer
showed you the park's spring highlights it's now time for us to showcase summer 🌞
The weather's warmed up, the days have got longer and the wildlife and fauna that you can find out and about in our 10,000 acres have changed too. Read on to find out more.
Wildlife
Here's a few highlights that you might see between June and August in the park's protected habitats:
Common Tern returned to the valley in spring having spent the winter in Africa. They lay their eggs in late spring, early summer on the artificial rafts that mimic the coastal shingle banks where they traditionally nest. They lay 2-3 eggs, which are well camouflaged against the shingle, they hatch after around 22 days. The adults catch fish to feed to the young who are fledged after 28 days and are fully independent by 2-3 months and build up their strength for the long migration back to Africa. Head to the Wildlife Discovery Centre where our friendly volunteers will point out the Common Tern. Read more >
The non-venomous Grass Snake is the only snake regularly recorded in the Lee Valley. They’re good swimmers and can often be seen hunting their prey of amphibians, fish and small mammals along ditches, through reedbeds or ponds. In summer they lay up to 40 eggs in piles of rotting vegetation, they hatch in late summer into miniature versions of the adult
The White Letter Hairstreak butterfly, which gets its name from the ‘W’ shape on the underside of its wings, can be a difficult butterfly to spot as it spends most of its time flying around the tops of trees, particularly Elm. A decline in numbers coincided with Dutch Elm disease which swept the country in the years after it was first imported in the 1960’s. Where there are still Elms on sites, such as Cornmill Meadows Tree Park or on Holyfield Hall Farm, look high in the branches to spot them – binoculars can help if you have them
Essex and Small Skipper are closely related butterflies that can be easily confused. The best way to tell them apart is by looking at the tips of their antenna, the Essex Skipper has distinctive black tips whereas the Small Skipper has brown or orange tips. Look across the grasslands of sites such as Walthamstow Marshes, Tottenham Marshes or Cornmill Meadows to see them feeding on nectar
There are nine species of bat found in the Lee Valley. Look low across the waterways for Daubentons, sometimes called the Water Bat as they scoop prey from the water’s surface. The Soprano Pipestrelle, the UK’s smallest bat is also found in the park – it weighs the same as a 2p! Bats feed on small insects eating up to 3,000 in one night. We've installed bat boxes around the park on trees and buildings to provide roosting areas
Dragonflies are amazing hunters both when they are larvae underwater and as adults on the wing. When flying they can move very fast, patrolling a stretch of waterway and hunting prey. If you are patient they may land on a perch – helping you get a better look. The Hairy Dragonfly, emerges from the water early in the season and if it stays still long enough look at its body and you might just see the hairs that give it its name. Head to Cornmill Meadows Dragonfly Sanctuary or Amwell Nature Reserve to see over half of the UK’s dragonfly species
The Willow Emerald is a striking metallic green damselfly of still or slow-moving water, and a species worth watching for in late summer around ponds, lakes, canals and ditches with overhanging trees. Unlike many damselflies, it often rests with its wings partly spread rather than folded neatly together. Look at branches overhanging the waterways and you may see small, raised bumps which are scars where the female has cut into the woody stems of trees such as willow to lay her eggs. The Willow Emerald is a relatively new arrival in the UK with the first breeding populations recorded in East Anglia in 2007 and recorded first in the Lee Valley at Amwell Nature Reserve in 2014. Since then they have been recorded at a number of sites including Myddelton House Gardens and Rammey Marsh.
The Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) is non-native moth, first recorded in 2006 having arrived on imported Oak trees. The caterpillars are active between April and July and can be seen moving in a procession around the trees, striping them of their leaves. The caterpillars have hairs that irritate the skin causing rashes, eye irritations and breathing difficulties and you should avoid contact with them. They build nests in early summer, in order to pupate into the adult moths. The nests can see a build-up of the hairs. If you spot an OPM nest or caterpillars, please contact our Ranger team on 03000 030 610 (select option 2, then option 1)
The Hobby is a slim, elegant bird and a classic summer sight over wetlands. It's a migrant to Britain, arriving in spring from Africa and often seen hunting over the open water of valley’s gravel pits where dragonflies are abundant. Scan the sky above the water and watch for quick, agile bursts of flight as a Hobby twists and turns in pursuit of insects or small birds. Look for its distinctive scythe-shaped wings shape, a dark hood, pale cheeks and distinctive rusty-red ‘trousers’ on its legs.
The Cetti’s Warbler is more often heard than seen! This small, stocky brown bird lives low in dense vegetation beside water, especially reedbed edges, willows and tangled scrub. It has a warm chestnut-brown back, greyish underparts and a pale line above the eye. The easiest way to spot one is to listen first: its song is a sudden, explosive burst from deep cover, often delivered from a hidden perch before the bird slips away again. It was first recorded as a breeding bird in the UK in 1972 in Kent but has since spread and is now resident year-round and present along the length of the Lee Valley.
The Reed Warbler is a classic bird of summer reedbeds and one of the voices that brings wetland margins to life. It is a small, brown bird with buff underparts, a pale throat and a short pale line in front of the eye, but it is usually easier to hear than to see. Its rhythmical song is a lively, chattering stream of notes delivered from deep within the reeds, often from April to early autumn. Listen out for them in tall reedbeds around lakes, ditches and sheltered channels on the wetlands of River Lee Country Park, East India Dock Basin or Glen Faba. Watch for a slight movement low among upright reed stems, or a bird briefly climbing up to sing before dropping back into cover. Its secretive behaviour means patience and listening are the best ways to spot one!
The Water Vole is a charismatic wetland mammal, although they are easy to miss if you rush past. They have chestnut-brown fur, a blunt nose, small ears and a furry tail. They favour slow-moving ditches, streams and pond edges with lush bankside plants to feed on and hide in. Rather than expecting a long view, watch quietly for signs: a neat plop into the water, short-grazed patches of vegetation, or little feeding stations where stems have been nibbled. Early morning or evening is often best, and patience is essential. If you stand still by a calm bank in the Lee Valley, a Water Vole may reappear to swim across open water or sit briefly among the bankside vegetation.
Barbel are powerful river fish, well adapted to life in clean, fast-flowing waters. They are usually golden-bronze above with a pale belly and reddish-brown fins, with four whisker-like barbels around the mouth, which they use to search the riverbed for their prey of insect larvae, crustaceans and molluscs. In the Lee Valley they are found in the Old River Lea at Fishers Green. Spotting one can take patience, but in clear conditions you may see a long, streamlined fish holding position near the bottom or moving slowly over gravels where they lay their eggs.
The Little Ringed Plover is a small, wading bird of shallow freshwater margins, especially gravel pits, reservoirs and muddy edges. They return to the UK in summer from their African wintering grounds. Look for them on bare shingle, muddy islands or sparsely vegetated shorelines, where they run in short bursts before stopping suddenly to peck at insects. In the Lee Valley, look for Little Ringed Plover on the bare islands on Amwell Nature Reserve or the shingle islands on Hall Marsh Scrape.
Flora
Creeping Marshwort is one of the rarest plants in the UK found only at two other locations in the country and discovered at Walthamstow Marshes in 2002 by a local botanist. Our Rangers carefully manage the area throughout the year to provide the optimal habitat; they're aided by Redpoll cattle from the Authority’s farm
A number of orchids can be found amongst the grassland of the park. Bee Orchids are in flower from June to July, so called as they mimic a female bee to attract the males to attempt to mate and pollinate the plant. Unfortunately, this country is outside the range of the bee and they self-pollinate. Also look out for Pyramidal Orchid, named as its flower head is pyramidal in shape. Sites such as Rammey Marsh or Bowyers Orchid Meadow in River Lee Country Park are good places to visit. Read more about the management of orchids >
Flowering throughout the summer, the bright yellow flowers which are tinged with red of the Birds Foot Trefoil are an excellent source of nectar for insects. Later in the year look at their seed pods and you’ll see why they are called ‘birds foot’!
The purple heads of Common Knapweed can be found across the parks meadows and verges; it provides an excellent source of nectar for insects and in turn the seed heads provide food for birds such as Goldfinch
Flowering Rush can be found around ponds or pools on wetland habitats such as Walthamstow Marshes, Fishers Green and Hall Marsh Scrape. Its tall green stems have a cluster of pretty pink flowers in July and August. It was introduced into America and is considered invasive but here it is native and a real jewel of the wetlands
Floating Pennywort is an invasive non-native plant found in some of the waterways of the park. Originally from the Americas, it grows at a phenomenal rate here – up to 20cms per day! It can outcompete native plants and spread across our waterways depleting them of oxygen and making navigation difficult. There's a fantastic project in the Lee Valley working in partnership to eradicate the Floating Pennywort, the partnership is always looking for new volunteers
Meadowsweet is one of the signature flowers of damp summer meadows and waterside edges. In midsummer it produces frothy clusters of creamy-white flowers held above tall stems, often giving off a sweet, almond-like scent on warm days. Its leaves are dark green and sharply toothed, with a paler underside. In the Lee Valley you may find it along wetter paths, floodplain meadows and ditch margins where the ground stays moist, including on sites such as Walthamstow Marshes and Silvermeade.
Water Mint is a wonderfully aromatic plant of wet ground, ditch edges and pond margins. It has rounded clusters of lilac to pinkish flowers and soft green leaves arranged in opposite pairs along the stem, in summer it is often alive with pollinators. If a leaf is gently rubbed, it releases a clear minty scent. Its fresh scent and rounded flowerheads make it easier to recognise than many other waterside plants.
Upcoming planned events
Throughout the year the park runs special wildlife themed events. Up coming events include
BioBlitz - Summer 2026
Bittern Roost Watch – January 2027
The park will also be at the Global Bird Fair (10 – 12 July) held in Rutland.
Know the latest
If you want to be kept up to date with our events or wildlife sign why not sign up to our enewsletters. We have specific enewsletters so you only get sent information of interest to you. Find out more and sign up today >
