Welcome back to my blog! I was back at Centennial this week to check on my little American Beech I found before break. I’m not going to lie, it looks exactly the same as it did before spring break. The buds may be a little wider, but nothing super noticeable. However, this is expected because American Beeches do not usually start flowering until late April or early May according to the USDA website. I still posted an updated photo to my iNaturalist account and once again labeled it as budding.
I moved down to the riverbank to get an overview of my sit spot before continuing my hike and noticed a change to the brook. Where there used to be a build up of branches and leaves has now been opened up, allowing more water to flow through. This probably happened recently as all the snow is starting to melt, causing the water level in the brook to rise and become powerful enough to push the debris or go over it.
My last two updates should not come as a surprise. First, Bill did not make an appearance and I am starting to get a little concerned for their well being. I am going to try to stay at my spot a little longer next time in hopes of having a more optimistic update. Second, the Japanese Barberry STILL HAS BERRIES. Like, what? I did a little more research and saw that most animals avoid eating its berries because of the thorns on its stems. Typically only birds will eat them when food is scarce. That’s all for this week and I cannot wait to (hopefully) see Bill and all the new changes next week!
