4-29 Cypress Spurge

 4-29

Cypress Spurge, a common garden escape, is yellowing roadsides and river banks.

John

4-28 Downy Yellow Violets and Red-berried Elder

 4-28

Downy Yellow Violets are putting in an appearance and Red-bellied Elder is starting to flower.

John

Red-berried Elder

Downy Yellow Violet

4-27 Squirrel Corn and Jack-in-the-Pulpit

 4-27

Squirrel Corn, another Spring ephemeral, is flowering and Jack-in-the-Pulpits are not far behind.

John

Squirrel Corn

4-26 Shadbush and three others

 4-26

Both shadbush and Hobblebush are opening a few flowers.

Hobblebush

Shadbush

High on a sun-warmed ledge Columbine is open. At the foot of that ledge, Garlic Mustard is starting to reign.

John

Columbine

Garlic Mustard

4-25 Wood Anemone, White Bluets and Field Pussytoes

 4-25

Wood Anemone, AKA Wind Flower, is carpeting areas of forest floor, a patch of white Bluets have turned their faces to the sun and Field Pussytoes are attracting eager pollinators.

John

Field Pussytoes and pollinator

white Bluets

Wood Anemone

4-24 Wild Oats and Toothwort

 4-24

The dangling pale yellow flowers of Wild Oats are opening and Common Toothwort, a mustard relative, needs only a little sunshine to turn its 4 petaled white flowers skyward.

John

Wild Oats

Toothwort

4-23 Field Penny-cress

 4-23

Field Penny-cress, AKA Cow Cress. am alien member of the mustard family is starting to flower.

John

4-22 Scarlet Elf Cup

 4-22

Scarlet Elf Cup fungus gives a touch of color to the woods and Lesser Celandine, a garden escape, brightens open damp woods.

John

Lesser Celandine

Scarlet Elf Cup fungus

4-21 Trout Lily and others

 4-21 

Trout Lilies are approaching their peak flowerings, the tiny 'snow-flake' flowers of Miterwort are open and cut-leaved toothwort needs only a bit of warmth to fully open its white four-petaled flowers.

John

Trout Lily

Miterwort

Cut-leaved Toothwort

4-20 Small-flowered Buttercup

4-20

Small-flowered Buttercups, AKA Kidney-leaved Buttercups, are the first of many buttercups to flower.

John

4-19 wild Ginger

 4-19

Wild Ginger's flowers look like carrion, attracting flesh eating flies and gnats as pollinators.

John

4-18 Long-spurred Violet and others

 4-18

An occasional Long-spurred Violet is in flower and Spicebush is yellowing the swamps. The spore bearing 'cones' of Horse Tails are also up.

Also seen but not pictured: an Osprey and a Mustard White butterfly.

John

Horse Tails

Spicebush

Long-spurred Violet

4-17 American Fly Honeysuckle

 4-17

American Fly Honeysuckle is opening a few flowers - and a few leaves.

John

4-16 Field Chickweed and others

 4-16

Field Chickweed and Purslane Speedwell are flowering in agricultural fields and Northern Blue Violets are coloring door yards and damp woods.

Plus, at least two Bumblebees were active this afternoon!

John

Field Chickweed

Purslane Speedwell

Northern Blue Violet

Northern Blue Violets

Bumblebee

4-15 Red Trillium

 4-15

Red Trillium, AKA Purple Trillium and Wake Robin, is opening flowers, a few Wild Strawberries are following suit and Marsh Marigold, AKA cowslip, is brightening wet places.

 Seen but not pictured, one Gray Comma butterfly and one Milbert's Tortoiseshell butterfly.

John

Marsh Marigold

Wild Strawberry

Red Trillium

4-14 Garter snake

 4-14

Garter snakes are out of hibernation.

And an array of wildflowers including Round-leaved Yellow Violets, Blue Cohosh, Purple Rock Cress, Dutchman's Breeches and Bluets chose today to start their flowerings.

 Also seen flowering on a high inaccessible ledge, wild Ginger. No picture possible.

John

Bluets

Dutchman's Breeches

Purple Rock Cress

Blue Cohosh

Round-leaved Yellow Violet

4-13 Trailing Arbutus

 4-13 

    The pink (or white0 flowers of Trailing Arbutus, AKA Mayflowers, contrast nicely with their leathery evergreen leaves.

John

4-12 Field Pennycress

 4-12

Although only an inch or two above ground Field Pennycress has opened a few flowers.

John

4-11 Mourning Cloak Butterfly

 4-11

A Mourning Cloak butterfly was airborne today. These butterflies overwinter as adults and are one of the first species seen each spring. As they often precede flowers they feed on tree sap, scat and carrion.

Also seen, but not photographed, two Bats flying in bright 2 pm sunlight.

John

4-10 Bloodroot

 4-10

Bloodroot, a diminutive member of the Poppy clan, is opening its flowers.

And in rich woods the pink veined white flowers of Spring Beauties, a colony forming species, are starting to carpet the forest floor.

John

4-6 Field Pansy

 4-6

Field Pansies, originally from Europe, are opening a few flowers in seasonally idle agricultural fields.

John

4-5 Purple Dead Nettle

 4-5

Purple Dead Nettle - yet another early flowering alien - is putting out a few flowers.

John

4-4 Gil-over-the-ground

 4-4

Ground Ivy, AKA Gil-over-the-ground, a mint family member, is starting to flower.

John