May brings a burst of bird migration to New Hampshire, with warblers, hummingbirds, and colorful songbirds arriving in waves. Look for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds early in the month, followed by Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, and Baltimore Orioles. Shorebird and tern migration peaks mid-May, especially along the coast and during rainy weather. Empidonax flycatchers trickle in throughout the month, with most arriving by late May. 

• The main push of warblers happens in May and it can be spectacular. Watch for south winds that can bring in a flood of birds. A few of the northern-most species won’t peak until later in the month: Blackpoll, Wilson’s, and Tennessee. 
• Blue Jays are daytime migrants and in some years large number go south for the winter and begin returning in early May. 
• Our eagerly-awaited Ruby-throated Hummingbirds start showing up reliably in the first week of May. 
• The colorful Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, and Baltimore Orioles arrive around May 5-10 and often come visit feeders when they first arrive, but then disappear as the weather warms. 
• Although some shorebirds arrive by late April, their peak migration isn’t until mid-May. Numbers in spring generally pale in comparison to fall, but sometimes you get lucky. Most of the action is on the immediate coast, but as with other waterbirds there are sometimes significant inland fallouts associated with rainy weather. 
• Mid-May is the best time to look for terns inland during their migration. Watch for inland Short-billed Dowitchers around May 20. 
• Of the small Empidonax flycatchers, Least are the first to arrive in early May but Alder, Willow and Yellow-bellied won’t arrive until mid to end of May.