Morning walk flowers
Some wild (and not so wild) flowers seen while walking the dogs around town in the morning.
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Nature
Eating Tree Flowers?
I had no idea that squirrels ate tree flowers. I don't know why the idea surprised me when Mark Volpe sent me the picture above, but it did - after all squirrels do eat or gnaw on just about everything else. The practice was confirmed for Red Squirrels
Box Elder Flowers
The Box Elder is unfairly considered by som to be the black sheep of the maple family. Box elders are a hearty native tree that will grow just about anywhere. While they may not a conventional beauty they have a certain charm. They are dioecious having separate male and female
Nature
Recent Birds at the Park
All count as "usual suspects" you are likely to spot any day you visit the park this time of year.
Nature
On the Lookout
Over the past several weeks the red squirrels have been in their breeding season. Females are in estrus for one day, and they cause a lot of chattering and chasing about. Besides being the fastest thing in the forest they are a watchful and cautious creatures; so much so I
Just Today
Om today's visit to the park I found Trout Lillies that were in bloom. These were in a small patch of the forest where sunlight manages to get through for long enough to keep the plants growing there develop slightly ahead of the rest, a microclimate. Thanks for
Nature
Signs of things to come
Two more spring ephemerals started showing up this week. Wild leeks grow thickly in one section of the park. I may be wrong but I suspect they are lasting remnant of an area that the Lenape people harvested. I think this because the abundance of them points to a long
Nature
Ephemerality
To be short lived, temporary, or fleeting. The Greek origin is "ephemeros" (meaning "lasting only one day"). Right now the spring ephemerals are making their annual appearance. The ephemerals appear when the weather warms, but before the tree canopy fills with leaves shading out the forest
Tree Swallows
The Tree Swallows provide quite a show. They spend all summer swooping around and skimming the ponds to satisfy their huge appetites (and those of their nestlings) for insects. Right now it's all about pairing up and finding a nest. I saw this pair chattering away, swooping around,
Recently at Nixon Park
Spring continues to gather momentum.
Nuthatch nest
I watched this White-breasted Nuthatch preparing a nest in a natural tree cavity , they were tearing off bits of bark and transporting them the nest. I'll keep an eye on the spot to see what develops.