Anyone who has spent time in nature knows that spring doesn’t happen on a certain calendar day. Spring happens when everything seems to just come together one day. The breeze is warmer, the sunshine is warmer, all the birds are singing, insects appear, and people are smiling for no reason they can explain. But even with all these outward signs the first day of spring is sensed more than anything else, and you find that you are finally able to say “this is spring.” That day came last Sunday, March 3rd. One of the outward signs was a beautiful bird song that seemed to be coming from everywhere. I was at the local college and the bird, which I believe was a purple finch, was up in the top of a tree on the corner of one of the large brick buildings surrounding the campus quad. Its warbling song echoed off the brick walls and made it sound like it came from all directions. I think it was enjoying the natural PA system it had found, because even though it saw me with my camera it still sang beautifully.
The purple finch, bird people say, has no purple on it but it does have a color they call “raspberry” on its head, chest, face and back. It’s the New Hampshire State Bird, and it gained that title by edging a chicken out of the top spot. I’d guess whoever named it, if they thought that color was purple, must have been even more colorblind than I am.
The purpose of this day’s outing was to see if I could find any female American hazelnut flowers in bloom. I chose a bush that had male catkins that were golden colored and pliable, signalling that they were almost ready to open and start releasing pollen.
And there were the tiny scarlet stigmas that are the female flowers. I saw several in bloom on this day. The easiest way to find out if they’re ready to bloom is by watching the male catkins. When they turn a gold color the female flowers will be along at any time, because these tiny, sticky red threads are what will catch the pollen that is released on by the male flowers on the golden catkins. If pollination is successful each tiny thread will become a hazelnut.
As I usually do, I’ll show this photo I took years ago to give you a sense of scale. These are some of the smallest flowers I try to get photos of. The only way I can find them is by looking for a hint of color.
While I was looking at the hazelnuts I noticed birds up in the staghord sumacs. They were quite far away and I couldn’t tell what they were, but I had seen flocks of robins here before eating the sumac berries so I assumed that’s what they were. I was surprised, once I started clicking the shutter, to see that they were bluebirds. I believe the one seen here is a female. It’s not a great shot but considering how far away I was on a dim, overcast day I had to be happy with it.
A male bluebird was high up on one of the rungs that climb the towers that hold up the high tension wires in this area. He didn’t have to worry about me following him up there.
Red winged blackbirds have come back in great numbers and for those who have never seen one, this is a classic pose for the males. Males are the only ones with red and yellow shoulder patches. Returning males will sit at the tops of cattail stems to guard the spot they’ve chosen for a nest, and they will fight off any interlopers. Their lives seem to revolve around cattail plants; they use them for cover and build their nests down low to the ground in them. They use their soft fluffy seeds to line the nest and they dig grubs out of last year’s stems. Males will often hide down in the cattails. Their strange whirring, clicking, and whistling calls are the only thing that gives them away. Males will also sit high in the tops of tall trees in large numbers, I found out just the other day.
I’ve never seen the back of a red winged blackbird before. They have some interesting makings.
I took a closer look at a few buds I saw here and there. This Japanese honeysuckle bud was already leafing out, and I wasn’t surprised. That’s one way invasives get a leg up on natives; they start photosynthesizing earlier in spring and later into the fall. It’s common to see Japanese honeysuckles with leaves after most other leaves have fallen.
I didn’t expect to see any movement in beech buds but it’ll soon be time to start watching them for signs of bending. Sunlight excites the cells on the sunlit side of the bud and they grow faster than the cells on the shaded side, and this creates tension in the bud. They slowly curl into a rainbow shaped arc until finally something has to give, and they quite literally tear themselves open. The new leaves just out of the bud are one of the most beautiful things seen in a spring forest but it isn’t just beech; oak, maple, hickory and others are also all beautiful in their own ways. Spring is the time to start watching nature closely if you care about learning anything from it.
Nothing is happening with the brambles like blackberry and raspberry yet but they open quite early so it shouldn’t be too long before they start leafing out.
Last year I saw the beautiful chrome yellow-green buds of bitternut hickory and I told myself I’d go back and see the leaves, but of course I forgot.
This year I’ve written myself a note and stuck it on the refrigerator. SEE BITTERNUT HICKORY LEAVES it says. Whether I see them or not is still a 50/50 chance. The thing about writing notes to yourself is, you can still forget where you put the note.
I took another look look at red maple buds to see how they were coming along. Each one of these buds is just about the size of a BB that you’d put in an air rifle. The one in the middle, just above center, had a hole in it and that meant the bud scales were pulling back to let the flowers out of the bud. Very soon I thought, there will be red and silver maple flowers everywhere.
I went back to the same tree a few days later, after a night of heavy rain, and found that most of the buds had indeed opened and had flowers showing. But I also found many of them filled with water. This illustrates the danger of buds opening too early; if we were to have cold enough weather and the rain water in these buds was to freeze, every flower in the bud, 20-25 of them, would be killed. That’s what bud scales are for; they protect the flower buds inside from getting wet and freezing. If they happen to open too early freezing is a real possibility. We had a freeze in May last spring that wiped out most of the apple crop but by then the maples had done their job and were setting seed.
The vernal pools and wetlands are all free of ice now so I’d guess that the spring peepers will start in any time. They usually start singing just about the time the redwing blackbirds appear.
Willows have yet to flower but the catkins get bigger every day, so it won’t be long.
This is the first scilla of the season that I’ve seen. I think they’re one of the prettiest spring flowering bulbs, especially when massed in the hundreds. I found it in bloom at the local college. Mine aren’t showing yet.
This is the second viola I’ve seen this spring; another college find. I couldn’t get close to it so we could get a better look but there should be many more coming along. I like its color.
Last week I told the story of the lady who asked me about coming to see the locust when what she meant was crocus. This week I was standing on the sidewalk getting shots of these yellow crocus blossoms when a young girl came along with who I would guess must have been her mother and grandmother. “Oh look honey!” the mother said, “The tulips are blooming!” I just smiled and said hello. As John Maxwell said: You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.
I saw a few reticulated irises at the college, but just a few. There used to be large numbers of them but I suppose they must be fading away with age. Or something. From what I understand the college no longer has a gardener, or someone dedicated to strictly gardening. It’s too bad, because they need one.
These particular reticulated irises are not fading away. In fact they’re increasing and I’m happy about that because they grow in my yard. Last year I had one flower and this year I have four. I have to thank my blogging friend Ginny for them because she sent them up from Maryland. They’re much bigger than those at the college so I’m guessing they must be a hybrid. They’re beautiful whatever they are, so thanks Ginny!
Another thing I’m happy about is daylight savings time begins tonight. I’m all for later sunsets.
It’s spring fever, that’s what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain
Thanks for stopping in.
The bird is a house finch, which is seen everywhere. The purple finch is rare and has much more raspberry color.
Thank you. I know that now but the problem with colorblindness is, you can’t see the raspberry color. That’s why I don’t usually “do” birds.
It’s nice to see the birds and all the buds breaking. Thank you. I especially like the quote from John Maxwell. Or as Paul McCartney wrote and sang, ‘Let it Be’. Sage advice either way.
Yes, I agree!
Thanks for all the spring signs! There are three things that tell me spring is here, and you have mentioned two of them – red wing blackbirds and peepers. Neither have appeared here in MN yet, although the weather has been remarkably spring-like. My third sign is motorcycles, but that’s not reliable this year, as we have had almost no snow and I’ve seen motorcycles all winter!
You’re welcome Su. We have our share of motorcycles already out as well but I didn’t want to mention them!
No snow in Minnesota is something I’ve never heard of but that’s the way it’s been here too. Things are changing!
I hope you’ll be seeing spring flowers very soon.
Oh that lovely fresh scilla!
Two bluebirds passed through here also. Had I not looked up at the right moment I would have missed them. Lots of red tailed hawks soaring through the skies around here.
Thanks Cathy. I love scilla and its cousin the striped squill.
I’m glad you’re seeing bluebirds! I’ve been seeing quite a few hawks this spring too.
It was a treat to see your birds shots along with the signs of spring. I am expecting our first scilla to appear in the garden any day now. I agree about that head not being purple.
Thank you. Lately it seems like a lot of birds have wanted their photo taken. I don’t chase after them but sometimes it’s hard to say no.
I was surprised to see scilla alread up and blooming here.
I’m glad you didn’t see any purple on that bird either. They say the purple finch is one of the hardest to identify, even for experts. I used Google lens and then tried to confirm what it said by reading online bird guides. I don’t know why I didn’t think of using the Merlin app that works so well.
It is a very handy app, but it did almost certainly make a mistake when a friend used it here a day or two ago, confusing a firecrest and a goldcrest.
They might have mistaken the purple and house finch too then. Their songs are very similar with only subtle differences.
I’m loving the buds, birds, and bulb blossoms you’re seeing, Allen. All say “spring, spring, spring” in many different voices.
Its a sad thing that the college no longer has a gardener! I guess their gardens will slowly fade away… Perhaps volunteers will step up??
I’m so happy to hear that your iris reticulata “Katharine Hodgkin” is multiplying! Its is such a delicate beauty. Mine have grown into thick clumps, so I guess it’s time to divide again.
As for the folks you’ve met who misidentified spring blooms, I say horray, at least they SAW the flowers! So many people seem blind to the wonders of nature. Seeing is a step in the right direction, huh?
Thanks Ginny! I asked them if they were looking to hire another gardener and they said the state wouldn’t let them hire anyone at that time. I hope the gardens don’t just fade away, but I don’t know all the details behind the decision to not hire a full time gardener.
I thought that iris you gave me must have a name that fit! It’s a beauty, and I won’t mind having to divide it up. It seems to like it here.
I’m always stunned by how people don’t know flowers but then I remind myself that not everyone grew up in a garden like I did. And you’re right; it’s enough that people just see them. We used to see little signs beside many garden plants in public gardens but the college gardens aren’t really public like you’d find in a public park. These days if people really want to know what they are, they can use Google lens or some other phone app.
I hope you still have plenty of spring left there and hope it hasn’t become summer yet.
I particularly loved your quotation about “the unimportance of practically everything” and your restraint in correcting the mother. You have such a wonderful attitude!
Thank you. I try to live that quote. There was no reason to embarass the mother in front of her child. I doubt the girl cared what their name was anyhow, at that age. She was probably 4 or 5, and at that age everything is magical and you don’t need to know names.
Would you share what type of camera you have? Your photos are great — I realize that most of the result is based on skill but… good equipment is a good start!! Enjoy your posts Deb
>
Sure. I use a Canon SX70HS “bridge camera,” so called because it bridges the gap between a point and shoot and a DSLR. Since I don’t do birds and animals (unless they’re very close) I don’t need a $5000.00 lens so I use this for landscapes and wherever I need a little zoom.
For macro shots I use an Olympus TG-6 field camera. It has various macro modes including “microscope” mode, which is good for the kind of extreme closeups you see on this blog. It is a field camera, used by biologists and others out in the field, and it is about as close to indestructible as a camera can be. It can also be used underwater.
The Canon is pretty well indestructible as well. I fell last fall and watched it slam into the gravel of the trail I was on and it has never even hiccuped.
I hope this helps!
I, too, appreciate your blogs and find them to be most educational and inspiring. I’m pretty sure that the finches you photographed are House Finches rather than Purple Finches. The color on male Purple Finches is more of a purply red than a fire engine red, and it is found all over its body, not just the head and throat. The Purple Finch has little to no streaking on its breast compared to the streaks you see on the breast of the one in your photos. At any rate, thank you and happy spring!
Thank you Susan but that sounds exactly opposite what I saw and read on this web page: https://www.audubon.org/news/house-finch-or-purple-finch-heres-how-tell-them-apart
Personally, since I’m not a “bird person” I don’t really care which one it is; I just hoped people would go and listen to its beautiful song.
Thanks! Love your blog.
Philip and Zuzu in Weare
You’re welcome, and thank you. I’m sorry it took me so long to reply. I just found your comment in the spam folder!
Good Morning!
I’ve been receiving your blog for quite a while now and just wanted to write and tell you how very much I enjoy and appreciate your educational commentary and beautiful photos. I know that it takes time and effort to do this, and it’s important to me that you know that your efforts are appreciated! Have a great weekend!
Judy Deene, Exeter, NH
>
Thanks very much, I appreciate that. I enjoy being outside and hope people will like what they find here enough to want to get out there and see if for themselves.
Another great report, please keep ’em coming.
Will do Jeff, Thank you.
You encourage me to look more closely and take slower walks. You’re a gem! Terri
Yes, that’s the message Terri! Thank you.
Signs of spring, a very early one here in NH, my yard is nuts!
Yes, this is one of the earliest I’ve seen but this morning we have frost here so that’ll slow things down again.
Yes, then nasty rains arrive to an already soaked area hope you don’t see snow. I worked for hours flattening ruts with my tractor and picking up all the debris in my gardens I just dropped in December with our crazy winter closer to the coast.
We didn’t have what I would call a real winter here but I know you had a good storm or two. I hope that’s over for you now!
Fingers crossed I want to plant all my cold loving crops before it is 80.
I don’t blame you! Spinach and peas don’t like warm weather and these days there’s no telling when it will get here.
For sure one year we will have 5 foot of snow in piles here and this year wind and flooding rains. Scared to plant potatoes even in a container with 2″ of rain dropping constantly.
It’s certainly too wet for potatoes here. I just went out and saw a lot of standing water. I hope we’ll both see some sunshine!
Amen
What do you think? Is spring here to stay or is winter going to knock on the door again? 🙂
I think spring is definitely here but nothing would surprise me, including more snow. I’ve seen lots of snow covered daffodils in the past!