Bill’s Second Spring Posting 2008 – More Signs of Spring

A few new observations about the coming spring:

1. The silver maple at the bottom of my field flowered on March 13. The crown of the tree is fuzzy at a distance with the just opened red-brown flower buds. Close up, though, you can clearly see the incredibly numerous but tiny greenish-yellow flowers. Some of us are starting “spring allergies” which are triggered, at least in part, by the wind-borne pollen that pours off of the flowering hardwoods. The red maples, by the way, should be flowering soon! (Get some extra Kleenix!)

2. The days, especially the morning hours, are filling with bird songs. Around my house male northern cardinals, tufted titmice, Carolina wrens, blue jays, American robins, song sparrows, goldfinches (and the male goldfinches are turning more yellow with each passing day!) , and house finches are all singing their hearts out! These male birds are singing both to attract mates and also to define their potential nesting territories. Once mating has occurred and eggs and nestlings produced, the level of singing will drop precipitously. Until then, though, it is a real “battle of the bands” out there!

Incidentally, one of Deborah’s and my students, Katie Kirstein, is doing a research project on the biology of bird songs. She will be presenting her research at our Undergraduate Research Fair. Be sure to check it out!

3.  Skunks are running around at night! Almost every stretch of highway around here has one or two skunk road-kills per mile. Be careful letting your dog out at night! (I do have a great recipe for skunk smell removal, by the way!)

4. Crocuses are blooming in protected spots around buildings and in southern exposures.

5. No colt’s foot flowers yet, but I am going out on the Rock Furnace Trail this afternoon and will check what is usually the first spot that they bloom around here.

6. Skunk cabbage should blooming down by the stream on the Nature Trail. I have attached a species page about this very interesting plant. The snow and ice on the trail should be melted by now, too, so go get muddy (but be sure not to track in down the hallways!)

Spring is here! Enjoy.