Spring is Right on Time - According to Forest Indicators

The Myrtle Warbler was the first of the warbler clan to arrive

I've been hearing lots of people complain about the slow approach of spring this year, but for the natural world, a labored onset of warm conditions is not a bad thing. In fact this is more or less how it's supposed to be. Extended periods of warm weather at this stage (or before) can cause much more damage than cold or even snowfall. Migrating birds coming up from the south should be in sync with the emergence of foliage-eating insects. These (primarily) moth larvae appear with the unfurling foliage in the forest. When warm weather comes too early,  leaves and insects emerge too early and long-distance migrant birds miss out on important food resources. The trees also lose out on the insect control that transient songbirds provide.

Fox Sparrows are more apt to be found at the forest edges or at bird feeder

A recently returned Field Sparrow sings at the field edge

Tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglets are virtually everywhere right now

Pine Siskins were common at the bird feeder for one day only

In the forest, relatively cold weather has delayed the blooming of some spring ephemeral wildflowers. Some others have had there bloom times extended. Bloodroot flowers, which sometimes only keep their petals for a few days, have been in bloom now for over a week.

Not surprisingly, Skunk Cabbage was the first of the wildflowers to bloom

Coltsfoot blooms on the north shore of one of the ponds

Sharp-lobed Hepatica was the first woodland flower to bloom

Foliage of Wild Leeks push their way out of the forest leaf litter

Blue Cohosh is very prolific in the older woods

Bloodroot - another early blooming species

Like the other hardy spring ephemerals, Bloodroot can tolerate freezes and even some snow cover

Spring Beauties are the most common blooming plant in the woods right now

Round-leaved Yellow Violet is the first of many violet species to bloom in the forest

So far flowers have emerged on only a few tree species - this is the American Elm

Last week we saw the first butterflies emerge on the property. As expected they were both anglewings - hardy species that overwinter as adults. The Mourning Cloak and the Eastern Comma were found in various places in the forest. The first snakes of the season were also encountered last week. I was not the only one to notice them. At the beaver pond, in the span of 2 days, I saw both a mink and an American Kestrel making off with Eastern Garter Snakes.

The Mourning Cloak Butterfly is usually one of the first butterflies to emerge in the spring

An Eastern Garter Snake - sunning itself on the side of a foot trail

An American Kestrel flying off with a freshly caught snake