Friday, April 1, 2011

It's April and Spring is Here

Of course April 1st isn't the official day of spring, neither is it a guarantee of anything spring about the weather. Yesterday's report called for snow in the higher elevations. And if I needed confirmation, this morning I found two "snow birds"--slate-colored juncos--foraging just outside my door. Maybe those mountain tops did get that dusting of snow.
But the story about white stuff is very different down here in the valley.
While fruit trees are still showing color everywhere, in my yard I'm also enjoying the early opening of dogwood blossoms as they overlap the sprays of purple and pink displayed by the redbud trees.  Always a spectacular combination.   
And on the ground among patches of moss and pale bluets, I searched out the Virginia bluebells and found both fresh pink buds and the delicate blue bell-shaped blossoms.

One other plant has been catching my attention lately, the wild columbine that's getting ready for its first year of bloom.  I thought it had sprouted its delicate green leaves too soon when three weeks ago it was pelted by sleet and snow.  Hard rain and high winds followed.  Despite its delicate appearance, this hardy native showed no wear from all that bluster.    
Its strong stalk shot up, seemingly overnight, and produced tiny lantern shaped buds on arched stems.  Below is an image I took today showing the immature buds with a hint of the scarlet that will eventually dominate each blossom.  While I watch it change, I think of the large clump of columbines my mother once had in her yard and the stories she told of searching for wildflowers along the banks of the Tennessee River.  I'm also reminded of the hardiness of our native plants and the perfection in nature's timing as I see these spring flowers emerge. This columbine has become like a companion, its steady progress telling a story, offering up a new treasure for me to consider with each passing day.  
And while I was out and about checking for signs of spring, I paid a visit to the nest box in the lower yard.  A little over a week ago, I noticed a Carolina chickadee gathering nesting materials and flying in and out of the box.  Today I decided to check on the progress and found six tiny speckled eggs nestled in the softly lined nest cup.  An indignant Ms.Chickadee scolded me while I snapped this image.  
Spring has arrived in the Tennessee Valley.

For a view of the nest box, visit:  Wild Turkey and Eastern Bluebirds.  And for a sketching experience with Bluets and Virginia Bluebells, visit Fumbling En Plein Air at Vickie's Sketchbook.

4 comments:

  1. As always, exquisite photography. Thanks so much! We've had on-again-off-again spring here in NC. This week was very cold and wet--but I'm thankful for the rain, hoping it will help us move out of the "severe drought" designation. Thoroughly soaked bluebirds went through ca 1000 mealworms in less than a week.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful, Vickie! I particularly love the photo of the Columbine, one of my favorite wild flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonderful post of your Springtime yard!! Love all your photos...especially the Chickadee eggs!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Ocean Trail at Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, California--2015

Ocean Trail at Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, California--2015

Bird-banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park--2014

Bird-banding at Seven Islands State Birding Park--2014
Photo courtesy of Jody Stone

Bird-banding at Seven Islands

Bird-banding at Seven Islands
Photo courtesy of Karen Wilkenson

Enjoying Gray Jays in Churchill!--2014

Enjoying Gray Jays in Churchill!--2014
Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Expeditions

Smithsonian National Zoo with one of my Whooping Crane banners and son, John--2014

Smithsonian National Zoo with one of my Whooping Crane banners and son, John--2014

The Incredible Muir Woods near Stinson Beach, CA--2014

The Incredible Muir Woods near Stinson Beach, CA--2014
Photo courtesy of Wendy Pitts Reeves

Me and Denali--2012

Me and Denali--2012
Photo courtesy of Bob King

For the Love of It...

...the sage sees heaven reflected in Nature as in a mirror, and he pursues this Art, not for the sake of gold or silver, but for the love of the knowledge which it reveals.
Sendivogius (1750)

Your Uncapped Creativity...

Your Uncapped Creativity...
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. You must keep that channel open. It is not for you to determine how good it is, nor how valuable. Nor how it compares with other expressions. It is for you to keep it yours, clearly and directly." ----the great dancer, Martha Graham