Dragonflies and dragonfly-eaters

Now summer's almost at a close, it's a great time of year to try and see a hobby. These speedy falcons are sometimes described as looking like 'giant swifts' because of their flight and long, pointed wings. Hobbies look quite similar to a peregrine but are much more slender.

Watch the skies carefully and you might see one flying after large insects - dragonflies are their favourites - or maybe swallows. You'll see them swoop towards their prey, grab it with their feet and then, if it's a small insect that they've caught, pass their food up to their beak. All while flying and without crashing. Seriously impressive...

It's also not too late to see lots of hobby food - I mean dragonflies - at The Lodge. Of course, you'll see plenty at the ponds, but watch out on your walk for smallish, red-orange dragons called common darters. They can be seen perching in the sunshine almost anywhere. They can also be quite docile, so take a close look and see them munching away on their insect prey.

If you take a stroll around the gardens, watch out for the beautiful small copper butterflies on the flowers. As their name suggests, they are small, but have bright orange and brown markings on their upperwings.