Saturday April 8, 2023 10:48 am
36°F sunny, clear skies, brisk spring breeze
Changes to my Paper Birch tree:
I observed only slight phenological changes to my tree since my last visit. Most of the buds on the tree’s twigs have no flower buds on them. There are more twigs with flower buds on them than there were during my last visit. The flower buds are getting larger and more plump. None of the buds have flowered yet.
Other noticeable changes to my phenology site:
There was no snow present when I visited and the grass is starting to come out of its winter dormancy with more green grass visible. The amount of leaf cover on the forest floor is slowly decreasing as the temperatures warm up and decomposition can occur at a faster rate. The phenological changes to other trees and woody plants at Ethan Allen are very noticeable. Other plants are showing signs of flower budding and overall there is an increase in the amount of species that have flower buds on their twigs. The buds on the other species are also getting larger as the transition into spring continues. There were lots of active birds, looking for worms, flying around, and chirping.
Bird sightings:
- Robins
- Vultures
- Woodpeckers
- Black-capped Chickadees