Nature Notes: End of March

As March ends we have had a mixed bag with a few nights close to freezing and a few sunny days as well as many rainy ones.

In addition to all the changes around my house when I have to drive somewhere, I'm greeted by increasing numbers of flowering trees.

We did have a pretty day on Saturday and I went for a walk at Shelley Lake (the closest lake to me).

The geese and ducks aren't as crowded on the main part of the lake but in protected areas they are paired off like the couple you can barely see through the growth below.

Back at my house the birds continue to delight me with their long baths on my deck.

I try to me as quiet as possible when photographing them but sometimes I know they sense me being a voyeur.

The cardinals continue their frequent songs to mates near and far.

Below the cardinal's mate is saying, can't a girl take a bath without being hollered at by an impatient guy.

A few tulips are starting to emerge and bud but not fast enough to be likely to add their color to the narcissus in bloom.

You can't see them in the wider view, but interspersed on the slope with the narcissus are emerging tulips. Some years I'm lucky enough for them to partially bloom together.

The same is true of the slope on the other side of my backyard pictured below but even without the tulips blooming yet it's pretty colorful.

The yarrow is starting to come back although it will be awhile for any blooms from that.

Everywhere I look there is something else budding forth to join the active plants.

A few violets are beginning to add their little purple blooms and greenery too.

My cherry trees are pretty slow but they are beginning to come back to life too.

In my front yard everything is beginning to get more lush and to thankfully give me at least a little bit of a buffer from the street.

Spring's version of fall has started with a carpet of petals to soften the driveway.

My dogwoods are slow this year although I've seen some around town a lot further along.

Looking out my window one morning I was glad that the trees aren't all in bloom or leafing out as I like to see some bare branches.

For other participants of Nature Notes, please visit the host site at Rambling Woods.

Today's Flowers: My garden has sprung

There is so much in bloom at my house that I hardly know where to begin.

I guess I'll begin with my favorite variety of narcissus which is blooming. Apparently it's also a favorite of some critter because it's petals are being eaten.

I took a shot at dusk of my camellias (left bush below) and peiris japonica (right bush below) because as it grew dark they almost looked like they were covered in snow puffs.

Below is a daytime close-up of the Pieris Japonica blooms. Bill gave me that bush the first Christmas after my Dad died which was 24 days after his death. I kind of think of it in part as a memorial to my Dad.

Over a couple of late afternoons last week I photographed the moon through a couple of flowering trees which was fun. Below is one with the moon and pink magnolia.

The redbud in flower laces the sky but it also amuses me how it forms small flowers on the thick bark of the main part of the tree too.

Then above the thick bark the thin branches in flower form the view I associate more with the redbud in flower.

I'm so glad that such a variety of narcissus are in bloom because they are so lovely to smell as well as to see.

I'll end with a cheerful yellow variety which makes me think of sunshine on a stem.

For more flowers around the world, please visit the home of today's flowers.

Photohunters: Fresh

In honor of the photohunters theme, I decided to cut fresh flowers from my garden to enjoy inside. I decided to shoot them in the vase before coming inside because the light was better.

I realized that the cut flowers were not as fresh as the ones which were still in the ground, so I put the cut flowers beside the fresher flowers.

Then it occurred to me that the freshest flowers were the ones which still had buds yet to open.

To visit other fresh photohunters, you can go to the home of the hunt where participants post their links beginning on Saturday mornings.

Nature Notes: Something new to see each day

Every day there is something new to see as spring is unfolding around me.

I've been waiting on the red bud trees to sprout their little blooms and have recently been rewarded (shot above and below).

I have so many different varieties of daffodils and narcissus that I keep being rewarded with the first blooms of each kind.

Some years most of the varieties of daffodils and narcissus bloom around the same time but this year they have been staggered.

The mourning doves have been out in full force and barely move as I walk among them.

The robins are also starting to ignore me a lot more which gives me the chance to photograph them on the ground.

The female cardinals usually fly up to a branch or into the bushes when I come by.

The male cardinals tend to perch in the trees but I can spot them as they are calling out in their distinctive voices.

The hydrangea are beginning to get their first leaves and I hope they don't get bit by frost which often happens with the early leaves.

On a recent walk at Lake Lynn I enjoyed getting to photograph the turtles who were out in force.

I recently had a post on my other blog with shots from that walk but there were so many shots I didn't use I thought I'd include some in my nature notes post.

It amused me how the shot below shows the Canada goose paddling in shallow water which looks like it might be easier to walk.

There are always a number of canoes on the banks of Lake Lynn but I rarely see anyone out in one.

Back at my house the auroma from the flowers is knocking me over.

I'm exaggerating, I'm not literally knocked over by the flower's scent but the mixture is pretty potent.

Each day more of the white camellias are blooming and I'm very happy with how the bushes are doing, in spite of some winter damage.

Even the oak trees (branches above the pink miniature magnolia below) are starting to form their long pollen gifts.

I guess I'll end here. Please visit the home of Nature Notes for other participants.