New Land Trust

I know that many of you, including myself, may be wishing for more ski days this winter, but with spring officially starting soon, why not tune in to some of the more subtle signs of the season.  Below is a list of events that I think are worth watching for this time of year.  I’m going to call it a ‘naturalist’s list of the signs of spring in the north country’ because these are things that require keen observation of nature and a willingness to spend time in natural places like the NLT.  I tried to list the events roughly in the order they occur.  This list includes some of my favorite harbingers of spring.  What’s one of yours?

Naturalist’s list of 10 signs of spring in the North Country

1. Winter stoneflies start emerging from the stream.
2. Snow fleas can be seen on the snow around tree trunks.
3. Dark green club mosses (aka princess pine, ground cedar) are noticeable on the forest floor as the snow melts.
4. The Brown Creeper starts singing its high, thin, melodic song in search of a mate.
5. The flow of water in the bankfull stream fills the air with a relaxing sound.
6. The buds on the trees start to swell.
7. The beech trees finally let go of the leaves they have held all winter.
8. The Eastern Bluebirds return to seek a nest site in the meadow.
9. Maple buds open to reveal delicate, ephemeral flowers that release pollen on the wind.
10. Holes poked in damp mud indicate the return of the American Woodcock (aka timberdoodle). The males will soon begin their amazing dusk mating flights.