5-10 Snow Fleas

5-10
Springtails, AKA Snow Fleas find the surface tension of a puddle a solid enough platform for their flea-like hops.
And Fringed Polygala opened itself to the world despite the unseasonably cool weather.
John

Springtails, AKA Snow Fleas

Fringed Polygala

5-9 Wood Betony

5-9
Wood Betony is opening a few of its odd little flowers.
Bird's-eye Speedwell peeks from weedy margins.
Prickly Gooseberry's flowers are a bit past their prime.
And Chestnut Sided Warblers can be heard claiming real estate in overgrown fencerows and thickets.
John

Wood Betony

Bird's-eye Speedwell

Prickly Gooseberry

5-8 Norway Maple

5-8
The deep red bud scales of Norway Maple contrast nicely with its new leaves.
Common Winter Cress, AKA Yellow Rocket, is shooting up aggressively.
And, along the Connecticut River, a Bald Eagle perched below its nest. As I watched, a pair of Osprey tried unsuccessfully to drive it out of the area.
John

Norway Maple

Winter Cress

Bald Eagle on nest

Bald Eagle in flight

5-7 Herb Robert

5-7
Herb Robert is opening an occasional flower.
The large showy pink-lined bud scales of Shagbark Hickory look surprisingly flower-like.
ANd the fungus known as Dryad's Saddle, AKA Pheasant's Back - is at its best. It is said to smell and taste of watermelon rind and the tender edges can be pickled, sauteed or fried … or so I've heard.
John

Herb Robert

Shagbark Hickory bud scales

Dryad's Saddle

5-6 Leatherleaf

5-6
Leathery, evergreen leaves and rows of dangling bell flowers make identification of Leatherleaf easy. This shrub favors bogs and pond shores. It's seldom over three feet tall.
John

5-5 Bladdernut

5-5
The dangling greenish flower clusters of Bladdernut can be found in riverside thickets … in Putney. I've yet to find any in Dummerston. Come fall papery seed-filled bladders persist long after leaf fall.
John

Bladdernut flower clusters

in fall the seed-filled bladders

5-4 Celandine

5-4
The alien invasive Celandine is in flower as is the native Red Baneberry.
Red Starts were flitting through the canopy.
John

Celandine

Red Baneberry

5-3 Red-berried Elders

5-3
Red-berried Elder's conical flower clusters are open.
Phoebes have laid the first of their 5 egg clutch.
And Hummingbirds have been visiting a Newfane feeder since the first! Sorry, no pictures.
John

Red-berried Elder

Phoebe egg

5-2 Garlic Mustard

5-2
Garlic Mustard is starting to flower … pull it up wherever you see it!
Forget-me-nots grace gardens.
And Field Pansies (introduced from Europe) are beautifying corn fields.
John

Garlic Mustard

Forget-me-not

Field Pansy

5-1 Indigo Bunting

5-1
This morning both an Indigo Bunting and a Bluebird were strutting their stuff in my driveway.
Cherry trees are flowering.
Jack-in-the-pulpits are up.
And Foam flowers are starting to lace damp woodlands.
John

Bluebird (left) and Indigo Bunting (right)

Cherry blossoms

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Foam flower

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