The hard rain earlier this week pounded the white petals off the bloodroots, but other flowers have opened overnight like the spring beauties, marsh marigolds, trout lilies and violets.
More Spring Color
Picture of the Day for May 10, 2022
It definitely has been a weird late spring and this year as the first butterfly I spotted was not the red admiral or the mourning cloak, but a monarch. Plus the bumble bees were out today, but they will not find this flower for several months yet so the few flowers that have opened will have lots of visitors.
Return of the Monarch
Picture of the Day for May 9, 2022
Yesterday a variety of birds returned for the season so the yard was filled with extra sounds and angry calls as they fought over the feeders. The house wrens, Baltimore orioles, orchard orioles, rose-breasted grosbeak and ruby-throated hummingbirds were among the new spring arrivals.
Return of the Oriole
Picture of the Day for May 8, 2022
I have a tradition of giving my mom three dandelion blossoms on Mother’s Day, but this year with the very late spring, I couldn’t find even one dandelion blooming. I did at least find a few buds so I picked them and put them under a lamp for hours trying to convince the dandelions to open. And by noon, I did have one fully open and two partially unfurled.
Mother’s Day Blossom
Picture of the Day for May 7, 2022
The last two warm days after the rain has the lawn greening up and other plants are starting to sprout, including these alien looking fern fronds that haven’t unfurled yet.
Furled Fern Fronds
Picture of the Day for May 6, 2022
The day was warm enough to finally open the windows for the first time this year. And the new calves liked the sunny day as they played, raced around and butted heads on the warm spring afternoon.
Springtime Calves
Picture of the Day for May 5, 2022
After only seeing some leaves poking out of the ground for the last few days, the second wildflower of the season finally opened up. Although the bloodroot blossom closes back up at night or very cloudy days. When the root of the plant is cut, a reddish sap oozes out which leads to the plant’s common name of bloodroot.
Second Wildflower
Picture of the Day for May 4, 2022
I guess it is officially spring now as the first mosquito got me this afternoon and the first bite from that tiny insect feels more like a hummingbird. But so far the hummingbirds, orioles, wrens and grosbeaks haven’t wandered quite this far north yet although hopefully I will see more of the returning birds soon.
Hovering Hummingbird
Picture of the Day for May 3, 2022
The hepatica blossoms finally lifted up when the sun finally came out this afternoon, but they are still the only wildflowers that I have found so far this spring. I did find one leaf of the yellow trout lily, but blossoms only appear when there are two basal leaves which may take seven years before it blooms. A colony of the yellow trout lily may only have .5% plants that will bloom. so I don’t see a lot of these yellow blossoms.
Yellow Trout Lily
Picture of the Day for May 2, 2022
This morning I had a pair of Blue-winged Teal ducks visit my pond. They are among the latest ducks to arrive in the spring and one of the first to leave in fall. They build their nests on the ground but so far the Blue-winged Teal only seem to visit my pond in the spring but don’t hang around to nest.
Visiting Blue-winged Teals
