The first native wildflowers had poked up a few days ago but the blossoms remained closed, but with the warmer temperatures today, they finally opened up. But they probably will wish they remained under the ground if it snows tomorrow.
Season’s First Wildflower
I thought a bird decided to wear a fur hat since it was below freezing again this morning until the seed thief revealed himself from the far side of the bird feeder. I guess he heard that more snow was predicted and he needed to re-stock his cache of seed.
Seed Thief
These clouds were not so pretty as they were swirling snow down. The sky changed conditions rapidly throughout the day with brief periods of sun before the return of the white sheet of flakes that fell as the sky turned dark.
Sheets of White
Some years when the ice first comes off my pond, I will get some visiting ducks that might hang around for a few days as the migrate to their summer nesting sites. This year I didn’t spot extras passing through like these Blue-winged Teals which did visit a couple years in the past.
Visiting Blue-winged Teals
The day started off with a thunderstorm and then so foggy I couldn’t see my pond. But late afternoon the sun came out and the bluebirds were singing as they checked out birdhouses. The pheasants and woodpeckers added some mating calls as sandhill cranes flew overhead. The evening frog choir serenaded the pink supermoon as it rose in the sky. This April’s full moon, also known as the pink moon because of moss pink, native North American wildflowers that bloom in early springtime, happens to be the closest moon of the year. While pink flowers may be blooming elsewhere, the blossoms I spotted today in my yard were blues and not pink.
Finally Flowers
Although there is still some traces of snow scattered around, there are some signs of spring with the trees starting to bud, flowers poking up through the ground and new little critters making their arrival.
New Kittens
The critters seemed to have like the sunshine today as much as I did. The ducks were swimming in the pond instead of wadding through snow. Deer were grazing in the field, turkeys were strutting around and the rabbits were hopping across the lawn. Chipmunks and squirrels were chasing each other while the birds were chirping as my cats kept an eye on them. And at the end of the day, the critters disappeared into the darkness as the sun dipped below the horizon again.
Sunday Sunset
The sun was out and it shown bright on the new layer of snow. I watched the poor wood ducks waddle through the snow after they took a swim in the steam rising pond. The tree limbs sparkled with the ice coating but by afternoon, the sun was able to melt a majority of the snow and the ice under the snow layer.
Ice Coated Leaves
The April’s Fool joke sent by Mother Nature didn’t arrive on the 1st but was apparently delayed until today when the rain turned to ice and then to snow which covered the ground in a new white coating.
Spring is Gone
The winds blew in some warmer air today, even if the clouds made it feel cooler, but the spring peepers said it was spring. The tiny frogs sure have a loud high-pitched call but they might not be singing spring tomorrow if we get some freezing rain.
Spring Peeper
