IT’S a month of birdsong and abundant greenery, of foraging badgers and bats at dusk.
Or as the Welsh poet and tramp W H Davies put it:
Yes, I will spend the livelong day
With Nature in this month of May;
And sit beneath the trees, and share
My bread with birds whose homes are there
It’s that time when wildflowers burst into bloom, when the swifts arrive on our shores and the scent of blossom fills the air.
The morning symphony starts with the thrushes and robins and swells as others join the chorus, eager to convince a mate of their potential to provide a well-stocked larder.
With migratory songsters like whitethroats and nightingales having arrived back on these shores to join the fray, this is the month when the dawn chorus reaches its annual crescendo.
The millions of migrant birds have been pouring back in from Africa to their summer homes since mid-April, and by early May, against a backdrop of gorgeous green leaves and blossoming flowers, the trills, whistles and chirrups grow in volume to reach their peak as morning breaks.
May 2024 was the warmest since records began in 1884, but for many the month felt like an endless deluge of rain, contributing to the wettest spring since 1986.
But if warm and wetness collided to leave much of the nation drenched, gardeners, growers and farmers were glad to see the rain and those brave enough to venture out managed to capture some dramatic skies and glorious sunsets.
Photographers up and about early and late were still able to capture spectacular backdrops and elusive wildlife.
The explosion of spring colour that brought the Chilterns woodlands alive in April continuing to carpet woodland floors with swathes of bluebells, while hedgerows and woods from Hedsor to Penn were awash with purple rhododendron flowers.
From the white surf of hawthorn blossom to the pinks, whites and reds of the horse chestnut trees, the explosion of life in the meadows and woods is encouraging an array of insects are making the most of the array of food on offer.
From fox cubs and goslings to woodpeckers and treecreepers, fresh life is emerging all around us, that wonderful timeless display that gave Milton such joy all those centuries ago:
Hail bounteous May that dost inspire
Mirth and youth, and warm desire,
Woods and Groves, are of thy dressing,
Hill and Dale, doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early Song,
And welcom thee, and wish thee long.
Wildlife photographers sometimes cover impressive distances in their search for an unusual subject: the chance sighting of an adder or water vole, perhaps, or an opportunity to capture the exotic colours of a green orb weaver spider or fast-moving damselfly.
Much of our wildlife can be quite elusive, making it hard to spot during a normal daytime walk in the woods but as always, our contributors have often managed to find the ideal spot to capture that perfect shot of an elusive butterfly, rare flower or striking sunset.
Their pictures capture some of the brighter moments amid the May monsoon and capture the glorious beauty of the Chilterns countryside through the changing months.
As always, we’d like to give a very big thank you to all the keen local photographers who have allowed us to use their work. If you would like to contribute any pictures, favourite moments or seasonal suggestions to our calendar entries, contact editor@thebeyonder.co.uk on email or via our Facebook group page.
