Your Land & Water for May 2026
- jhansen49
- May 10
- 6 min read
Updated: May 16
What's in this issue? A celebration of May! Take a look at some of the plants and animals that are thriving in spring and learn a bit bout them!
Magical May
It’s spring at last! There are many interesting natural events happening in South Jersey. Take a walk or add native flowers to your garden. Visit one of SJLWT’s preserves. May is when Mountain Laurel first blooms in the understory of the woods and is always a marvel to see. Here are a few treats:
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) thrives in the acidic soil around the Appalachian mountains and the Pine Barrens. It's dark green leaves are a stark contrast to the white and pink flowers that are a major pollinator for a variety of insects. A unique adaptation with the flowers is that the filaments become partially trapped and bent as the flower blooms. When a pollinator lands on the flower it releases the trap and the pollen is thrown up at the pollinator, forcing granules to get stuck to it.
As you walk in the woods, keep an eye out for rare and endangered plants such as the following, photographed by Michael Hogan in the Oldmans and Mantua Creek watersheds.
The Swamp Pink lily (Helonias bullata) is a federally protected member of the lily family. It grows in wetlands near smaller streams. It blooms in early spring and has bright pink flowers with blue anthers. Southern New Jersey has about 75% of all remaining populations, representing the global stronghold for this beautiful wildflower.
The Pink Lady’s Slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule) is the large native orchid found in Southern New Jersey. It grows in rich woodlands and blooms in mid-May. It is also called the moccasin flower because of the shape of its flower. Its scientific name Cypripedium means “Shoe of Venus.”
The Rattlesnake Orchid (Goodyera pubescens) is named because of its flower’s resemblance to a rattlesnake’s tail. It has a rosette of dark, green leaves with white veins. It grows in rich, oak woodlands and blooms in mid-July. Like all other New Jersey orchids, it has a relationship with an underground fungus and cannot be transplanted.
The Ragged Fringed Orchid (Platanthera lacera) grows in shaded wetlands and along small streams. It has a cluster of deeply dissected flowers and blooms in July. It is one of about 6 members of the fringed orchids (platanthera) found in southern New Jersey.
The Cranefly Orchid (Tipularia discolor) is a rare, small orchid that grows in rich woodlands. It blooms in mid- summer and has a small flower that looks like an insect. Like all other New Jersey orchids, it has a relationship with an underground fungus and cannot be transplanted.
The Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) is an insectivorous plant that grows in wet, sandy areas. Its leaves have hairs with dewy droplets that trap and digest insects. This common Pine Barrens plant is also found in a few places in the upper tributaries of Mantua Creek.
The beautiful Showy Orchid (Galearis spectabilis) was once common along Mantua Creek, but now only a few hidden populations remain. It grows in rich woodlands and blooms in May.
Birds Many animals return to new Jersey or emerge in the spring, including Killdeer, warblers, and shore birds. Hummingbirds also come back, and many people enjoy feeding and viewing them at close hand throughout warm weather months. It’s not necessary to feed birds during the summer but it isn’t harmful to hang hummingbird nectar feeders by your house as long as you follow a few basic rules:
It is important to completely clean feeders about once per week in summer. Also, change nectar in feeders every 2-3 days in summer. Put feeders in shaded spots to help nectar stay fresher longer.
It is NOT necessary to dye the sugar solution red. Colored dyes and food coloring contain no nutritional value. Some dyes may even be harmful. Plain white sugar water has all the calories hummingbirds need. Change nectar frequently so it does not smell sweet and attract insects.
Having several smaller feeders in different locations reduces crowding and fighting among hummingbirds. More feeders allow proper cleaning rotations and provide backup if one runs dry. Place feeders far enough apart to reduce territorial behavior.
Keep feeders filled through late summer and early fall as hummingbirds continue to prepare for migration. In many regions, it is recommended to leave feeders up until 1-2 weeks after you stop seeing local hummingbirds in your area.
The Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a large plover native to North, Central, and South America. Often found in open areas such as fields, lawns, mudflats, and even parking lots, they make their nest directly on the ground. Many animals and even people have been tricked by the parents who will pretend to be injured by dragging a wing on the ground and walking away from the nest. Once they have led a potential predator away they will "magically" heal and fly back safely to the nest.
If you discover any unusual or threatened plant or animal, please report the sighting to NJDEP. You can do this online by going to the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife’s NJ Wildlife Tracker application to report: 1) species sightings as well as 2) observations of wildlife (of any kind) on roadways.
For the NJ list of endangered and threatened (T and E) animals, go to www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/tandespp.htm
OTHER SPRING VISITORS: Horseshoe Crabs Our Ancient Friends
Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) are ancient creatures that are more closely related to spiders than to crabs. They have been coming to Delaware Bay to mate and lay eggs along the shore for millennia and reach a peak of numbers in late May and early June around the time of the full moon. Hundreds of thousands of eggs are deposited on bay beaches where they constitute a high-energy food for migratory shorebirds that feed on them before continuing on to their arctic nesting sites. Some bird species, such as the red knot, fly all the way from southern South America. Nearly all of the western hemisphere population of this bird makes the Delaware Bay its major refueling stop.
Horseshoe crabs are also a source of bait for commercial fishermen who use cut-up crabs for eel, whelk (called conch), catfish and lobster fisheries. The commercial catch peaked in 1998 at about 2 million crabs. Although difficult to measure, conservationists began to be concerned about drops in the number of crabs and in the density of eggs, beginning in the 1990s. Also, at that time, the shorebird populations were documented as declining, especially that of the red knot. This species has been studied on both its nesting territories and its wintering grounds, as well as at the bay. The population that arrives here now has declined significantly. It’s not clear whether it will recover. Shorebird advocates contended that the red knot was in such dire straits that a year-round crabbing moratorium was warranted.
The horseshoe crabs themselves are totally harmless. Females are much larger than males and make their way up the beach with a male attached to their tail. Other males may attach to his tail, so that there are two or more males hanging in a line onto the female. The males have modifications to their front claws for holding onto the females. This is an easy way to distinguish the sexes, in addition to size. The female crabs make a very shallow scrape in the sand and deposit their eggs, pulling the males across the site, at which point he fertilizes the eggs. They then try to return to the sea, but not all of them make it. The eggs are greenish in color and easy to see. There can be so many of them that the tidal area and the water’s edge are totally filled with them, which is where the birds feed.
To view the horseshoe crab mating phenomenon and the shorebirds, visit one of the Delaware Bay beaches in late May/early June. Three of them – Reeds Beach, Norbury’s Landing, and Fortescue Glades are key viewing areas. Be sure to obey any posted signs, including not going onto the beaches themselves during the day, and keep your distance, so as not to disturb the shorebirds – they need all the food they can get. Look for Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers, and Sanderlings, as well as Red Knots.
Happy Spring!
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