There was still snow just six days ago but it seems like the weather is skipping over spring as some of the spring wildflowers are done blooming in that short time. And the last of the birds have returned with the arrival of the hummingbirds and house wrens. And the wrens are busy making their nest as soon as they arrived back yesterday.
Gathering Sticks
Watch the busy wren gather sticks to build her nest.
https://youtu.be/wODg94mFEA8&w=640&h=430&rel=0
The crop fields were filled with activity today, now that the snow has finally melted this week. Large tractors were working the soil to prepare it for planting and you could hear the noise from the machinery. But in some fields, the noise coming from working the soil was the jingle of harness chains, plodding hoofs and the huffing from horses instead.
Plowing the Field
More birds are returning like the tree swallows and the grosbeaks. The orioles arrived on Monday, or at least the male Baltimore Orioles have. I am not sure why the males come first when it is the females that build the nest so it isn’t like he is getting the house ready. Instead he just complains when I am in the way and he can’t get to the sugar water or the jelly.
Oriole Getting a Drink
This year, the last snow drift melted on Monday but snow can still come in May as it did five years ago when it dumped 18 inches of snow on my yard from the storm that lasted May 1 through the 3rd. The storm caused schools to cancel classes and the weight of the heavy snow snapped a lot of branches. This normally mighty pine tree looked very limp and wimpy as the limbs hung down under the wet snow.
Five Years Ago
After a rain shower last night, it was another nice day with more signs of spring returning as well as revealing the harsh winter. I saw a rabbit this evening but earlier in the day, I spotted one of my young maple tree debarked by the bunnies looking. More spring wildflowers are opening like the bloodroots although the deer already ate some of the snow glories blossoms overnight. More birds are returning like the northern flicker. The pond is coming alive with the tadpoles swimming in the shallow waters as the female wood duck makes trips into the duck house. The water striders are skimming across the top of the water while dragonflies skip around in the air above. But it will be a while before spotting this red color dragonfly as it is an autumn one and I want spring and summer to last a while first.
Meadowhawk Dragonfly
A century ago, a tradition of May Day was to make May baskets, usually filled with flowers or treats, and after leaving the basket at someone’s doorstep, the giver rang the door bell and ran away. With the snow only leaving yesterday, the May Day baskets wouldn’t be filled with too many flowers from the yard this year as just a few are blooming today.
First Wildflower This Spring
Spring finally arrived the last day of April as the temperature reached 81 and the last of the snow melted in my yard. The south winds blew in a male oriole, dragonflies, butterflies and the female bluebirds. And some flowers finally opened up with one lone daffodil, two hepaticas, and some clumps of snow glories.
Snow Glories Open Up
Many people were enjoying the outdoors on this sunny, warmer Sunday. For some it meant some yard work (at least were the snow has melted), but others may have taken a walk or even a hike. They would have to be extra careful if hiking along some of rivers which are running full or flooding due to the melting snow. It wouldn’t take long for a toy boat to disappear from sight in this fast flowing water.
Rushing Water
The weird spring weather messed up the pussy willows this year as most are still in the cute pussy toes look but one shrub must have thought spring came by the calendar instead of the actual weather as it has reached the bushy, spiky stage already.
Pussy Willow Past Prime
The warmer days allow the cats and kittens to play outside instead of hiding out in the barns, but of course that also means that more stray cats are visiting my place and causing all kinds of trouble like getting locked in my garage and knocking my lumber down as well as creating other messes.
Kitten Playing Inside
