NATURE enthusiasts getting outdoors for the RSPB’s Big Wild Sleepout have been told to expect a surge in nocturnal species due to the recent warm weather.

The Big Wild Sleepout will take place today until Sunday with families encouraged to sleep out in their gardens to get closer to nature.

There has been an increase in sightings of owls, hedgehogs and moths as a result of the wet June giving way to warmer weather in July, leading to an increase in insect activity at night.

This, in turn, has led to more of the creatures that predate the insects making their way outside to take advantage of the easy pickings for a midnight feast.

Morwenna Alldis, RSPB spokeswoman for the South West, said: “We are so lucky to live in a county as wildlife rich as Dorset is, and yet how often do we take time out to actually connect with the nature on our very doorsteps?

“Night-time reveals a whole new world full of strange sounds, scents and sights that will excite any child’s or adult’s sensory experience.

“Sleeping outside for just one night feels like a real adventure and building an element of fun into a child’s natural experiences will help to foster a deeper and longer lasting connection with nature.

“Big Wild Sleepout promises to create lasting memories for all the family and renew your feelings of awe for Dorset’s wildlife.”

This year, the RSPB received a record 30,000 applications for Big Wild Sleepout packs, with thousands of people expected to take to their gardens.

Drier weather means that species which rely on soft ground to find food, such as badgers and hedgehogs, will venture out earlier.

There will also be more nocturnal insects buzzing around, which will lead to more bats in the air looking to eat them.

James Harding-Morris, RSPB Big Wild Sleepout organiser, said: “Spending time as a family in nature is something special – whether it’s camping out under the stars, seeing your first hedgehog or building a den.”

For more information on the Big Wild Sleepout weekend, visit rspb.org.uk/sleepout