Nature observers will not lack for natural happenings during this bountiful month of May. Spring ephemerals and other woodland flora take the available sunlight while they can before leafing of the canopy overhead brings shade to this understory. Woods walks throughout the month give us more flowers in bloom each day. And when not looking for the latest blossom to open, we’ll see other green happenings as well; such as the unrolling of fern fiddleheads. Trees themselves get into the show and unlike the arboreal flowers of April; those of May are large, fragrant and delightful. After a walk in the evening of one day, we look forward to a morning walk on the next day.

Plant growth and flowering is only part of this exploding month. Our walks reveal new birds arriving here each day as well. Many of us try to see all these migrants and though we’ve seen them before, songbirds in full plumage and full melody are worth seeking again each year. We find challenge and delight in seeing all the warbler species as they move north in May. We also try to find the swallows, wrens, thrushes, vireos, sparrows and other finches as they show up. Somehow, getting out to observe the migrants each day gives us a feeling of being part of this age-old northing flight.

Read the rest of the Larry's column in our May issue...