Summer is officially here! As you will all know by now, this summer has been very hot and dry, so everyone and everything that lives on the island has been spending a lot of their time resting and trying to keep cool and hydrated.

The birds cannot sweat, instead they ‘pant’ in a similar way to dogs. They leave their beaks open and breathe heavily to allow moisture to evaporate and cool them down, while rapidly fluttering the bones and muscles in their throats, known as ‘gular fluttering’. Many birds also rest during the midday heat, instead choosing to feed and forage at dusk and dawn. The coastal birds have the added perk of being able to dip in the sea to refresh themselves!

This year we have had a breeding pair of barn swallows nest and hatch three chicks in our solar shed for the first time on the island! It has been amazing to see them diving in and out of the shed and they can be seen swooping overhead to catch insects to feed themselves and their young. Barn swallows typically nest in man-made structures, building intricate cup shaped nests out of mud pellets and grass. They line the nests with feathers, algae and other soft materials. We hope that the barn swallows will decide to return.

Over the last month the island has exploded with hundreds of butterflies, with 17 species of butterflies sighted on the island so far this year. We have also recently had a large number of day-flying moths, especially hummingbird hawkmoths and silver Ys. Both of these moths have a long ‘proboscis’, a tubular mouthpart that unfurls and is used to drink nectar. Hundreds of silver Ys are currently living in the wildflower meadow near the chapel site on the island and drink the nectar of black knapweed.

Moths and butterflies are very closely related to one another, belonging to the same order of flying insects called ‘lepidoptera’ which means ‘membrane wing’. Most moths and butterflies have four wings: a pair of forewings and a pair of hindwings. In the picture opposite, a peacock butterfly is missing its right forewing, giving us a chance to see how intricate and beautifully patterned the sometimes-hidden hindwings can be. The patterns we can see are made up of thousands of microscopic scales that are pigmented or reflect light to create colour.

The grey seals are always a highlight of island life. This summer they have tended to sleep in the water in more sheltered areas as the sea around the island becomes busier with boats, kayaks and paddleboards. Seals need space and peace to build up fat reserves and conserve their energy. Seals are always fascinating to watch, but they should always be observed from a distance and left undisturbed. A resting seal is a happy seal!

If you want to find out more about what makes Looe Island special, then why not come over for a day trip this summer? Or you can even stay in our Bell Tent - escape to the simplicity of island life and immerse yourself in nature. 

Stay on Looe Island 
 

Day trips to Looe Island