So April departs and May arrives amid a ‘scorchio’ week. I know we don’t seem to see an awful lot of sunshine any more but I must admit my new favourite things are clouds. The sighs of relief when a cloud goes over the sun whilst in work, happen in unison. We were discussing the ‘dimming of the sun’ last week too. It seems to be topical. After having to be convinced it wasn’t ‘fake news’, I have just resigned myself to being way out of the loop these days – the ‘fruit loop’, maybe.

I know we are only just tiptoeing into May but if I don’t tell you now, I’ll only forget. The middle of May is traditionally said to see the ‘tail of winter’. This means we can expect a short cold snap in a fortnight or so. This is also backed up by ‘Chilly Saints’ being on May 11, 12 and 13. Also known as the Three Icemen of Spring and the Three Frost Saints, they were St. Mamertus, St. Pancras and St. Servatius whose deaths are celebrated on May 11, 12 and 13 respectively.

This is all associated with ‘safe planting’ times, meaning that as Jack Frost could make late debut during the Three Icemen of Spring days, tender young plants are best not planted out until after these dates.

Dad would never plant anything vulnerable outside, including bedding plants, until the end of May. 50 years on and things seem to have changed a bit weather-wise, but technically there is still a chance of damaging frosts until the end of the month. Hence the saying, ‘Ne’er cast a clout ‘til May is out’, although, in these temperatures, I suspect most people will have.

I heard the cuckoo last week – in several different locations. As a youngster, the cuckoo always used to return to the back of my Nan’s orchard in late spring and I recall great excitement when he was first heard. That excitement continues, 50 or more years later. Such an incredible bird – although they all are really. Going off on a tangent a bit, I recently read that crows will deliberately disturb a red ants nest to cover themselves in the ‘hot’ little insects which then sting, or spray the ‘threat’ (crow) with formic acid. This chemical is a natural defence for the little ants but also acts as an anti-parasitic medicine for a poorly crow.

Smaller birds have been seen to hold a single ant in its beak to rub over it’s body, or lie in an bed of ants and wallow as though dust bathing, for the same reason. I have never understood the term ‘bird brain’ being used as a derogatory expression as although a bird’s brain may be small it seems to be more useful than many a human one.

When Yogi and I go on our daily sniffari’s, as there is a lot of standing about for me whilst Yogi undertakes sniffing duties, I have downloaded the Merlin app on my phone and always take the opportunity to listen and identify different birds in the woods, moors or wherever we are. There are always the usual candidates like blue tits, sparrows and robins but occasionally I’ll get a little jab of joy as both I and Merlin recognise a siskin or the shrill trill of the tree creeper. I must admit that not only is Merlin quicker than me at recognising all the different bird song but also has a far greater ‘data base’ and therefore is one aspect of technology I am embracing.