Things to look out for in may

night
A peacock butterfly.

All of our birds are busy finishing their nests and getting ready for their chicks to be born.Swifts are now back after their epic journey from Africa, Amazingly these birds only land to have their clutch. They do everything on the wing from feeding to sleeping.Hedgerows come alive during this month with flowers like cow parsley,Lords and ladies,Hogweed,Goose grass,Hedge woundwart,herb robert and greater stitchwort.Fox cubs can be seen with their mother(the vixen),look out for them by their earth.Horse chestnut blossom is wonderful at this time of year,Also the
catkins on a oak tree are also glorious,Look out for the larger male flowers and the smaller female flowers behind the male flower.May flies start to emerge from rivers and streams during may.They emerge as sub adults from the water,They actually cast their old skins as they leave the water.Reed and sedge warblers start to build up their territories along rivers and canals during may.Bank and field voles have had a litter by now so look out for their young along hedgerows.Small red damselflies may be seen coming into your garden to look for water during dry spells.Blue and great tits will be busily feeding their young with tiny green caterpillars,Both parent birds feed their young,They may have up to twelve eggs in their clutch.The young chicks may be getting ready to fledge by the end of may or the beginning of June.Froglets will be getting ready to leave their breeding grounds soon,look out for them,but look carefully as they are extremely small.Badger cubs start to emerge during may as well,They will be seen feeding outside of their earth,This may only be for a short period though to start with.Hedgehogs may be seen on warm spring evenings in wonderful courtship displays with each other.They come out late at night looking for each other,But be aware these courtships can be very noisy with snuffling and snorting sounds.And finally the bug of the month goes to the common cockchafer or may bug,They may be seen at night near any artificial light during may.Also listen out for the wonderful call of the nightingale in deciduous woodlands .

things to look out for in april.

Swallows nesting in spring.

The beautiful spring mornings are finally here for us all to see,Ive just got back from a weeks holiday in north wales and there was not a drop of rain in sight.Bluebells,ramsons and hawthorn blossom are sights that we should now be able to see during April as the climate starts to get warmer.Bluebells and ramsons will carpet the woodland floor,While the hawthorn blossom should lighten up many a hedgerow in Worcestershire.You should be able to see the first house martins and swallows as they return from their epic trip to south Africa.Badger cubs make their first appearance above ground during April,Dusk is a really good time to go and watch them.Its also a good time to look out for wood mice rustling in the leaf litter as you walk through the wood.The sound of the cuckoo is the day i say spring has arrived,The cuckoo is a migrant from Africa and will use meadow pipits,reed warblers and dunnocks nest for themselves to lay their eggs.When the cuckoo chick hatches it instinctively pushed the other chick or egg out of the nest,So the adoptive parents tend purely for the cuckoo chick.Blackbirds,starlings and song thrushes are also really busy this month.Also look out for the Ariel displays of skylarks and meadow pipits.Orange tip butterfly's start to emerge during April around plants from the crucifer family in particular the Lady's smock,Laying their eggs on the leaves of the plant,They then feed as caterpillars on the mustard oils of their food plants.Its a good time of year to see grass snakes,adders and slow warms basking in the spring sunshine. Newts start mating from now as well so look in the shallows of your pond or someone elses and you may see them.The male woos the female with his tail flicking performance,and his bold marking on his body. You probably wont see the female laying her eggs, She wraps a living leaf around each one of her eggs,The leaves will then be bent over with a single egg inside.Start to look out for vixens with her fox cubs as well