4-30 False Morels

4-30
Conifer False Morels - deemed deadly by my field guide - are up.
Canada Violets are starting to flower. Their stemmed violets are easily identifiable as the backs of their white petals are purple.
Painted Trillium is putting on a show.
Dwarf Ginseng is dusting the forest floor with foamy white.
And Goldthread's reproductive galaxy spangles mossy woodlands.
John

Conifer False Morel

Canada Violet

back of Canada Violet

Painted Trillium

Dwarf Ginseng

Goldthread

4-29 Golden Alexanders

4-29
Golden Alexanders is starting to show its colors.
The escape, Cyprus Spurge, can be found along roadsides, riverbanks and in waste places.
Tent Caterpillar webs lace cherry trees. Caterpillars leave the web by night to forage but return for shelter.
And a few black flies began their season of annoyance today.
John

Golden Alexanders

Cyprus Spurge

Tent Caterpillars

4-28 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

4-28
Boldly colored Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are back in residence.
THe small, fuzzy, reddish female flowers of Sweet Fern hug the stem below male catkins.
And Hobblebush is in its glory. The large white outer flowers have neither stamens of pistils. The small central flowers are fertile.
John

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Sweet Fern female flowers

Hobblebush

4-27 Red Eft

4-27
A Red Eft that wandered into my cellar posed on the kitchen table before returning to the wild.
Toothwort's 4 petals prove it to be a member of the mustard clan.
Downy Yellow Violets fleck the woods with sunshine.
Wood Anemones, AKA Windflowers, are opening.
And one Wild Strawberry gave a hint of some good eating to come!
John

Red Eft

Toothwort

Downy Yellow Violets

Wood Anemone

Wild Strawberry

4-26 Pink Earth

4-26
Pink Earth lichen is lifting its fruiting bodies above areas of barren soil.
John

4-25 Wild Oats

4-25
The straw yellow flowers of Sessile-leaved Bellwort, AKA Wild Oats, are opening. This is a common woodland species.
John

4-24 violets

4-24
The new green of my lawn is becoming flecked by Violets.
Pine Elfin butterflies are puddling on gravel roads and nectaring on Field Pussytoes.
Bright blue Spring Azure butterflies - not pictured - are also airborne.
Loons are back on their lakes.
The male flowers of Sweet Gale are opening. Tiny reddish female flowers will appear soon.
And for the last several days Broad-winged hawks have seemingly been everywhere. After wintering in Central and South America these intrepid travelers are back - but not within range of my camera!
John

Pine Elfin butterfly

Loon

Sweet Gale

4-23 Bluets

4-23
Both Bluets and Spring Beauties have been in flower for a few days but needed today's warmth and sunlight to make them photo ready.
A Polyphemus moth cocoon - heavy with life - will be occupied for just  a few more weeks.
And both Shadbush and American Fly Honeysuckle could be found in flower today.
John

Bluets

Spring Beauties

Polyphemus cocoon

Shadbush

American Fly Honeysuckle

4-22 Squirrel Corn etc.

4-22
Squirrel Corn is having its day.
An occasional Columbine is opening.
Smooth (?) Rock Cress adorns ledges.
Miterwort's tiny snowflake-like flowers dust mossy rock outcrops.
Field Pussytoes - well loved by pollinators - are pushing up out of last year's dead grasses and litter.
John

Squirrel Corn

Columbine

Smooth (?) Rock Cress

Miterwort

Pussytoes

4-21 Pixie Cups

4-21
The little lichen called Red-fruited Pixie Cup brightens sandy or ledgy areas while wet areas are brightened by Marsh Marigolds, AKA Cowslips.
John

Red-fruited Pixie Cups

Marsh Marigolds

4-20 Salamander

4-20
Spring Peepers and Spotted Salamanders were on the move last night.
Phoebes have completed their well-lined moss nests. Egg laying will start soon.
John

Spring Peeper

Spotted Salamander

Phoebe nest

4-19 Violets

4-19
Round-leaved yellow Violets are popping up in rich woods and Great-spurred Violets brightened ledgy hillsides.
John

Round-leaved Violet

Great-spurred Violets

notice the spur on the bud

4-18 Mayflowers

4-18
The patch of Mayflowers was at its flowering peak this morning.
The naturalized garden escape, Myrtle, was dotting dooryards, roadsides and woodlots with its pale lavender.
And Small Flowered Crowfoot, AKA Kidneyleaf Buttercup, has opened just one of its rather stunted looking yellow blossoms.
John

Mayflower

Myrtle

Crowfoot/Kidneyleaf Buttercup

4-17 Ephemerals

4-17
Dutchman's Breeches, Blue Cohosh and Wild Ginger are among the spring ephemerals in flower today.
Spicebush tinted pond margins and damp thickets buttery yellow.
The twisty little red flowers of Beaked Hazelnut dotted dry thickets.
Painted Turtles basked on a mat of cattails.
And a Turkey Vulture that was making a meal of winter-killed Barred Owl took exception to my intrusion but lingered nearby while I took its picture.
John

Dutchman's Breeches

Blue Cohosh

Wild Ginger

Spicebush

Beaked Hazelnut

Painted Turtles