May is on top of my list for months that keep everyone active and outdoors. No matter what your interests the month of May brings something for everyone.

Fishing, camping, hunting, hiking, gardening and spring sports! What I have found to be extra special about May is that it is for the birds!

Over the years, we have set up our yard for bird activity and it really has paid off in bird species as well as activity. Old friends have returned on a timeline that we have come to expect as my wife keeps a journal of first bird sightings and when we can expect them to return to Western Pennsylvania.

Without an Audubon Field Guide, we would have missed some special birds or at least mislabeled them in our identification efforts. One such bird is a member or the oriole family. We are blessed with an abundance of oriole sightings at our feeder station.

This past week we observed an oriole like bird that wasn’t as bright in its plumage and it made us think of a female or younger bird who wasn’t up to par on the color scheme. A cross reference to our bird guides correctly identified the bird as an orchard oriole, a first for our bird station.

One of my favorite species of birds to observe are the woodpeckers. We set up suet feeders for the woodpeckers and have found them to be willing visitors to the bird station.

We have a redbud tree that has plenty of nooks and crannies among its trunk and branches which we take advantage. Into those spaces, we smear peanut butter that has sunflower seeds and other bits of suet for the woodpeckers to discover. I was observing a red bellied woodpecker and to my delight I was able to watch its flight into the woodlot.

The woodpecker went straight toward an old cherry tree that had its top broken off. Into a drilled hole, it went and from my deck I can watch the family of woodpeckers being raised. They will be enjoyable to watch as they discover their way around the feed station.

I am sure as the local birds raise their young they will be introduced to the feeder station.

The type of plantings and shrubs as well as surroundings will dictate what birds you might be able to attract.

We don’t have the waterfowl in our lot but our neighbors Bob and Pat Beran have put wetlands in their planned area and they attract geese, ducks, herons and many other birds that we won’t see.

Take advantage of what nature offers and what you can supplement and you will see the wildlife.

Walleye season is in full swing across the commonwealth and boaters are on the lakes seeking to land one of these predator fish.

Walleye have voracious appetites and love a minnow or night crawler.

They are perhaps one of the favorite fish for table fare. The delicate fillets command a premium price at the fish market and if you can catch your own you will be everyone’s buddy!

Another fish that will bring plenty of excitement to local anglers is the striper run on Lake Arthur. Striped bass has a reputation for giving anglers all they can handle when caught on light tackle.

The record striper was caught at Raystown Lake in 1994. Robert Price of Huntingdon landed a fish that weighed a whopping 53 pounds 12 ounces. Moraine may not hold the record but the lake has plenty of decent fish that meet the 20-inch minimum size and remember there is a 2-fish limit.

Many anglers fish the shorelines of lakes in the evenings into the night for both walleye and striped bass.

Bring a light and bug repellant because you will also meet the first swarms of insects for the year.

The fish will push bait fish to the surface and close to shore for a feeding frenzy.

The angler who plops a plug or fat alewives into the mix could have success. Boaters at night will often see the bait fish plopping out of the water to escape the predators.

Finding these types of activities will spell success for your angling efforts.

Until we meet again put on some heavier line and get yourself a few of those bigger plugs to get ready for the striper run.

The PFBC is sponsoring a boating safety class at the Boyers Sportsmen’s Lodge in Boyers on June 1st and 2nd.

A few seats are available, contact the PFBC for more information.

Successful completion of the course will allow you to obtain your Boating Operator certificate.

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.