Ever the optimist, I went out on March 19 hoping to find 10 early signs of spring.
The results: not one.
No singing birds and no emerging plants except for green leaves that have endured the winter for Garlic Mustard, Motherwort, Dame’s Rocket and others.
This morning I had success. Here is my list:
#10 STINGING NETTLE
Some green leaves have just emerged.
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
#9 MANY ROBINS
American Robin
#8 MORROW HONEYSUCKLE
The buds of Honeysuckle stay hidden all through the winter and emerge in spring.
Morrow Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii)
#7 MALLARDS
Mallards tend to stay in largish groups during the winter but pair off and begin looking for secret nesting places in spring.
#6 GARLIC MUSTARD
These tiny, round, green leaves are plentiful at the moment.
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
#5 GOLDFINCHES
The males are starting to develop their breeding gold colours and blackish head markings.
American Goldfinch (male)
American Goldfinch (male)
#4 TREMBLING ASPEN
The pussy willow-type flowers are now out.
Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
#3 SONG SPARROWS
I had many singing Song Sparrows this morning.
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
#2 KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS
It can be recognized by its boat-shaped leaf tips. Kentucky Blue Grass is famously neither blue nor from Kentucky.
Kentucky Blue Grass (Poa ptatensis)
#1 WOOD DUCKS
A female is already claiming a nesting box and the male is nearby.
Wood Duck (female)
Wood Duck (male)
Wood Duck (male)
There are also a few human signs of spring.
#1 The mountain bike trails show lots of activity.
#2 I’ve got the Benjamin Britten SPRING SYMPHONY in my car CD player.
Poems with a spring theme by Spenser, Milton, Herrick, Auden, Blake and others set to music with full orchestra by one of the finest 20th century composers.
Miles Hearn