This weekend, I found the time to visit my phenology spot down at the Intervale again. Walking to my spot along the Intervale trail was a wonderful experience, as you could truly tell it was spring, with all the chirping birds and greenery. I was surprised to note that, within just 6 days, the area had become much more green. However, my specific spot was not quite as green as some of the other areas, likely due to the fact that the jewelweed (which makes up the majority of the groundcover in my spot) has not begun growing significantly yet. However, I was super thrilled to see that the ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) had begun to bloom, and some were even beginning to unfurl! This was especially exciting as, since most of the groundcover has not returned to anywhere near its full power yet, the ostrich ferns were super easy to spot, and I got to spend several minutes in awe over just how cool they are. Here are some photos of these odd little ferns, the first and third of which were taken by my friend with their super cool camera (thanks Naomi)!
While at my phenology spot, I was also able to identify the calls of some of the nearby birds. Some of these birds include the pine warbler (Setophaga pinus), American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), common raven (Corvus corax), black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), and American goldfinch (Spinus tristis). I also believe I spotted a blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), however I was unable to snag a photo of it or hear its call. Another new appearance at my spot was the beginnings of silver maple leaves! All around my spot, the silver maples that, just last week, had still been carrying buds, were now showcasing the most adorable little leaves.
Although I hope to find time to visit my spot in the Intervale again before the end of this semester (and am therefore back in PA for a few months), I want to spend some time reflecting on my experience maintaining this phenology blog. My site has not changed much over my time observing it, but, now that I am more familiar with my spot and how the phenological changes impact it, I am excited to visit it again next year (and hopefully continue to update this – although probably less frequently)! I have become much more familiar with my spot, as I now know some of the small quirks of this beautiful area, such as where the old scrap metal is, where to look for new fungi after a rainy day, where the one pileated woodpecker liked to search for food in one of the silver maples, or even where the best spot to sit and read a book in a tree is. I feel like I have definitely grasped a better understanding of this magnificent bit of the Intervale and, although I definitely do not consider myself a ‘part of my place’, I do feel more connected to it than I do other parts of the Intervale and nature in general. The Intervale is truly a wonderful area, providing trails for bikers, walkers, runner, and cross-country skiers, all the while providing a habitat for a diverse range of creatures, from marsh slugs to raccoons to red-tailed hawks, and everything in between. And, as an added bonus, every time I visit, I know that I am almost positive to find the opportunity to pet at least one adorable dog.