4-30

Wild Sarsaparilla, Cuckoo-flower, Cinquefoil and Thyme-Leaved Speedwell chose today to start flowering in my neighborhood while the slickly invasive tree species, Russian Olive, was bristling with tiny buds. On the wing was a small day-flying black moth with bold white wing patches; the Common spring Moth whose larval food source is the locally ubiquitous Black Locust. Black flies were also out in force whenever the breeze died.

John

4-29

Today I was privileged to see 2 male Wood Ducks trying to impress one female of their species while nearby a male Green-winged Teal shadowed a lone female teal. All are diminutive waterfowl, yet the males' bold and crisply delineated colors gave them a focal weight in the landscape far beyond their actual sizes.

John

I was driving passed Black Mountain on my way home, and I just had to stop. I walked up the mountain on this beautiful day and found more than I expected.
baneberry was about to bloom (it is called doll's eyes when it turns to seed) and trailing arbutus was in full flower. This is a picture of it.

4-28

Cold gusty winds, low overcast and sporadic wet snow gave a winterish feel to the West side of town today, yet Goldthread turned its tiny white flowers to the skies, and a Woodcock poked down through the leaf litter searching for the worms to be found in the April-warm soil below.

John

A lone mallard drake was paddling in the vernal pool near the intersection of Black Mt. Road with East-West Road. I wonder what impact he will have on the amphibian population there.

Yesterday my daughter spotted a fisher crossing Day Road with a gray squirrel in its mouth. In the early evening, I spotted a deer leisurely licking salt deposits in our sand barrel.

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid was found today in Brattleboro by a young logger named Kyle. The land is located at the junction of Rice Farm Road and Black Mountain Road. I was have a grand time inspecting my logging job (it is one of the best jobs I've ever seen) and then met up with Mike who told me the bad news. Kyle had been trained by his boss Long View to detect the adelgid and noticed it when he was bucking up the tops.
So, keep on keeping your eyes out.
We don't know what the state's recommendation is for treating the area. Keep you posted.

I heard a winter wren. It makes an undulating song that lasts forever. Just cut and past this web site to hear the song. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Winter_Wren/id
Another sign of spring--the hermit thrush is singing up a storm

Thanks Cheryl- Here is a picture of garlic mustard.

Garlic mustard beginning to bloom along the roadside. Tiny white flowers atop heart-shaped scalloped leaves.

This biennial is very easy to pull. In the spirit of "practicing random acts of gardening," i pulled one out of the flower bed at the entrance to the Putney Inn.

4-24

Two butterflies that I have not seen previously this season were flying today: one a Duskywing, perhaps the Dreamy Duskywing, although I could not be absolutely certain of that identification; the other a Pine Elfin.

Any day graced by creatures with such names would almost have to be a good day - sun warmed and apple blossom scented. And, it was.

John

The strawberries have flowers. In my garden as I went to pull out a raspberry plant, I found a toad buried with only its face exposed. It had probably hidden in a mole hole. Ok I got to say it --it was so cute.

4-23

Today Golden Alexanders, Toothwort, and Smooth Yellow Violets were flowering in my neighborhood.

Yesterday - after walking parts of Black Mountain with The Nature Conservancy - I found a flourishing patch of Wood Betony in the parking area between Rice Farm Rd and the river. They are not yet in flower but will be soon. I had not previously found Wood Betony in this neighborhood so even though it's not a rare plant, it was fun to find.

Betony flowers can be either yellow or reddish-brown. They should be open within a few days!?!?

John

4-21

Broadwinged Hawks, which wintered in Central and South america, are back. a few Dwarf Ginseng and Squirrel Corn plants are in flower. The lone Painted Trillium I found today was budded, but not yet open. And a lone nighthawk leapfrogged north over me with the afternoon winds at its tail.

John

4-20

Today, as expected, I found a few Columbines and Miterworts in bloom. Long-spurred Violets were an unexpected bonus as were the Stem-swaddling pink flowers of Daphne - an introduced shrub which now grows wild in New England. Two deer, a partridge and a garter snake viewed my presence in the woods with varying degrees of mild alarm, and when the breezes died black flies made their presence known.

 

 

 

 

Charlie Richardson, John Evans and I walked up to the top of Prospect Hill to figure out what can be done to improve the view. The picture shows a vista that needs to be created.
At the top of the hill, both blueberries and shadbush were in bloom (The shadbush flowers when the shad are about to run). On the way down I found trout lily in bloom and this owl pellet. If you look closely you can see it is all made out of hair from the animal the owl ate. The owl spits up the pellet, and the hair doesn't have to go through its digestive system. Much easier for the owl.

4-19

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Hairy Woodpecker are taking turns beating out territorial drum rolls on the aluminum ladder behind my barn. The first flowers of Wood Anemone are now opening, smooth Yellow Violets are in full flower as are Gooseberries and Currants.

Black bear announced herself will a loud crash at 10pm sniffing out the trash cans at our home on what old timers refer to as Spruce Knoll located in Dummerston near the Putney line at 1504 ft overlooking Black Mt. the West and CT Rivers. Seems to be found of compost too.

I hit the jackpot today. While in West Dummeston, I was walking with Bill Guenther, the county forester, when he spotted this intact deer antler. It's in terrific condition. I am bringing it to the Earth Day Celebration this Sunday. The fair will be in the center of town.  
 
 
 



It's hard to make these next two pictures out, but it is a hemlock tree ravaged by a porcupine. Only those hemlock needles must be tasty. They definitely are full of Vitamin C.

4-16

At the highest elevations on the west side of town, the pale pink and white flowers of the evergreen ground-hugging Trailing Arbutus were liberally dusted with snow this morning.

John