As the summer draws to a close, let’s look back on some of the highlights…
Like the summer before, 2026 has been a great year for butterflies on The Hook. As well as good numbers overall, we are delighted that all 21 species recorded on The Hook over the past 6 years were spotted at least once this year. Our team of volunteers survey butterfly numbers each week over the spring and summer, and it’s really rewarding to see the conservation work paying off in increased biodiversity.
A less-surveyed group of animals on The Hook over recent years, bats had their turn this summer in a survey carried out with the Nottinghamshire Bat Group. Volunteers walked three different routes with bat detectors, and the results provided a fascinating insight into what species we have on the reserve, and which areas they are using more. We are going to use this information to help us decide where to put bat boxes to provide roosting spots.
We can’t look back on the summer without reflecting on the very hot and dry season we have had. Like everywhere, many trees in The Hook have been affected by the drought, particularly younger trees whose roots haven’t developed enough to find moisture deeper in the ground. Thankfully, our team of volunteers stepped in to water the trees, forming a human chain to transport water from the river to where it was needed!
Despite the hot weather, The Hook has had a good breeding season for birds this year, with numbers of young recorded looking positive. The number of species seen in or from this year so far is 71, including two Greenshank, a new one for the reserve.
Whilst our pond has been hit by the drought and has been empty for much of the summer, the newly created flood compensation pond has held water well, providing an important area of habitat for many different species.
This elephant hawk moth caterpillar was spotted by one of our volunteers 
The new compensation pond in the wild area 
This common blue butterfly was captured by Annette Roe 
The human chain of volunteers collecting water from the river to water the trees
If you would like to join us in continuing to support and develop the biodiversity on The Hook, sign up to our newsletter to find out what is going on, including our monthly working parties where our fantastic volunteers work together to make the reserve the special place it is!