Spring has sprung and these changes are especially visible in the budding and leafing out of woody and herbaceous plants as well as increased bird activity. The red and sugar maples were the first trees at my site to bud and by now they are in bloom. It appears that the red oak and black cherry have started to bud but no sign of blooms or leaves yet. In the understory, the barberry, honeysuckle, and elderberry have all begun to leaf out. Lower to the ground, small herbaceous plants such as dandelion and coltsfoot as well as fiddleheads are poking up above the leaf litter. Now that the weather is warming and migratory birds are returning, bird activity has greatly increased. During my visits, I heard or saw red-winged blackbird, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, red-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, cardinal, song sparrow, and winter wren. I also saw a garter snake and gray squirrels as well as various insects including some gnat-like flying insects, ground-nesting bees, hoverflies, and mourning cloak butterflies.
