Summer wildlife to lift our spirits!

In the last of his seasonal articles on Derbyshire’s natural history, local photographer Tony Clarke describes how some of the county’s summer wildlife can lift our spirits.

MOST PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD to a good summer. It is also essential to the lives of the county’s plants and animals. Summer brings longer hours of daylight and usually extra warmth, essential to the success of growing families and wildflowers. For many of our insects, including beautifully coloured dragonflies and butterflies, summer is the only time they make an appearance. They have to make the most of their short but action-packed lives…