4-29

4-29
The male catkins of Sweet Gale show as if on fire. Sweet Gale is a shrub of wet places. Male and female catkins are usually - but not always - on separate bushes.
John

4-28

4-28
Today Spring Beauty was living up to its name, the pale yellow dangling flowers of Wild Oats could be found and a single tiny White Violet was open.
On the ground Gill-o'er-the-Ground - a ubiquitous member of the mint family nestled in the fresh green of the lawn. Gill-o'er-the-Ground, like almost all of our mints, is an introduced species.
John

Spring Beauty

Wild Oats

White Violet

Gill-o'er-the-Ground

We went to the woods of Black Mountain and an orange object caught our attention.  We wondered whether it was some garbage, but realized it was a plant.  That moment of recognition was special.  Of course, I had to name it, and it turned out to be a Scarlet Elf Mushroom.

4-27

4-27
Common Blue Violets need only a few more hours of sunlight to fully unfurl.
In ledgy locations Tower (?) Mustard is opening a few flowers.

The unique snowflake-like petals of Miterwort's flowers can be found in a few sunny locations.

And in the thickets along the West River, Ruby-crowned Kinglets foraged as if oblivious to my presence but refused to pose for pictures.

John

Miterwort

Common Blue Violet

Tower (?) Mustard

At Connie Woodberry's house, on Partridge Road, a bear showed up at her house.  It looked around, smelled a magnolia flower, and then wandered down to the brook. She was happy to have gone to the Ben Kilham's program sponsored by the Dummerston Conservation Commission, so she wasn't worried.   I told Connie that it is not positive for bears and people to be in the same area- since it can lead to a bear being killed by humans who are scared of the bear's presence.

The information below if for those who attended Dummerston's  program:
Under my urging, in the next program Ben spoke, he reiterated to the audience that the video of the bear reacting to the camera crew was a FALSE CHARGE, and the bear wasn't planning any harm to the nearby people.

4-25

4-25
Dandelions and Bluets are decorating my lawn. Field Pussytoes are open and attracting an array of pollinators.
Along the roadsides Golden Alexanders is showing its gold but is not quite fully open. And in a wet ditch Horsetail - possibly Marsh Horsetail - is shooting up.
John

Dandelion

Bluet

Horsetail

Golden Alexanders

Field Pussytoes

4-24

4-24
Tachnid flies were on the prowl today. This one (Epalus signifer) is parasitic on the caterpillar of one of the owlet moths.
And this millipede crossed my path. There are 1400 species of millipede in North America. All are harmless, slow moving feeders on plant material. However, if handled they exude a rather foul smelling liquid.
John

4-23

4-23
Blue Cohosh is opening a few flowers. Just a few. I walked a few miles to find one. The green petal-like structures are actually bracts. The odd little yellow things are the petals.
John

4-22

4-22
In my rambles today I found the following in flower: Wild Ginger, Round-leaved Yellow Violet, Spicebush and Marsh Marigolds (AKA Cowslips). Ferns are pushing up fiddleheads. The flower buds on Shadbush are swelling …!!
John

Marsh Marigolds

Round-leaved Yellow Violets

Fiddlehead Ferns

Spice bush

Wild Ginger

4-20

4-20
Thyme-leaved Sandwort, an alien plant with flowers os minute that they might go unnoticed, is flowering along Rte. 5.
And Trailing Arbutus (AKA Mayflower) is just starting to open its flowers in the sunniest locations.
John

Thyme-leaved Sandwort

Trailing Arbutus

4-19

4-19
Dutchman's Breeches and Trout Lilies are in flower … in Brattleboro. A sedge - Carex pennsylvanica - while not very showy, is also flowering. The sedge is common in oak woods and flowers before trees leaf out. l
Along the West River a Spotted Sandpiper was checking out exposed cobbles and sandbars.
And a rather destructive caterpillar was tunneling through a trillium as I came by. Although it posed nicely I was unable to identify the species.
John

Dutchman's Breeches

sedge

Trout Lily

Caterpillar on Trillium bud

4-18

4-18
At the beaver pond on Black Mountain a goose kept a low profile hoping to go unnoticed. She was motionless and silent even when I was within twenty feet.
And, while removing house shutters in preparation for painting, I found a smallish bat, just over 3 inches nose to tail. I was unable to determine the species … all of the bats in my field guide were snarling. This bat was sleeping peacefully. Later, when the day warmed, it moved to a better location.
John

4-17

4-17
This morning a Palm Warbler - identifiable by its rusty cap, bright yellow undertail coverts and its tail wagging - flitted through the brush ahead of me.
A lone Wild Strawberry blossom graced a sunny grassy area.
And Wake Robin (AKA Purple Trillium) was flowering in a wet sunny woodland location.
John

Wild Strawberry

Wake Robin (Purple Trillium)

4-16

4-16
Not a good day for wildflowers but I went out to look anyway. None were evident, but, atop Black Mountain there was a garter snake! It was in a sunny pocket, sheltered from the wind where, despite snow in the woods, temperatures were decidedly springish.
John

4-15

4-15
Poplar catkins are open. Red Maple flowers are close behind. American Toads are out of hibernation … and falling victim to traffic.
Two well-established garden escapes are starting to flower: Myrtle and Daphne.
John

Myrtle

Daphne

4-14

4-14
This morning a crow in my yard was begging to be fed exactly as a juvenile would beg its parents. The crow was a female and the behavior was pre-nesting pair bonding. She wants him to prove his ability to provide. Later I watched one crow present a wood frog to another. Hopefully, she was impressed.
Green Six-spotted Tiger Beetles are out and about. Tiger beetles are predators and feed on many insects that we consider pests.
And Spring Azures are flying. These bright blue butterflies are common at this time of year. In a few months there will be a second brood. Taxonomists think that there may be as many as nine species lumped under the name "Spring Azure."
There are still things to be learned 'out there'!
John

4-13

4-13
This morning White-throated sparrows seemed determined to be noticed. Every thicket had one - or several!
Over the Connecticut River at Dummerston Landing hundreds of swallows - mostly tree swallows - dove, darted and dipped in the cool damp morning air.
And at the Retreat Meadows, 35 or 40 Double-crested Cormorants perched drying their feathers. Cormorants dive for fish but must dry off afterward. They have a layer of waterproof feathers near their skin to protect them from the cold water, but their outer feathers are wettable. Wet feathers make it easier for the bird to dive, but necessitate drying.
John

4-12

4-12
 I walked 5 miles this morning looking for Bloodroot … and found Saxifrage. When I got home Bloodroot was in flower in my kitchen garden. So it goes.
John

Saxifrage

Bloodroot

4-11

4-11
It's happening!

4-11

4-11
There was a Pine Warbler in my yard today. True to their name these warblers nest in dry pine woods.
Chipping Sparrows also put in an appearance. Chipping sparrows line their nests with hair so after my spring haircut I scatter the clippings on the lawn. In the fall I've found sparrow nests with absolutely gorgeous silvery linings.
And, high overhead, a Great Blue Heron was on the move. Great blues nest in communal heronries and often have to travel many miles from the nest site to find food, but right now I expect that they're just intent on finding ice free water.
John

4-8

4-8
This afternoon one of the few breaks of sunshine - an Osprey sailed over, the first I've seen this year.
John

Spring at Black Mountain

On Black Mountain, a spotted wintergreen revealed itself after the snow had melted.
Also, remember, ticks are probably out now.

4-6

4-6
At least one Kingfisher is back on the West River. Unfortunately it wouldn't pose for a picture.
Woolly Bears are on the move. Wooly Bears are the larvae of Isabella Tiger Moths. They overwinter as caterpillars and pupate in the spring.
A pair of Mallards posed nicely for a picture. Mallards are dead common and can be seen every month of the year, but the drakes are extra resplendent right now.
And, in sheltered, warm micro-climates a few Hepatica are turning their flowers to the sun. In a week or two there will be hundreds where today there were only a scattered few.
John

Hepatica

Hepatica

A pair of Mallards

Woolly Bear