Back of the Yard: March 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Snow & Snakes

Well, we had our 75 degree days a few weeks ago in Winter, so I guess this had to happen. A dusting of snow making the Forsythia look pretty. Sun is already coming out, so this should all be gone by this evening.

In other news, found this huge snake in the basement stairwell yesterday. Lucky that I saw him before I vacuumed the leaves out of the stairwell. This is a Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi. They're completely harmless unless you're an earthworm. This one was all of about 9" long, which for this species is adult size (they get up to 13" long). Amusingly enough, when I reached for him he flattened out his body and assumed a threat posture, which might have been more effective if he was a little bigger. He'll live in the basement in a plastic bin for a few weeks until it warms up a bit and we can release him back into the yard.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Round-lobed What?

According to a naturalist contact of mine, this is probably a Round-lobed Hepatica, seen along the Appalachian Trail near Ashby Gap in Virginia yesterday. Yours truly thought it was Wild Ginger until he remembered that Wild Ginger has a completely different flower- purplish and hairy, and the leaf is different as well. Various things were in bloom or about to be- saw an open Bloodroot (a bit early for them), some Spicebush about to pop, and Toothwort about to open.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Different Colors

Blue, Bue with stripes, Yellow, White, and a brownish blur. Two more colors of Crocus, the first Daffodil of the year (at least in our yard- it's shadier there; there's lots of them out in sunny spots), saw a Cabbage White butterfly browsing around the crocus in the back yard, and as I walked near the pond a brown blur jumped into the water, so one of the frogs survived the winter. The Koi, goldfish, and sunfish have been basking near the surface as well. We heard American Toads trilling last night- this is a few weeks early for them. Their call is one of my favorites sounds of the Spring.

Huntley Meadows today was a steady roar of frog calls, and Painted, Spotted, and Snapping Turtles were all out. Sighted across the swamp were some larger sliders, but too far away to determine species- probably Red-eared and Red-bellied. Saw three muskrats in two different places.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Not Many Words Needed...

I think this picture covers most of them. Taken today. Contrast with the shot below on 3/12.

Click on the picture!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Swamp Concerto

A visit to Huntley Meadows today was like going to a concert- of frogs. Leopard Frogs quacking away like little ducks, Spring Peepers trilling away, and the occasional Pickerel Frog making their odd snoring calls (one of the staff members had already found frog eggs). Saw my first Tree Swallows of the season hawking over the wetlands, catching gnats. A newly arrived Eastern Wood-Pewee was perched at the top of a Red Maple, surveying the swamp. On the way over spotted my first Osprey of the season circling over Cameron Run near the Beltway.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Sounds In The Night

While reading in bed last night we heard a strange sound. Listened for a while trying to figure out what kind of an emergency vehicle I was hearing and suddenly realized it was a flock of Tundra Swans heading back north to Canada for the breeding season. It's a beautiful sound to hear in the dark of the night.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Snoring & Gold

Just back from a walk on part of the Cross-County Trail along Accotink Creek. Maple trees are very fuzzy as they're in bloom, painting part of the woods in a muted red. Heard snoring sounds coming from the little pond we walk by- Pickerel Frogs have emerged from the mud where they've been sleeping all Winter and are calling for mates. Also saw a little color on the finch feeder this afternoon- Goldfinches are shifting into their breeding plumage. They lose the bright yellow color in Fall and Winter, so both sexes look alike. Some purple crocus popped up in the front yard this morning- not a one in sight yesterday and now they're here.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

More Up

Haven't posted for a few days because of some surgery on my wrist, and the weather has been kind of soggy. A beautiful day today- sun out, and a bit of a breeze to dry things out. We've had over 2 inches of rain in the last few days. More goings on in the yard- crocus are in full bloom, although all we're seeing at this point are white and yellow ones. I know I planted some of the dark purple ones, so hopefully they'll be out soon. Forsythia is getting ready to pop. More and more daffodils are poking their heads out in the front patch- every time I look there's another two or three poking out. A pair of Carolina Wrens has been busy for the last few days foraging around on the hillside- they remind me of hyperactive mice the way they'll disappear into a hole under a rock and then reappear somewhere else. Cardinals have been singing early in the morning from rooftops.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

What's Up?

Lots of things! Tulips (pictured) have poked their heads up, Columbine (pictured) is up all over the place, Crocus have come up in lots more places since the first little tiny one bloomed, Daffodils are everywhere, with one showing a nice bud, the Narrow Leaf Cattails are sprouting in the pond, Forsythia is about to pop (some was brought inside and has flowered) a little Primrose bought at Trader Joe's is showing green as well as some buds, and Song Sparrows and various other birds are singing when I go out to pick the paper up out of the driveway.

Just back from grocery shopping- stopped by our local park (Eakin, on Accotink Creek) and heard my first Spring Peepers of the year.

A further note on the Columbine- the one pictured is a domesticated blue one. These originally appeared with some Royal Lily hostas given to us by my parents. They bloomed in and amogst the hostas for several year until the hostas crowded them out. By that time the columbine had already migrated further out into the yard, so there's now far more than we started with.