This spring the first butterfly I saw was the Mourning Cloak, but normally I see the Red Admiral first. One was enjoying the sunshine after some cold cloudy days, but the Red Admiral today looked more orange than red after a long winter. I’ll have to look for other ones to see if they are red like during the summer or pale orange.
Red Admiral Not Red
This Mother’s Day was different as many people were not able to gather in traditional ways. I did pick dandelions for my mom’s bouquet, but since it was cloudy and the flowers had some ice pellets overnight, the dandelions blossoms didn’t full open up. So in addition to the normal yellow flowers, I added some wood violets, which is Wisconsin’s state flower.
Wood Violets
The chipmunks were teasing my cats today as they ran past just outside the feline leash range. Although one chipmunk missed judged the distance and became a play toy herded around by the cats until I ended their fun and allowed the rodent escape.
Chipmunk Toy
The Virginia Bluebells might be blue, not only in color, but feeling blue because of temperature below freezing overnight and more frosty nights in the forecast.
Blue Virginia Bluebells
After romping and racing across the pasture, the young calf needs a nap in the sunshine.
Napping Calf
The lack of bright colors sometimes allow the green Jack-in-the-pulpit to go unnoticed in the woods, but it is an interesting flower to see. I spotted a few of the them open today but poor Jack might need a blanket with the frosty nights this week.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
More signs of spring arrived the last two days as more birds returned like the wrens, swallows, orioles, grosbeaks and the little hummingbirds. Rose-breasted grosbeak males actually sit on the eggs for a few hours during the day but the female does most of the egg incubating.
Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
As spring days continue, these dairy cows are enjoying some green grass and new dandelion leaves after a long winter.
Pasture Time
A sunny spring Sunday was a good day to check out the new wildflower blossoms, such as the trilliums, wood anemones, yellow trout lilies and the bright yellow of the marsh marigolds.
Yellow Marsh Marigolds
The warm sunny Saturday had a lot of people out enjoying the opening of the fishing season. But while anglers were trying to entice a fish on their hook, some farmers were out working their fields for spring planting.
Preparing for Planting
