The upper forest here is always a good spot to see trilliums in spring and we saw the early growth of many:

Some other emerging plants:

Other botany:

When the White Elm flowers were shaken today, pollen was flying:

Today’s group on this 8 degree morning which started in light fog:

Views of the park:

Today’s bird species list:  Canada goose, mallard, mourning dove, red-bellied woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, northern flicker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, brown creeper, winter wren, American robin, ruby-crowned kinglet, brown-headed cowbird, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, song sparrow.  (19 species)

We heard many flickers. Here is a flicker photo from another day:

NATURE POETRY

Again the blackbirds sing; the streams
Wake, laughing, from their winter dreams,
And tremble in the April showers
The tassels of the maple flowers.      – John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–92)

Miles Hearn