Spring is here!  Orioles and Grosbeaks are back, bugs are out, trees are budding.  The landscape still looks brown, but there are green leaves if I look closely, and spring flowers are blooming. 

We had a snowy start – this was April 2 – but it melted quickly.

 

Mike did some mowing in Buffalo Ridge to keep the old grasses from hiding the flowers.  We still leave big areas unmowed; we concentrate the mowing along the path and places that have the thickest grass.

 

Some early leaves are purple when they first come out, but soon turn green.  These are Wood Betony.

 

Monarda

 

Silky Aster – these are green right away.

 

Hill’s Thistle

 

It’s nice to get the mowing done early so it doesn’t disturb ground nesting birds – Twisted Oak Savanna.

 

Twisted Oaks Savanna

 

On April 16, the aufeis in the Glen finally melted completely away.  This shows its progress from late February – when it still covered the floor of the Glen, to mostly gone in early April, and when it finally disappeared in mid-April.  The surrounding woods has been snow-free since early January.

 

A few spring creatures…

The first snake of the spring – Eastern Garter Snake

 

He has a gorgeous little forked tongue.

 

Ruffed Grouse

 

Spring Azure (butterfly)

 

A small fly (Cheilosia sp.) covered with pollen – on a Pasqueflower.

 

Dutchman’s Breeches are one of our earliest woodland flowers.  These aren’t quite in full bloom yet.

 

Full bloom a few days later.   Just to the left of the flower stalk are stalks where someone has eaten off all the leaves.

 

Bird’s Foot Violet

 

Hoary Puccoon

 

 

Nights have been mostly cold, windy or rainy, but last week I finally put out my moth lights.  Here are two favorites.

The Herald

 

Lintner’s Gluphisia – this one is uncommon – I’ve only seen it once before.

 

This is one of our newest bluebird nest boxes.  Someone nibbled matching holes – one in each side, and stuffed them with dried plants.

 

I opened the box and discovered a mouse in her nest.  I’ll let her finish raising her babies and then clean it up for – hopefully – a bluebird.

 

I worked on a few clearing projects – this one on the west-facing side of Indian Grass Point.

Before and after:

 

When it rains hard, streams form in the lowest parts of the valleys.

 

Eventually all the running water gets to the creek.

 

A huge, spreading willow at the edge of the wetland.  It’s one of the first trees to bloom.

 

There was mist in the valley one morning, and I hurried up the hill to catch the view from the top.

 

I barely made it – the mist had almost disappeared.

 

In the last few days…

Prairie places we mowed last fall are turning green – the plants are mostly Golden Alexanders and Wood Betony.

 

More flowers are blooming.

Sweet White Violets

 

Rue Anemones

 

Bloodroot

 

Marsh Marigolds

 

Prairie Blue-eyed Grass

 

And we watched an American Lady Butterfly laying eggs on Pussytoes.