Cuckoo

The cuckoo's familiar call makes it one of the best known, but least seen birds.

It is the only British bird that does not raise its own young, but lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, such as the Dunnock.

Bluebells

Woodlands will be displaying large splashes of colour as bluebells come into flower.

Although bluebells are a common sight in the UK, they are rare elsewhere in the world and 30% of the global population is found in the British Isles.

Orange-tip butterfly

Look out for their eggs at this time of year, which can often be found beneath the flowers of garlic mustard in our hedgerows, parks and gardens.

Cow parsley

Meadow flowers such as cow parsley are a common sight in grassland and on road verges.

Mayfly

The appropriately named Mayfly emerges from the water this month and live as adults for just one day.

When they emerge the adult Mayflies will mate and the female will lay her eggs underwater before both male and female die.

Yellow rattle

In some fields you will see yellow rattle.

When the seeds of the plant ripen they rattle inside the capsule-like fruit.

Dragonflies

Dragonflies and damselflies start emerging from their larval form during May in ponds and treams.

As adults they live for only a few weeks.