The Art of Noticing Things ~ May 2025

1^st May – A perfect Beltane, with the sun beating down on the meadows as the marketing team make crowns from hawthorn. Legend says Beltane is the one day of the year the fae folk allow humans to take from their sacred tree, the hawthorn. 

2^nd May – Our first dragonfly of the year - a broad-bodied chaser - bobs around the scrapes. All else is quiet – sunbathing out of sight, perhaps.

5^th May – By the lake, the cuckoo calls as it flits from tree to tree. From the sauna one can witness the darting of the blackbirds, robins and tits as they jump from tree to brush and back to tree again.

6^th May – A chill in the air despite the bright sunshine. All of the trees are in full leaf and the smell of lush greenery is heavy in the air, gently embracing the senses.

7^th May – A greenfinch pops it’s head out of the hedgerow, unaware of my presence. The calves grow more independent and inquisitive by the day, resting together in the sun. The sound of multiple cuckoos echo through the fields.

12^th May – Four of the calves lounge in a circle, it resembles the children’s table at a family gathering! The hedgerows are heavy with May blossom and the heady floral scent hangs in the warm air.

13^th May – Two golden plover chase me down a hedge line, tumbling excitedly over one another. In the distance, a solitary deer makes her way up the hill gracefully. The elderflower is beginning to blossom, giving the air a sickly-sweet note and the bees much excitement.

15^th May – The evidence of the lack of rain is making itself known, with the ephemeral pond on the margins of the estate having dried up early, and the level of the lake much lower than the previous few years. As the evening draws in, the herons and egrets cosy down on the scrapes, the sun setting behind them.

16^th May – The curlew’s bubbling call is heard, and a pair of spotted flycatchers are seen by the treehouses.

18^th May – A curlew pair are seen heading West, a breeding pair? A barn owl darts out of a tree and large skipper butterflies can be seen enjoying the nectar from the wildflowers.

19^th May – A woodpecker tap taps on the glass of the sauna, hovering chaotically. The oak tree by the lake filters the sunlight such that it dapples on the decking.

20^th May – The cuckoo’s call stands out amongst the song of the robin, blackbird, greenfinch, chiffchaff, blue tit, whitethroat and reed warbler. On International Bee Day, the hum of bees in the blossom is comforting.

21^st May – Our first real rain in months and the earthy smell embraces the senses. Did you know there’s a name for the pleasant smell that often accompanies the first rainfall after a period of hot, dry weather?  It is “petrichor”. 

22^nd May – The land looks and somehow feels greener after our brief downpours yesterday. The longhorns laze in the shade of a hedgerow as though they have barely risen from their beds by the time I pass.

24^th May – A pair of stonechats potter cautiously, hopefully guarding nests. The call of the stonechat is akin to two small stones being hit together.

27^th May – A red kite circles lazily overhead, drawn by the scent of warm earth and movement below. I am captivated by its flight, the rest of the world disappears for a while. 

29^th May – Two badger cubs emerge from their sett accompanied by their parents, instinct already drawing their noses to the ground.

30^th May – Foxgloves sway in the breeze, tall and open throated, inviting the bees deeper. The earthy scent of spring has perceptibly faded now, leaving only the floral scent of summer.

By Briony Cobb, Nature, Ecology and Wellness Manager at Rewild Things. 

(Image above is a male European stonechat feeding a chick (c)Shutterstock)