Sitting back relaxing on our porch the evening before spring is to start we enjoy the first calls of the Pickerel Frog in our pond.
The first day of spring was very pleasant here it was sunny all day and reached 76 degrees. We actually had a butterfly list going 1 sulphur species, 5 Spring Azures, 1 Mourning Cloak and 2 anglewings that did not stick around for IDs. The pond had at least 12 Eastern Painted Turtles basking, 30 or more Eastern Red-spotted Newts (likely hundreds), Pickerel Frogs as well as Spring Peepers were calling. Along the pond I saw Northern Cricket frogs, Bullfrogs and Green Frogs.
Funnest thing I have seen in the pond was an Eastern Red-spotted Newt riding cowboy style on a frog twice its size. I think since we saw other newts mating, this one was trying to mate the stunned frog.
The peacock next door started calling again, great! I was hoping they had tired of the peacocks and gotten rid of them. If you were reading here last spring that male peacock called all hours of the night for months. We like having the windows open at night and the peacock is very loud.
No dragonflies or damselflies were found, they should be out now.
No dragonflies or damselflies were found, they should be out now.
We took a short wild flower walk into our woods.
Wind Flower or Anemone
Just a few blooming in our ravine.
Just a few blooming in our ravine.
Trout Lily or Dog-toothed Violet, Erythronium americanum
These were just a few of hundreds in bloom on our property.
Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis from our woods.
Meg found 4 blooming plants, usually that is about all we find. One of my favorite wild flowers!
Meg found 4 blooming plants, usually that is about all we find. One of my favorite wild flowers!
Lesser Celandine, Ranunculus ficaria
Thanks to Edith Hope and Anne Tanne for IDing the mystery plant in my garden! These yellow flowers told the entire story. From what I have heard it is terribly invasive and it will likely be removed from the garden.
Crocus 'tricolor'
Crocus 'bluebird'
Just a few more crocus from our garden, I just had to show these off a little.
Just a few more crocus from our garden, I just had to show these off a little.
Beautiful photos of the first of spring!
ReplyDeleteI would love to spend some time at your pond, watching all the wildlife. It sounds like a very peaceful place that would refresh the soul. Your photos of the wildflowers are wonderful. Happy Spring!
ReplyDeleteSimply wonderful, Randy! I cannot imagine butterflies yet, you are so far ahead of us, but we did hear the spring peepers from across the way while digging the wild cress from the lawnette before it sets seeds. Your photos are the stuff of dreams, Randy, especially the Erythronium. That is one of my most favorite wild flowers. We have the celadine too, and let some stay for the flowers and leaves are so beautiful. It has not been overly invasive here, but has spread.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for letting me know about the Duke gardens not cutting their hellebore leaves. :-)
Frances
Hi Randy, what great woods you have. I've had to import most of the wildflowers for our woods. But I guess that's to be expected given that it was all pasture when we moved here thirty odd years ago. I think the little white flower you show at the beginning of the post is actually Anemonella thalictroides. The name says it all. It's Anemone-like in the flower and Meadow Rue (thalictrum)-like in the leaves. It may be that it got the best of both species. I like it a lot. Too bad about the Lesser Celandine. If they were natives we would probably be happy to let them run rampant.
ReplyDeleteQuite a count! I've seen a few Swallowtails around this week. I noticed that a hummingbird was reported in Cary on September 20, so I've got to get my feeders out.
ReplyDeleteLove the wildflowers!
What a nice smorgasbord of wild flowers!
ReplyDeleteA whole lot of Trout Lilies blooming together is a beautiful sight isn't it? How wonderful that you have so many on your property. Mine came up after all (and fast!) -- I am very pleased to have a grand total of one! lol I hope they will spread.
ReplyDeleteYour place sounds like a paradise indeed.
Hi Randy and Happy Spring to you and Meg. I chased a butterfly around the garden earlier this week in an attempt to photograph, but came up empty. ;) And the frogs outside our door are as loud as ever... a cacophony of song! lol
ReplyDeleteAnd I do love the Trout lily which fortunately naturalize here.
Randy, we had quite the crop of the Lesser Celandine when we moved here and it took forever to get it under control; even now we have an occasional one rear its head, and I carefully remove the corm/little bulblet.
Looks like paradise to me! Great pics, and I wish I could come by to meet the frogs.
ReplyDeleteI just love springs delicate wild flowers. So sweet.
ReplyDeleteYour flowering photos are absolutely beautiful, but I do love the Trout Lily especially. I cannot help but smile at your description of the newt and the unfortunate frog ;-)
ReplyDeleteThose are wonderful photos. I am very happy that spring has finally sprung. I am sure that many of the gardeners are out there ready for another season.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine the chaos of having a peacock next door! Sorry...
ReplyDeleteYour Spring blossoms are wonderful. Just go ahead and enjoy your warm temps. We'll be there before too very long! :-)
Happy Spring!!
76 degrees? Oh my, lucky you! Can hardly wait to feel that.
ReplyDeleteLovely, lovely wildflowers.
It really looks like spring from all those bright flowers! I wonder if your property is like mine, though - ours looks pretty dead from the street, even though there is a lot of life and color if you look up close.
ReplyDeleteYour blog looks amazing! Love your photos. Gimme more
ReplyDeletecheers Ian
It sounds like it must look and sound like Spring there, all except for the peacock! I can just picture the newt on the frog :) I haven't seen any butterflies here yet.
ReplyDeleteWhat pretty flowers you found, I really like the trout lilies!
The Rununculus ficaria is indeed invasive. I put one in the garden maybe 6 years ago, and I now have them in all my gardens. However, I do not get rid of them as I kind of like them, plus they disappear before summer gets here.
ReplyDeleteI have the greater celandine here and can't wait for it to bloom. I had bought like 50 of them last year at a plant sale and most of them made it. So exciting to see yours! I also had a pickerel frog in my little pond. He was quite the resident. Very pretty. I was glad we never tried to pick him up once I identified him since the skin can release toxins irritating to humans. I had no idea but hope it comes back this year. Now I have to go google how they sound. We do hear the peepers. It means spring here.
ReplyDeleteRandy, A beautiful post~I love the natives and ours are just now beginning to show~~I totally love Tricolor crocus and have it my garden...I plan on adding more. Some plants are sure enthusiastic growers~have to watch them. gail
ReplyDeleteCrocuses! I love 'em and so am a fan of Lilies too. I in fact have two varieties, one of them being Lilium martagon and am so badly wanting to get them germinate!
ReplyDeleteThose trout lilies are GORGEOUS!! You're so lucky to have so many naturalized in your area! I've been scouting for 2 years hoping to find some I can relocate here and .. NOTHING! I suppose I just need to look further North! lol
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Wendy / sassyb