Flowers People Ignore

Many trees and shrubs flower well before they leaf out, and most people don't notice it happening at all because the flowers are often small and/or green and/or lacking in petals.  I reported on a couple yesterday, and there are a few more that will be popping tomorrow or the next day, but here's today's batch:

Alder catkins were tight brown clusters yesterday, but today were significantly swollen and dangly with their green pollen showing.  Unfortunately, it was a pretty windy day and things that hang down to catch the wind are not easy to photograph up close in those conditions, so here's a further-out view:

This tiny and vibrantly pink thing is the female flower of the American hazel.  Though it's brightly colored, they are only about 2-3 mm in size, so get little notice.  (The male flowers are catkins, smaller and lighter-colored than the alder ones, but otherwise similar.  Generally speaking, they and the female flowers bloom around the same time within a population, but NOT at the same time on a single shrub, so as to increase genetic variability by prohibiting individuals from pollinating themselves.  In the cluster of 6ish shrubs that I passed, I found female flowers, but no catkins had swelled/released pollen yet.  Usually you see that first, but... I guess the ladies are going to be lonely for a little while!  Or perhaps there's other hazels nearby to pollinate them.)

PS -- It's supposed to get all cold again tomorrow.  It's come to that -- a predicted high of 46 deg. in February is what I consider "all cold" -- 32 on Saturday, though.  That's actually wintry!  

Springing

Just yesterday, the alder catkins were tight brown clusters; today they're opening, revealing their inner green to the world.  It may still be winter, but right now, spring seems to be everywhere... the whole world is showing its inner green.  Yesterday... yesterday was one of those days when being outside, it seemed like it could cure anything.  Like it would have been impossible not to be invigorated, inspired, uplifted out there.  There were chorus frogs chorusing, the first time this spring I'd heard that song, interrupted by the distinct call of sandhill cranes.  And not from high above my head... cranes were calling from ground level, as though they've come back, settled in.  Even the prairie itself seemed to be ready to burst... below, an area that was burned in the fall has a faint green tinge to it.  Just a little color, peeking through, beneath the brown, telling us it won't be long now.  (Speaking of long... like my shadow?)

Also... last night's rain brought worms out from the saturated soil.  (I know, this one's dead, but t had to be alive to come out, right?)

Catkins can!

Alder catkins swelling.

Aspen catkins are getting inciting, too...

Also... What a difference a day makes... The red wing blackbirds that last week I heard but couldn't see, then saw a few... Now there are armies of them, epaulettes on fiery red display, yelling at me wherever I go.

Ani, I just found this amusing:

Think there were any hungry rabbits here this winter?

More Data...

Alder Catkins

Alder catkins have swollen and are giving off lots of pollen -- I touched them and my fingers came away with a fine green-yellow powder all over them.  

Silver maples are in full flower right now.  

Goldfinches have turned gold again.  (These birds don't leave -- but since they turn brown, no one notices them in the winter...)

Silver maple flowers

March 11

Swollen Alder Catkins Sway in the Breeze

 March 11, five years later, brings with it spring fever.  Today was the first day of the year we could open the windows comfortably, let the air in.  Today was the type of day when bikers wanted to pedal (I assume) and runners to stretch their legs, when paddlers needed to feel the resistance of the open water behind the blade and the breeze on their faces.  Today was the type of day when nature nerds just tilted their heads toward the sky and felt their cheeks warm in the sun, and smiled, and were thankful to be alive.

March 11, 2007, was a lot like this March 11, actually, an early nice day that drew people out.  And it just got nicer as the week progressed.  Most of the water was still frozen that year, this early in March... just the rivers were open and flowing... whereas this year there's not a hint of ice... still...  It's hard to imagine anything bad can happen on a day like this.  The most striking of contradictions, really, between a day and its memory.  I remember a few days later, March 13 or 14 maybe, we went out and walked by the water and it was so warm... it just made your blood flow faster and you couldn't help but be... happy.  Happy, in spite of it, and then sad or guilty to be happy.  But in the end, we know that days like this were the same for him, they must have been, with the pull of the sun and the newly freed lagoons...

Phenologically, today was a day of catkins, with alders and hazels dangling gracefully in the wind. The first female flowers of the American hazel are open, too.

A washed-out picture, but still it shows the catkins, yellow, and the female flowers .

Female Flower, American Hazel

Tour de Spring

This time of year, I have a little route that I walk to check on the trees/shrubs that I know are going to do things soon. Today was an eventful day on my tour de spring. Before I even got to my first tree, I heard the distinctive, comb-plucking sound of chorus frogs chorusing. Yea! Froggies!

The silver maple (above) was flowering. They flower from the top down, and it was over the weekend I noticed the top flowers in bloom, but I can't reach those to photograph, or even confirm. But by today, the lower buds had started to open, as well.

Then I check the American hazels, whose girl-flowers are so tiny most people would never notice them. (Notice the size of my fingers behind them). Their bright pink color is a treat, though, if you're one of the folks inclined to look closely. They were just starting today, only some of them... and the catkins aren't even swelling at all yet.

Finally, I check the alders, which have excitement in both the girl-flower and the boy-flower world. The catkins, as you can see to the left, are even greener than last week, and left a chartreuse pollen print on my brown jacket... though they're not yet pollen-y enough to make yellow clouds when tapped.

And the tiny pink female flowers, the future cones, have also changed since last week. (Oh, the trees, they are a-changin'... never mind, I shouldn't have gone there.)

My add-on at 5:00 pm...

In the bird world, I saw buffleheads... which is the best duck name ever... and possibly some other diving ducks that were too far away to ID (but, they could have been more buffles). Had to pull a crazy driving maneuver and get out of the car to get pictures. And this is the pair of birds that are apparently nesting in my neighbor's house. Which I think is totally awesome, but only because it isn't my house. I probably shouldn't have posted a picture of someone else's house, but it's so cute, and it's not like you can tell the address, and I'm pretty sure they don't read my blog. Bird nerds, please ID the birdies for me!

I love it, every day something new!!! Finally! (Although I hear that tomorrow's new development may be wintry weather, too bad after a lovely today!)

Party On!

Nature is throwing a party to celebrate our warm weather... Migrating sandhill cranes sent out the invitations, their loud calls catching everyone's attention, alerting us that today is something special.

The witch hazel flowers were on the decorating committee -- their orange streamer petals are flying!

The alders? They are starting to put their green on. It is St. Patty's day, after all... the party needs to have some green, and the grass sure ain't wearing it yet!

Ice status: it's at about 40% coverage. Maybe even less. It's so windy that that the remaining ice is blowing up against the shore and cracking there, sheets upon sheets. Standing next to it, I hear the clink-clinking sound of ice knocking against other ice... like spring cocktail party in full swing!

(Did I take the metaphor too far?)

More From Today.

OK... first thing's first. Today is ICE OFF day! This morning there was still a largish mass floating, but strong winds broke it up. There are some ice-cube sized chunks that have floated over to the edge, and were making a clinking sound as they were pushed together in the wavelets. It sounded like nature was throwing a cocktail party to celebrate spring! (You know, before it snows again.)

The sexually precocious American Hazels have begun to display their bright pink female flowers. (Many shrubs have none yet, but several have branches adorned with these almost impossibly small but beautifully colored flowers.) Alders are also girl-flowering (in addition to the male flowers noted earlier) now, but I didn't get a picture of them.

I have discovered, by the way, that if I carry a white index card with me, I can slip it behind small subjects and it makes it a lot easier to get the auto-focus to focus on the proper thing. I recognize that the sacrifice here is the artfulness of the photos, but sometimes, the goal is scientific documentation. Especially when I have 20+ kids waiting for me and not understanding why I am stopping to take a picture of something random like a bud when they are studying something totally different like birds, for example. So the boring backgrounds aren't necessarily my first choice, but they serve their function.

Many buds are swelling up and showing peeks of green between their scales. Not that many species, but enough that it's starting to be exciting out there...

shown above, Linden, serviceberry, and weeping willow (with catkins showing).

And more from the baby plant front, here are prairie smoke flower buds (left) and baby bergamots, in the shadow of Naomi (right).

Catkins

It's a sunny, beautiful day that is almost lovely enough to chase away my blah's...

Speckled alder catkins dangle in the wind, invisibly transferring their pollen. To the left, fingers that just brushed against the flowers demonstrate just how much pollen is in each flower cluster. I am amazed by plant forms always, but especially when regarding their reproductive parts. Humans hide these aspects of their biology and don't talk about them, but plants put it all out there, immodest. I think always of the title of Michael Pollan's book (which isn't about plant reproduction so much as plant domestication) The Botany of Desire. It (that title/phrase) runs through my mind every time I examine a flower, large or small...

Aspen trees, just a few days later than last year, have catkined. Their grey fuzz seems nearly to glow in the bright sun.

Also noted: female American Hazel flowers are not out yet, but the pink ends are just visible poking out of some buds.

Melon Query (with Alder)

Speckled alder, with parts both male and female. The male flowering parts, the catkins, hang down in an, um, traditionally masculine way. At this point they are green and tiny, preparing for spring's early bloom. The female cones adorn the tree in both green (new) and brown (old), making it a fascinating specimen to students, who can't understand why a "pine cone" resides on a broadleaf tree...

In sad garden business, the melons seem to have left their holding pattern of not ripe-not growing and died. The plants, leaves, at least, have turned crisp and brown and mildewed, while the melons themselves... still small and unripe. We picked one to see if it would ripen inside. Does anyone know? Should we harvest more? Please advise!!!

A+ Day

Alders are leafing out. (Their flowers are now dried and spent).

Apples, crab are leafing out.

The green is coming!

S minus 1

The last official day of winter is deceptively bright and sunny.  Through the window, you almost think you don't need a coat.  But the air is chilly and the wind is biting.  

I believe I saw buffleheads on the lake today.  (Although I will reiterate here my poor status as a birder overall; and I had no binoculars).  I could clearly see a whole group of littleish diving ducks with white on their sides and heads, and I know I have seen buffleheads here before.  I kind of feel bad for buffleheads.  I mean, that's a pretty humiliating name for a duck that never did anything wrong of which I am aware.  

Flowering tree/shrub update:  

First,  in the picture here, which is the hazel...  I know it's a bit blurry (see above; biting wind), but above the catkins, there's a bright red splotch.  In real life, this is several strands emerging from a bud.  Is this, perhaps, the female flower?  I love hazels, have one in my yard (though it's small and has not gotten nuts yet) and enjoy looking at them aroung school all the time.  And I have never noticed that before!  (I am ashamed to say).  Only a few individuals have this and they're new today -- so this will be something for me to watch for excitedly!  [Note:  approximately 30 seconds on the internet has confirmed that these are the female flowers, and that they're not getting much bigger.]

Second, the alders are continuting to swell (see photo).

Also, saw turkey vultures on Monday (Mar 16), but failed to note its phenological importance until I read about them in Huginn--Muninn.  I only remember because it was actually students who noticed and pointed it out to me (probably to get me to stop talking about maple flowers). 

Finally, I have joined the National Phenology Network as an observer.  I am not sure why this excites me so much -- maybe I feel important even though anyone could do this.  But I have signed up to monitor 5 plants (so far) at home or school and when I notice milestones (yes, they have to be actual milestones, not "the bud swelled another 1/2 millimeter today) I log in and check them off and submit the data.  I have logged in 2 milestones (columbines emerging from soil and columbines have full leaf visible).  Pretty cool, and fun for the whole family.   You should try it! 

diving dUcks

Today was, frankly, dreary.  Grey and foggy and misting all day, after a night of... yup... more rain.  At least it was warm, which is not supposed to be the case for the rest of the week.

Some ducks are migrating through.  I really enjoy ducks -- so much that I bothered to learn them! It is the one group of birds I know pretty well, an

d can identify on sight... if I have a good view.  Unfortunately, I don't carry binoculars, so generally, my view isn't good.  The ducks I saw today, for example, looked like plain black silhouettes.  The only reason I know they weren't mallards is because they dove.  Mallards are dabblers; their bones are hollow so they can't submerge themselves completely.  When they search for food, their duck butts stick up in the air.  Diving ducks, on the other hand, have solid bones.  This makes them awkward fliers, but excellent swimmers.  To me, they are a wonderful guessing game.  I could watch them forever.  They disappear in one spot and, a minute later, they pop up in a totally different location.  Where will they com

e up, and when?  I am almost never correct, but I keep guessing.  

I think maybe they seem special, too.  A bit rare, an

d yet easy to see and ID (with binocs).  Not at all like warblers -- hard to find and won't sit still.  

On to the plant world.  Call me crazy, but I think these alder catkins are swelling.  Two days ago, there was no yellow visible at all.  (Perhaps I'm grasping at phenological straws -- wanting spring when spring isn't here... I think the filbert buds are slightly bigger, too.  But I'd need a ruler ot be sure on that one.)

Weekend update

Friday night and all day Saturday, snow fell over northern Illinois, reminding us once again that winter still had at least a month of calendar time. In all, 4-5 inches of snow fell, although some of it melted away on Sunday. Although it's still February, this is the time of year when it becomes frustrating to deal with snow. In my mind, I think, March begins next week... spring technically starts in March... it's almost spring! Shoveling doesn't seem like invogorating exercise as it did in December. But last year, we had a foot of snow the day before spring break started, which was several days post-equinox. So the month drags on and on...

This morning is bright and deceptively frigid. Where tall grasses grow in the prairie, the wind has blown the snow, creating mounds on the leeward side of every clump, parallel snow drifts like mini drumlins of snow. In turf grass fields, the snow is flat and white and blindingly sparkly in the low morning sun. Chickadees darted about in the trees, chirping, unbothered by the cold.

The return of snow means that animal tracks once again tell the stories of all that happened while humans were away. The small amount of snow and subsequent melting means that vole tunnels are visible as small mounds running throughout the landscape. All their twists and turns are discernable, a maze and a mystery. Their air vents and exit holes pepper the prairie, and sometimes I get the treat of seeing their tiny footprints, tail dragging along, where they left the protection of the subnivean world for some reason and crossed on top of the snow.

Squirrels have darted here and there, shredding Osage Oranges to access the seeds. Their tracks disappear as they leap into trees and reappear in other places. Coyotes trotted purposefully across the field. And the strangest sight of the morning... a goose, sitting in the middle of the soccer field. Her tracks are there, in the snow, but look as though the wind has blown snow across them, which means this goose has been sitting for a while. She's active -- as I walked by she honked at me and rearranged herself several times. But she's alone and doesn't appear to be in any great hurry to move.

In the world of plants, alders are filled with catkins, brown and hanging well over an inch down. They are still closed, but I see some yellow spaces in between the scales, and in my mind, if not in reality, they seem ready to swell and burst open as soon as the right day presents itself.