Mill Lane Meadows - July '26

Today is the day to visit Mill Lane Meadows if you haven’t done so in a while, as it really is looking stunning. The wildflowers are in full bloom, including a selection of orchids (Southern Marsh and Common Spotted), which in turn is enticing many insects to frequent the site. On my last visit to the site a few weeks ago, I honestly lost a good couple of hours searching for orchids, wildflowers and insects – the meadows are thriving. So many Larger Skipper butterflies and Five-spot Burnet moths, and quite a few Peacock butterfly caterpillars. The absolute star of the show though was the small but mighty Crab spider – a spider which has honed the art of camouflage -incredibly changing their colour to match their surroundings! All of this I found at Mill Lane Meadows recently. So, I hope I have given you some inspiration to visit – take your time, enjoy the site for all it has to offer, look for the small, tiny critters which are in abundance, and most importantly, enjoy this beautiful nature reserve! Gemma Clinch