The pink striped petals of the Spring Beauty wildflower are a welcome sign of the arrival of spring, even if there is a mention of snow in forecast. The flower is one of the most common native perennials in eastern North America which grows small roots that remind people of tiny potatoes, hence the nickname “Fairy Spuds” and can be eaten, although it would take a lot of them for a meal!
The Pink of the Spring Beauty
The proverb “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers”, first recorded in 1886, or the shorter version “April showers bring May flowers” (originally “Sweet April showers/Do spring May flowers”, part of a poem recorded in 1610) are common expressions in English speaking countries. But it doesn’t say whether it is rain or snow showers which bring the flowers although at least it has just been rain showers here this morning and not snow like further north. The colder temperatures still have kept the flowers from sprouting up this spring yet and if they had, flowers like the snow glories could be covered with snow.
Snow Glories Could be Covered by Snow
When I was outside one day last week looking for any hint of some wildflower, a pair of ducks were circling to land in my pond but they spotted me and flew off. I didn’t recognize the smaller duck species as each spring I get some temporary visitors on their journey farther north. The next evening they did land in the pond but since it was so windy that day, they stayed hidden behind the long grass so I still couldn’t identify them
A couple of years ago, I did have some visiting Blue-winged Teal ducks stop over on their trek back from their winter stay in South America but since my pond is too small, they ventured elsewhere after a day of resting.
Pair of Blue-winged Teal Ducks
I still haven’t spotted any wildflowers but when it is below freezing this morning again, the flowers are wise not to poke their heads up yet. The only green and growing plant that I have spotted so far is moss. The tall, stalk-like sporophytes were waving in the strong winds above the low, leaf-like gametophytes of the moss. But moss might end up in a chickadee nest as moss is a favorite material for the nest foundation and I did see a chickadee going into a birdhouse this spring already.
Moss Sporophytes
An English proverb describes typical March weather as “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” And it looks like March went out like a lamb this year as I was able to open the windows since it warmed to 62 this afternoon. That was preferable to having a snow storm when March goes out like a lion instead.
March Out Like A Lamb
There wasn’t a colorful Sunday sunrise this morning since it was cloudy and the trees were rattling with ice from the freezing rain overnight. The yard was full of robins this morning but I don’t think ice counts as snow on the robin’s tail so spring might not be here yet.
Sunday Sunrise
My robin is to blame for the predicted snow and sleet tonight since I keep seeing him duck under the pine tree so the snow can’t land on his tail during the brief snow showers, so apparently it has only snowed on the robin twice and not the three times for spring to truly arrive and stay. I might have to stake the robin in the middle of the yard tonight so that the snow can land on his tail and be done with winter. I guess that is why the robin is Wisconsin’s state bird because we have six or more months of winter!
Robin Causing it to Snow
The morning was a crisp 17 degrees so if there had been flowers poking up in between the snow showers, they would be rather stiff. The sun is shining this morning but no colorful flowers to brighten the landscape as in prior years, so I will have to wait a few more weeks for the daffodils and other spring flowers.
Daffodils Dancing
I think the deer is like me and prefers the open grass before the snow yesterday and before it is covered again with more snow predicted for tonight.
Deer Looking for Grass
I couldn’t find any wildflowers yesterday to mark the start of spring but a bluebird was singing notifying me of his return from his winter vacation. So I cleaned out the bluebird houses, which meant evicting numerous squatters whom some would not vacate very easily and may take some more convincing before they decide to move on. And then there were houses where the squirrels enlarged the opening to get inside. I have plenty of hollow oak trees for the squirrels so they are wearing out their welcome by wrecking my birdhouses, eating the bird seed and peeing on my screens.
The bluebird may have headed south since a cooler morning but the cardinal is singing up a storm but I not too sure the female is listening. But I just heard a robin so now it can snow three times this week and spring will be officially here.
Return of the Bluebird
