Snowdrops and Returning Birds Announce Our Real Spring

Spring is finally here in Western Massachusetts! 

Snowdrops are ringing their tiny white bells.

Bees are answering their chimes.  The woodcocks have returned along with the Phoebes and Tree Swallows.  Robins are singing at dusk and dawn.  It is a wonderful season.  I just finished my butterfly page for the new website.  They — the butterflies — apologize for not making an appearance here as well but there is just not enough time to be everywhere.  I look forward to sharing the new site with everyone soon. 

 

Flower Hill Farm Butterflies of 2012 ~ Red-spotted Admiral

Later on in this merry month of April, here in Western Massachusetts, Red-spotted Admirals Limenitis arthemis, who survive the cold winter and foraging birds, will awaken from their overwintering third larva stage. Flower Hill Farm has many of the preferred larva host plants or trees. 

The sleeping caterpillars, mimicking bird droppings, may be hiding out in some of our Black Cherry, Yellow Birch, poplars, hawthorns and shadbushes. When they awaken, the caterpillars will munch on leaves for a few weeks and become chrysalis before beginning their flights as butterflies in May or early  June. In their time they will lay a single dome-shaped green egg on the tips of leaves of the host plant. 

It can be confusing to identify these butterflies if you did not know that two former species, the Red-spotted Purple and the White Admiral have now been lumped together as Red-spotted Admirals. 

This past June I sighted a butterfly feeding on, of all plants, bishop's weed.  

This photograph with the Red-spotted Admiral caught in the shade shows the truer red color of the spots. 

 I keep reading that various butterflies, the Red-spotted Admiral included, prefer tree sap or excrement to flowers, but I tend to always see them on flowers. They seem to enjoy a diversity of nectar and I must say I prefer a portrait with these backdrops, but it is a great survival technique to have a varied palate especially if there are no flowers in bloom. The Red-spotted purple is designed to mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail, which I have not sighted here as yet, but as with its cousin the Viceroy I do not see that mimicry is foolproof.

This Hawthorne may be a host for some of those sleeping caterpillars. I did not see the Red-spotted Admiral actually fastening eggs but just maybe (if it is a she) she did.

The only White Admiral form I was able to capture last year was exploring a peony. I am including others from previous years to further illustrate the different forms.

 Both forms of Red-spotted Admirals feeding on beauty bush in May of 2009. 

White Admiral form on garden heliotrope June 4, 2010

A Red-spotted Purple form is sharing the flowers. In the bottom left corner you can see the former 'White Admiral' form of the Red-spotted Admiral from 2010. Both forms are enjoying delicious garden heliotrope. I have had steady sightings throughout the years and do find it amazing that these butterflies survive in their overwintering stages both from the cold and the birds . . . they must be very clever in their 'tent' creations that hide and shelter them from the many winter storms. 

As I write it is snowing outside . . . only passing showers luckily. Snowdrops are taking a stand against the cold and melting snow in their dainty stately way. I guess I can bear up too.

It is heartening to see the snow disappearing. Our Phoebe returned two days ago and I saw my first butterfly of 2013. A Mourning Cloak enjoys the warmer days but I am not sure it can survive temperatures dropping to nearly 19 degrees . . . as in Fahrenheit. 

More butterfly sightings to share and I have not begun the birds of 2012. Where did the winter go?

Happy April.

Spring Break for Health and Harmony

Filigree of Star (Magnolia stellata)

Sensual flowing waves of soft risings of earth . . . like undulations of skin are the body of this land . . . it lay across from a hillside gently cutting it's Oak, Hemlock and Pine crested curves into the sky. Between here and there a waking forest climbs upslope towards each measured rise from a singing, rushing, overfull river below. Yesterday's last light hints at the golden fields and lay of  the land all clean cut . . .  revealing it's lovely form. Stirrings tingle and tickle along it's surface and beneath, as they near piercing through the mantle and long to grow towards the light. Standing outside just at dusk . . .  I imagine the sounds to come of freshly emerging blades of ghostly growth tossing aside fallen decaying leaves . . . straightaway reaching up asserting their youthful verdurous vigor. 

Today Flower Hill Farm is soggy. . . rain has been pounding hard and the wind is whipping and shaking all the trees. Shivering snowdrops and swelling buds may not mind the raw chill and wet of yesterday, today and the promise of more for tomorrow. I cannot go out in any case . . . so I do not mind all the wet . . .  but imagine all the good it is doing for the trees and shrubberies.  Later in the week the forecast is for a heat wave of nearly 80! It will not last long. I hope this invasive creature in my chest will not stay for much longer either. I have to take a break from my computer so that I can truly heal, for I am in relapse and must obey doctor's orders! Both the real and virtual garden will have to wait and I hope you will too. Please do not forget me. I hope to be back sharing my gardens and wildlife . . .  as well as visiting your worlds . . . very soon. I shall miss you! Happy Passover and Easter to everyone. 

New England is Slow to Fully Spring but Offers Other Things for Blooming Friday

 Daybreak a few weeks ago revealed heavy wet snow . . . then it all melted away and now tonight was forecast to drop more snow maybe up to two inches! I just checked the National Weather Service and they have changed the forecast to just clear and 16 degrees! Our days and nights are getting colder suddenly, as we march towards the full moon.

There are no blooms to speak of in the gardens except for the brave little snowdrops. I will introduce some images from the past. Inside the sun plays with Amaryllis shadows on the wall. 

'Apple Blossom' pink is a favorite of mine. 

Once the sun is swallowed by clouds . . .  this is what the landscape looks like today. No blooms but bright plumes! The male Cardinal is singing his heart out in celebration of Spring.

Snowdrops are pushing aside old leaves and sticks to stand as tall as they can beneath one of the giant Rock Maples.

The Bluebirds have chosen accommodations near the Weeping Cherry but will have to deal with the Tree Swallows when they return, for that is their favored house. We go through this every year.

As the sun sets and throws a wash of pink across the sky, I sneak in last years Magnolia stellata, which looks so lovely in front of the soft sky painting. She will be blooming soon!

Dusk is a favorite time to sit and watch the waxing moon and listen out for the American Woodcock! 

   Woodcocks call out from the open fields and one takes flight, when there is just enough light to find it's tiny almond shape sailing in a figure eight . . .  winging sounds and songs of rapturous melody. He sings out his grand finale then dives fast into the darkening sky nearly impossible to follow, for he zigzags his way to earth and a possible mate. I so love their return to the gardens! Spring rituals continue and warmer days coax buds into slowly softly swelling . . . cautiously moving towards releasing calyx of armor. Colder nights keep the sleepy trees and shrub's vital life fluids from rising and stretching out into their tips too soon. The gardens and forests are not still but mostly dormant . . . on the edge of slumber . . . and this is a good time to quickly finish pruning and sculpting the forms of Viburnum, Lilac, Apple, and Hawthorn. At the moment rain is lightly falling, as mist rises up from the river and races like clouds between where I sit writing these words and Walnut Hill across from the valley below. Today is March's last Blooming Friday to see other participants visit Katarina's Roses and Stuff. 

Spring Enlivens The Spirit! Oh Joy!

Warmer days have come our way and Spring is nearly here!! Wild Honey Bees are gathering pollen from Snowdrops emerging from the thawing earth . . .  around the mighty trunk of a giant Sugar Maple!

Where higher towards the sky Raptors eye and fly!

Mottled breast and branches camouflage. 

Joyous flight fills with light!

This young Red-tailed Hawk might have been born here last year... and gives me much joy by taking flight in my direction. Our snow is melting! I was able to work outdoors yesterday for the first time in months! Today is another gorgeous day and the snow continues to slip away! Spring seems very near! It is exciting to feel, sense and see the changes!! My spirit soars with this splendid buteo!

Spring Flowering Families Iridaceae and Liliaceae

Tiny fragile life continues to yawn and stretch 

blades piercing layers of softening earth 

colorful sepals and petals unfurl slicing

air creating spacial dialogue between

canopies of tiny plant reaching

up towards stick like shrubs 

below giant trees seeming 

unending and strong

yet these small 

bulbs endure

cold, moles,

voles to

open

to 

be.

Tiny Bulbous Flowers

Dwarf spears of Iris reticulata bravely emerge from the dark cold earth to the warmth of light along with early crocus and for now only one snowdrop. Thinning blankets of snow elsewhere in the gardens keep other bulbs in the dark. These small beginnings are like precious jewels and I sit near them to ponder their miraculous lives. The bulbs are blooming on the south facing hillside where I can also now work to clear away debris, briars and other unwelcome invasive plants I allowed to take hold last year. My gardens are so wild and rambling and cover at least four acres so I let it go in places... one finds no perfection here... plants I love grow near plants I loathe but must respect for their tenacity. I work with the garden and strive to have beauty within the bounty of diversity.