The High pressure has remained with us for the first week of May. Our morning walks have been dry, bright, and sunny, albeit tempered with a bitterly cold north wind which kept the temperatures down in single figures. Although the Bluebells are still in flower around the woodland many large areas are being smothered with ferns and nettles. Herb Robert continues to flower, its dainty pink flowers can be seen on the edges of the perimeter footpath, Cow Parsley is flowering apace and is currently five to six feet in height in places, Garlic Mustard continues to flower, Hawthorn and Rowan trees are in full flower and Elderberry and Holly are just beginning to come into flower. Creeping Buttercups are thriving and just starting to come into flower. Foxgloves have started to grow and are currently standing at around twelve inches in height.

Birdsong is still vibrant, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush are still very vocal around the Barff, accompanied with Blackcap, Garden Warblers, Wren, Robin, Chiffchaff and Blackbird to name just a few, juvenile Robins seem to be aplenty and keep landing on the grass just in front of Meg and Gracie much to their annoyance.

Halfway through the month and the weather remains much the same on the Barff as the previous four weeks, dry, bright, and sunny mornings, though we have had a couple of grey and cloudy mornings with cold northerly breeze which has kept the morning temperature down in single figures but by mid-afternoon the sun has managed to break through the cloud and the remainder of the day has been warm and sunny with the temperatures reaching between 20c – 24c. The ground is getting exceptionally dry in places and cracks are beginning to appear, much of the grass on the meadow, heathland is fading and turning yellow due to the lack of rain, though will soon bounce back after some rain. No early morning frosts yet so far in May. Several more fields have been ploughed over either side of the old pump house and planted up this week. Good to see the potatoes growing nicely in one of the fields adjoining the woodland. YW have started initial preliminary testing the viability of a new borehole at the beginning of the week around the small pump house adjacent to the car park which resulted in some limited parking in the car park for a couple of days. No sign of any construction work yet on the top meadow, and the rabbits are making the most of it, they can be seen most mornings playing on the fringes of the huge bramble patch. Birdsong has continued and never fails to lift the spirits in the mornings, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Black Cap, Wood Pigeon, Garden and Willow Warblers and Long Tailed Tits are regular soloists along with Song and Mistle Thrush and the delicate tones of the Goldcrest. The Buzzard is still active around the woodland although it is getting harder to spot it due to the leaf growth but can still be heard with its unmistakable call. It is lovely to see new life appearing amongst the trees, juvenile Robins have been showing for several weeks now especially along the perimeter footpath, Blue Tits and Great Tits are busily feeding their youngsters and can be seen flitting in and out of many of the bird boxes around the Barff. 

Hawthorn, Rowan, and Elderberry bushes are in full flower, and growing at an alarming rate, Cow Parsley which lines the perimeter footpath is currently between 5ft – 6ft in height and in full flower, ferns are well over waist height and have smothered the Bluebells. Giant Burdock is living up to its name, clumps of it are growing alongside the perimeter footpath, its leaves well over a foot in length and still growing. Creeping Buttercup are in flower and flourishing everywhere.

The dry, bright, and sunny weather continued for a third week, although we have not had any frosts, the morning temperatures have fluctuated between 4c to 10c, though we have had several northerly winds which have kept the morning temperatures down. Due to the lack of rain this month many of the farmers have started to water their fields adjoining the woodland with water from their respective bore holes, huge plumes of water arch across the fields. The weather forecasters are now predicting the driest Spring since records began. Ferns are unfolding at an alarming rate and covering large parts of the woodland. Hogweed is shooting up alongside the flowering Cow Parsley, Creeping buttercup is living up to its name and is coming into flower. Blackcap, Wren, Dunnock, and Chiffchaff are providing a cacophony of birdsong, accompanied with the steady cooing of the Wood Pigeons, and Robins. The Yellowhammer has been quite vocal too along with the Blackcap. I have not seen a great deal of activity from the Grey Squirrels.

The yellow fields of Oilseed rape have all but lost their colour as the florets turn to seed. Yorkshire fog grass and the wild grasses are shooting up around the woodland.

As the month draws to a close what a contrast to the start of the month, we have seen rain most days during the last week of May and more so during the early hours of the morning. It was long overdue and welcomed by all, it has certainly transformed the woodland. The Bluebells have now died back being smothered by the Nettles and Ferns, Foxgloves are now flowering as is the Hogweed, Creeping Buttercup, Dogwood and Cow Parsley which are still in flower around the main perimeter footpath. Marsh Orchids have started to flower, I have not managed to find any Bee Orchids yet, but there is still plenty of time, Ragged Robin is just beginning to show, as are tiny little Acorns on the Oak trees. Pockets of Oxeye Daisies add some colour along the bypass trail as does the red and white flowering Campion and the flowering Clover. Yorkshire Water contractors have now erected temporary fencing around the top meadow and have started to do some piling work within that area. Birdsong has remained constant although slightly muffled during the wet mornings Blackcap, Wren, Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Robin, Chaffinch, and Wood Pigeon are all very audible on our morning walks as are The Long-Tailed Tits, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler and Goldcrest, once or twice the Yellowhammer has been chirping away too. Most of the Greater Spotted Woodpecker chicks look to have fledged their nest, though are still stopping close to their parents for the time being, and some parent birds look to be sitting on a second brood, I have just heard a pair of Nuthatches calling this morning which was good to hear, I have not heard them for a while. 

Looking across to the fields adjoining the woodland, which had been freshly ploughed and furrowed at the beginning of May, today (at the end of the month) the fields are looking healthy and crops growing at an alarming rate, especially the potato fields which have benefitted from all the rain we have had this past week. May overall has been a dry month, possibly one of the driest since records began. I wonder what June has in store for us?