Reawakening!

Buds, Bugs, Birds, and Ephemerals

WINTER is mostly gone. We are in that window when winter is begrudgingly giving up and passing its dominance to spring. Cold nights and warmer days are the norm now, despite intermittent days when it seems winter is trying to make a comeback.  But it is a losing battle, as the awakening buds, bugs, birds, and spring ephemerals are proving.

It's impossible not to notice the reddish tinge appearing in the branches of trees at this time. Most noticeable are the red maples, a tree which shows red all year long, whether that is in its leaf stems, foliage, buds, flowers, or seeds. This is one of the earliest blooming trees in our forests. Its reddish January buds quickly gave way to deep red flowers, which begin falling to the ground in early February and continue to do so through March, depending on the elevation. But very soon after, they form red samaras, or winged seeds, which turn green before spiraling their way to the ground. Fascinated by these as a kid, I called them “helicopters” and loved throwing a handful up in the air to marvel at their downward descent. After hitting the ground, daily breezes continually flip the samara wings back and forth, causing the seed ends to work their way into the leaf litter and soil where they quickly sprout.

As spring moves onward, a host of other canopy tree species burst forth in red, yellow, and greenish buds and blooms. Small insects, unseen by the casual observer on the ground, immediately begin feeding on them. That is when many of our birds become visibly active. Some of these birds are “locals,” and having over-wintered here, now start fueling up to raise families. The tufted titmouse, Carolina chickadee, Carolina wren, eastern phoebe, and other winter residents, are among those adding to their diets.

But we also see some of our most colorful and vocal birds appearing from Central and South America. Taking winter refuge in those warmer climates, these species are migrating northward following the emerging tree buds to feed on insects and

caterpillars already consuming this new growth. These “neotropical migrants” are amazingly colorful and become very vocal as they begin nesting in our temperate region. The diversity of warblers, many with wonderful names, is surprising. Hooded warbler, black and white warbler, black-throated green warbler, black-throated blue warbler, American redstart, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, cerulean warbler, worm-eating warbler, ovenbird, golden-winged warbler, and yellow-breasted chat, are only some of the many new faces that show up here for their summer nesting “vacations.” I always look forward to this time before tree leaf formation because this is when you can get a good look at some of these tiny birds. Binoculars are helpful here!

Along with birds, a number of colorful butterflies magically appear on the warmer sunny days that are interspersed within the periods of late winter chill. Various swallowtails, fritillaries and mourning cloaks may be seen at these times.

Among the delightful scenes this annual spring cycle of life brings, and one that most excites me, is the appearance plants known as spring ephemerals (and I’m sure I’m not alone in this!). These wildflowers suddenly and miraculously pop up

from the drab and seemingly lifeless soil during this time, as they have for thousands of years. Their appearance seems designed to give us reassurance of nature’s continuity and a renewed appreciation of her beauty.

Taking advantage of the early season sunlight, they emerge, bloom, and begin forming seeds before the forest canopy has a chance to subdue them with its shade. As with the bird species, the list of ephemerals is amazing: Toothwort, bloodroot, chickweed, jack-in-the-pulpit, yellow mandarin, trillium, mayapple, spring beauty, violet, columbine, bellwort, wild oats, lady’s slipper, foamflower, rue anemone and trailing arbutus, are a few among the many.

For those looking to add native wildflowers to their yards, many of these species are being propagated by local and regional nurseries. They are great additions to fill in spaces between deciduous trees and shrubs when matched to their preferred soil conditions, which are high in organic matter and usually slightly acidic to acidic.  Try experimenting with them as you convert from a non-native to a native yardscape!

For more information on non-native invasive plants, NNIP removal, and replacement with native insect and wildlife attractive plants, visit "Services" at www.restoraflora.com.