14 March 2021
Spring is coming! Our native trees are slow to bloom but cultivated flowers and amphibians are already active. There’s a lot to see and hear.
Above, on 6 March we were greeted by a sun pillar caused by ice crystals slowly falling through the air at sunrise.
A shagbark hickory lives up to its name in bright sunlight.
American basswood now has bright red buds that are still cautious about opening.
Cultivated European white willows have bright yellow twigs in March.
Non-native crocuses are blooming so I hoped to see native snow trillium at Raccoon Wildflower Reserve on Friday, 12 March 2021. I did not find any, not even leaves. Was I too early or did the deer eat them?
However I was rewarded with the sound of frogs! Spring peepers and a few wood frogs called from the first vernal pool.
Wood frogs quacked in the second pool joined by a few solo peepers (hear that slow “creeeek” sound). In the video you can see the surface of the water moving with so many wood frogs.
Get outside while the sun’s shining. There’s more spring to come!
(photos audio and video by Kate St. John)
Yesterday there was a gigantic, long, horizontal, glowing orange X made from diffusing contrail clouds in the sky in Oakland visible from my porch near CMU in the western sky directly above the Cathedral of Learning for only about 10 min. as the sun set. It was stunningly beautiful and a little eerie too.
Spring Ahead! Enjoying your blog and anticipating the blossoming of Mother Earth’s finery. Keep us posted!
Ahhhh love the sound of the frogs. Thanks for that!