May

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Now is the month when exotic birds arrive from Africa, and our overwintering birds first have their fledglings

When?	What?	What happens?	Where and what to look for
1st Week			Roadside verges are transformed ........
	Broom	Starts flowering	Chobham Common. Don't confuse with its cousin the gorse. Broom starts into brilliant yellow flowers just as Gorse is coming to an end.
	Fern	First starts in leaf	Much of Chobham Common is covered with the common bracken. Loops of ferns start pushing up through the ground
	Lesser periwinkle	Starts flowering	This pretty blue flower with quite large heads. On sunny back by Burrowhill pond
	Rowan	Starts flowering	Has heads of cream flowers
	Cow parsley	Starts flowering	All along roadsides you will see this tall plant with masses of small white flowers in heads
	Scots pine	First in leaf	Sprouts long orange 'candles' which contain the new seasons leaves
2nd Week
	Cotton grass	Has seed heads	This tall, grass like plant with white fluffy sead heads is seen in bogs. Unless you want wet feet you will probably need to be satisfied with a distant view. Can be seen in the pond on the north Chobham Common
	Nightjar	Arrives	This birds travels all the way from Africa. It is best seen after dusk when it sweeps across the heather trawling for insects. It is often curious and will come and inspect you and then often clap its wings together. The area of Chobham Common just north of Gracious Pond Road is favourite.
	Collared dove	Has fledgling	This dove which is almost always seen as a 'lovey-dovey' twosome is suddenly seen sitting at tops of trees three at a time - its young has fledged!
	Horse chestnut	Flowers	The large upright white 'candles' of the horse chestnut are unmistakable

3rd week			Suddenly all sorts of birds have fledglings .....
	Swift	Arrives	The swift can be spotted wheeling high in the sky chasing insects - hardly ever flapping its narrow scimitar-like wings.
	Robin	Has fledglings	The young have brown spotted breasts - no red
	Hobby	Arrives	This rare bird resembles a large swift. It flies low over Chobham Common catching insects.
	House martin	Arrives	Usually first notices high in the sky catching insects; unlike the swift it flutters its wings frequently.
	Hawthorn	Starts flowering	The hedges become filled with masses of pure white flowers.
	Great tits	Fledge	You may be luckly enough to see 10 or so young flutter one at a time from a nest box in your garden. The family will stay in local trees for a while but will then disappear to the woods.
	Mallard and coot	Have young on water	Large numbers of young can be seen swimming frantically to keep up with their mother.

4th week
	Starling	Fledge	The brown speckled young strut around their parents noisily demanding food.
	Dunnock	Fledge