Did you know May was named after a Greek nymph—or that London’s Mayfair owes its name to ancient merriment? From dew-kissed beauty rituals to Jack in the Green dancing through the streets, May brims with myth and natural wonder. Will hawthorn bloom by the 1st? Why was its scent once feared? And where can you find 300-year-old thorns in the city? Return on 01 May to uncover May’s secrets—where flowers, folklore, and birdsong collide in a London spring.

As May dawns, London’s skies and parks erupt in a symphony of birdsong—from the haunting woodlark to the electric chatter of goldfinches. Did you know the pre-dawn chorus peaks at 4 a.m., only to fade by sunrise? Where can you hear nightingales after dark, or catch the rare ripple of a whimbrel on the Thames? Return on 02 May to discover the city’s hidden avian concert—where robins sing like sopranos, swifts scream overhead, and every garden becomes a stage.

Deep in London’s oak woods, a symphony of birdsong unfolds—but can you tell the blackcap’s flute-like melody from the garden warbler’s scratchy tune? Why does the willow warbler’s song end in disappointment? And where might you still hear the rare wood warbler’s ‘silver shiver’? Return on 03 May to decode the capital’s most enchanting woodland songs—from the great tit’s 50+ calls to the redstart’s abrupt serenade. The trees are alive with music, if you know how to listen...

As dusk falls on London’s forgotten heaths, an eerie churring rises—like a phantom motorbike echoing across the bracken. This is the nightjar’s spellbinding song, weaving mystery into May’s twilight. But can you spot the stonechat’s pebble-click warning? Or distinguish the grasshopper warbler’s reeling whisper from a true insect’s buzz? Return on 04 May to uncover the secrets of the capital’s rarest birdsong—where meadow pipits mimic squeaky bikes, and whinchats sing sweet, stolen melodies in the wild edges of the Thames.

From long-tailed tits weaving gossamer cradles to woodcocks vanishing among dead leaves, May reveals London’s most ingenious avian architects. Did you know blue tits deliver 900 caterpillars a day? Or that nuthatches plaster their tree holes like master craftsmen? Return on 05 May to explore the capital’s hidden nurseries—where swifts nest in Victorian eaves, nightingales sing directly above their secrets, and eider ducks defy danger with nothing but down. The city’s wildest parenting stories are unfolding just out of sight...

Nature’s Hidden Palette: The Secrets of Eggs, Fledglings & Spring Colours

Discover the dazzling diversity of birds' eggs—from brilliant blues to devilish scribbles—and the perilous journey of fledglings leaving the nest. Why do some eggs stay hidden, while others shine like jewels? And how does May transform London’s landscapes into a riot of colour?

This May, London's skies come alive with winged wonders. Spot African-bound hobbies hunting over reservoirs, Arctic godwits in dazzling summer plumage, and perhaps even a jewel-toned bluethroat in the reeds. But the true star sings under cover of darkness - the nightingale's complex love song, weaving fluty notes through Thameside thickets.

Why do seasoned birders whisper near Bookham Common at dusk? Where might a vanishing turtle dove still purr its sleepy serenade? And which rare migrants could appear - then vanish in a day?

This week, London's landscapes transform into a living botany lesson. From the sapphire glow of bluebell woods to the rare marsh violet's veined petals, each flower tells a story. Did you know beggars once used buttercup sap to fake sores? Or that some violets wear tiny 'moustaches' and 'rabbit ears'?

Venture beyond parks to discover sulphur cinquefoil glowing in wastelands, ghostly lily-of-the-valley in shady thickets, and the elusive bastard balm hiding in plain sight. Even Rainham's marshes become a stage for celery-leaved buttercups performing their golden encore.

This week, London's cracks and crannies come alive with miniature masterpieces. Discover why Persian speedwells - with their sky-blue petals and white surprise - were feared as storm omens by medieval pilgrims. Learn how these delicate "farewell flowers" earned their gruesome nickname, and why they once starred in cancer remedies.

Meanwhile, cranesbills begin their pink parade: from the velvety dovesfoot to the tearful 'Mourning Widow', whose petals fall like sorrow itself. Could a rogue wood cranesbill from Lancashire be hiding in your local park? And what dark secret gives the bloody cranesbill its name, despite its cheerful magenta hue?

This week, London's wastelands stage a floral masquerade. Would you mistake a deadly hemlock for innocent cow parsley? Or spot the "Fox and Cubs" hiding coal-black hairs beneath fiery orange petals? Discover why medieval lovers carried caraway seeds as magical theft deterrents, and how Socrates met his agonizing end thanks to a purple-blotched stalk now growing along your commute.

From nutty pignuts (the true "May nuts") to hawkweeds with blood-red undersides, these common composites hold dark secrets. One wrong bite of water dropwort can silence a tongue forever - yet their delicate white umbrels dance innocently along every roadside.

This week, London's wastelands transform into nature's pantry. Discover how mustard plants like Charlock became famine food during Ireland's darkest hour, and why a humble cress traveled here in Napoleonic soldiers' mattresses. Could the legendary London Rocket - said to have blanketed the city after the Great Fire - still cling to Tower walls?

Meanwhile, pea flowers weave their magic: from shamrocks hiding in your lawn to kidney vetch's woolly "lamb toes" that once graced funeral shrouds. Why did these blooms vanish from our chalk downs - and with them, the blue butterflies they sustained?