3-31 Big Night?

 3-31

Big Night?

John

3-30 Dandelions

 3-30

A few Common Dandelions are showing their faces.

   Also seen but not shown - a Phoebe, a Kingfisher and 5 sub-adult Bald Eagles.

John

3-27 Myrtle

 3-27

Myrtle, a commonly cultivated and commonly escaped alien species, is opening a few flowers. This plant is also known as Periwinkle.

Hairy Bittercress, an infrequently documented alien in Vermont, is starting its flowering.

John

3-26 Shepherd's Purse

 3-26

Shepherd's Purse - a common plant of gardens and waste places - is said to flower from early spring to late fall and sometimes in winter. The triangular seed pods which gave this species its common name will be more noteworthy than its tiny flowers are now.

John

3-25 Hepatica

3-25

Today's warmth opened a few Hepatica flowers. In the coming weeks each plant will produce a new set of leaves.

John

 

3-24 Daphne

 3-24

Daphne, an alien shrub, is putting out a few flowers.

John

3-22 Beaked Hazelnuts

 3-22

The tiny stigma of Beaked Hazelnut's female flowers are opening but easily overlooked. The shrubs male catkins are much more noticeable.

Hazelnuts are edible and sweet, a fact understood by chipmunks everywhere.

John 

3-21 Early Saxifrage

 3-21

Early Saxifrage, AKA Rock Break, has opened a few flowers. This plant faors cracks and crevasses in ledges as the common name implies.

John

3-20 Whitlow Grass

 3-20

The little, deeply cleft 5 petaled flowers of Common Chickweed and the even littler 4 petaled flowers of Whitlow Grass are opening. both species are alien. And both could easily be overlooked.

John

Common Chickweed

Whitlow Grass

3-19 Mouse-ear Cress

 3-19

Last night a Woodcock was "peenting" in a field near my house.

   And, the tiny white flowers of Mouse -ear Cress - another early flowering alien - are open.

Joh

n

Coltsfoot

 3-18

The ditch in West Dummerston village is full of Coltsfoot. Like many flowers coltsfoot is only open in full sun light. It is also an alien which explains its very early flowering as aliens tend to flower early. But, today it is a more than welcome sight! 

John