Spring Happenings Volume 2

Above: marsh marigold

While the weather has been wild and variable lately, spring is moving along! It seems as though cold weather is mostly behind us, and the flora and fauna know it. A second round of toads are calling as I write, and warblers such as Louisianna waterthrush (below), yellow-rumped, blue-headed vireos, golden and ruby-crowned kinglets, and northern parulas have been seen and/or heard on site.

As for flowers, Solomon’s seal (below) is just getting started, and blue cohosh has just finished up.

Marsh marigold is at peak, several violets including long-spurred, downy yellow, dog, three-lobed, cream, common blue, and confederate are blooming along the forest floor, and a host of other visual pleasures like Greek valerian, wood poppy (bottom, center), bellwort, toadshade trillium, dutchman’s breeches (below, right), yellow trout lily, spring beauty, and of course, Virginia bluebells, litter the property with color. Wild ginger rests along the ground, awaiting flies, ants, and beetles, while mayapple foliage towers above like umbrellas – if you’re toad-sized.

Jack-in-the-pulpit (below) erupts from the leaflitter on a hillside, surrounded by cut-leaved toothwort. Dozens of these unusual flowers were discovered while pulling the highly invasive garlic mustard this week.

We’ve spent hours over the past two weeks removing garlic mustard from the property, and spending that much time outside usually results in some cool finds, like this dusky salamander, found beneath a stone near one of the property’s wooded spring-fed streams.

Below: Blue cohosh (left), slimy salamander (right)

Above: wild ginger (left), Greek valerian (right)

Stop in this week to see what you can see!

Above: Virginia bluebells