HOW does that Nelson Eddie song go? ‘In the merry, merry month of May’. Certainly for us wildlife watchers, May is indeed a merry month. Observing birds coming and going from the garden with beaks full of food, ready to feed hungry chicks, is always a delight to me. The thought of nests full of gaping mouths, eagerly awaiting the return of the parent never fails to bring a smile to my face.

May is also the month when the last of our summer visitors arrive and I gain great pleasure in scanning the skies, hoping to catch sight of my first swift of the year or travelling across to the moors and heathlands of an evening and listening intently for the sound of a churring nightjar.

The moors are a great place to visit during the hours of daylight, too.

You might hear a cuckoo calling or even see a hobby. This kestrel-sized bird of prey arrives in April. At first glance, it’s long pointed wings give it a swift-like appearance as it flies low and fast over the heather, hunting for dragonflies and small birds such as swallows, house martins and even swifts. They can also be found over woodlands, gravel pits and farmland. Like nightjars, hobbies stay until September, and then make their way back to Africa for the winter.

There’s a wealth of wildlife just waiting to be discovered and with May heralding these final summer visitors, it truly is a merry month indeed.

LB LOXLEY