This spring, there have been a lot of signs of life around, either seen or heard. People have been noting the time of specific events—for example, when they hear the first spring peeper. 

Phenology, the study of cyclical and seasonal biological events and when they occur, is mostly done by biologists, but is also done by hunters, fishermen and people who are just curious about when a specific species will show up for the first time in the spring.

I did an impromptu observation shortly before Easter on a cool morning, working with a horse in preparation for an upcoming class. No sooner was I outdoors with the horse than she started flicking her head. All winter and early spring, we have been free from having to use fly spray or fly masks, but that morning was the magic moment when almost-invisible flying insects emerged and necessitated the use of equine fly spray.

By the time the month of May arrives, there will be more flying insects around. They might be some of the early species of dragonflies of the season, or a hatch of flies by a river or stream; the flies could determine which artificial fly nearby fishermen will tie to their leader. Then there are the few species of annoying biting fly that earn the name “mayfly.” That’s actually a mis-identification of one of a few species of biting black flies; the true mayfly of the order Ephemeroptera is a larger aquatic insect that does not bite. 

Sightings of flying insects will get more interesting as spring progresses; hopefully, the nuisance species will not be too bad and be taken care of by beneficial insects such as dragonflies or by our small flying mammal friends, the bats.