Forsythia
A purple hyacinth
The warming temperatures have brought out some of spring’s “best buds” over the past week.
Buds high in the tree tops
Lilacs have started putting forth leaves and the trees have started budding, much to some allergy sufferers’ dismay.
Trailing arbutus
Buds have also appeared on the trailing arbutus.
According to www.wildflower.org, the plant also goes by the names Mayflower or Plymouth mayflower and is a member of the heath family.
The site stated that the wildflower favors well-drained, humus-rich, acidic soils and is found in sites where the plants are not covered entirely by leaves.
The site also went on to say that “trailing arbutus is very difficult to establish and perpetuate.”
The website said the plant is slow growing and won’t tolerate disturbances like droughts, floods or other site disruptions.
This fragrant little flower is also the state flower of Massachusetts.
Daffodils
Meanwhile, daffodils and crocuses have continued to color the landscape.
A bee visits a crocus
The bright blossoms have awakened a few bees and the occasional butterfly.
An Eastern comma butterfly spreads its wings.
Eastern commas and mourning cloaks are some of the first butterflies to appear in the spring. Both of them are in the family Nymphalidae or are brush-footed butterflies.
The Eastern comma is fairly easy to spot on the early spring landscape … when its wings are open. Its bright orange wings are often easy to spot among the dead leaves on the forest floor.
However, the underside of its wings are a perfect match for the leaves its hides among.
The website, butterfliesandmoths.org, said Eastern commas overwinter as adults and fly and lay eggs in the spring until the end of April.
“The summer form emerges and flies from May-September, laying eggs that develop into the winter form. These adults appear in September or October and soon seek shelter in which to overwinter,” the site said.
It also added that in the spring the males can be seen “flying aggressively to chase other insects or even birds.”
The host plants for the larva include members of the elm and nettle families. The adult butterflies eat rotting fruit and tree sap.
This mourning cloak butterfly was spotted in April 2013.
Another early spring butterfly is the mourning cloak.
The overwintered adults mate in the spring, according to butterfliesandmoths.org.
Host trees for the larva include willows, birches and elm trees.
The adults prefer tree sap, especially that of oaks, the site said.
The site said that the adults live for 10 to 11 months and “may be our longest lived butterfly.”
A pair of Canada geese float on the neighbor’s pond.
As the days get longer, more and more robins are arriving along with some Canada geese and a traveling turkey.
A robin perches in the branches of an ornamental cherry tree. The leaves on the tree have just started to appear.
A wild turkey trots buy the trail camera.
However, looming forecasts claim the warmer weather may not yet be here to stay.
Lows forecast for the end of the week are expected to hover around freezing which doesn’t always bode well for budding plants.
Sadie enjoyed a “bath” in the neighbor’s pond and proceeded to dry off by rolling around in “something dead.”
A Walk in the Woods contains photos from newsroom staffer Anna Applegate’s daily jaunts around her neck of the woods. Tagging along on the treks are dogs, Buford, Sherman and Sadie, and goats, Kyle and Kennedy. Applegate manages the Good Times and can be emailed at bigdogs.thederrick@gmail.com.
