Nature Notes: Down side of mixed up seasons
The down side of the way our weather is so mixed up this year, with lots of spring like days as well as winter ones, is that the flowers are totally confused.
The helleborus (lenten rose) above is always among the first to bloom in the early spring but not in the middle of winter.
The narcissus are also popping through the leaves.
Usually in the spring when the narcissus pop up I start moving the leaves away, but this year having them emerge in winter they need more not less protection. Hopefully we are having enough freezing cold weather scattered in between the premature spring like weather to keep the birds from mating too early.
I'm not hearing the calls that I associate more with mating season. I'm sure day length is a factor in birds mating which should prevent that happening too soon.
I am worried about the spring flowers. I have a feeling that early spring blossoms will be a loss this year.
We can have a hard freeze through mid to late April where I live, and often have March flowers that do alright with a mix of weather.
However, it seems like some of the spring flowers are getting ready to bloom MUCH too soon this year.
I would even prefer to have it stay cold for awhile before it warms up again but there's no telling what will happen.
I certainly do seem to talk about the weather a lot.
I used to think of talking about the weather as boring but in reality weather affects all of nature so much, including human beasts.
I apologize for how blurry some of the bird shots are but it has been so overcast and they have been rather animated. Click for the home of nature notes.
8 comments:
I sure hope your plants will all survive :/
At least the birds are having a good time ;)
I'm worried too that the warmish weather doesn't harm spring flowers!
I hope your plants and flowers will survive the confusion of this winter. I have not noticed anything in my yard, maybe I should take a walk around. I love the bids bathing shots. Have a great day!
This unusually warm winter is confusing the plants and animals in many place. I, too, hope they do not suffer from a late, hard winter.
Love your shots of the cardinals.
There are no spring flowers here yet and we had quite cold weather lately, but no snow at all the whole winter. I think it will be a year very, very rich in insects.
I was told that the birds use length of the day as a cue to breeding, but even here I am hearing spring-time like calls, but nothing green yet or maybe it's under the snow we just had....
I've read before it's the length of daylight for the birds; sure hope so. Keep those leaves piled around those early plants , it would be such a shame to lose them. (That happened to us a couple of times when we had our house in Oregon.)
Your bathing Cardinal shots are hilarious, such thorough ablutions! Maybe his mind is on finding a mate with all that washing going on?
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