Spring is almost here. Male songbirds
are beginning to establish territories - their songs are becoming
more frequent every day. Rufous-sided Towhees, Carolina Wrens,
and most recently Northern Cardinals are singing their full songs!
This activity is triggered by the longer days. Photoperiod is
the key to many activities in nature, among them migration and
mating are probably the most significant.
Wood
frogs have nearly finished
their mating frenzy. You can read more about these late winter
breeders in this month's nature trivia.
This month will see the first
of the spring ephemeral wildflowers emerging from the forest
floor. As any of you who know me are well aware, these are my
favorites. Here in the mountains of western North Carolina we
are blessed with an amazing variety of plants. Some 2000 plus
species of vascular plants are native to the southern Appalacians.
Some of the very early ones to look for are Bloodroot,
Hepatica, Trailing
Arbutus, Periwinkle, Sweet
Breath of Spring, Shortia, Rue Anemone, Spring Beauty, Trout
Lily and Virginia Bluebells. These spring
ephemerals, as they are known offer a tremendous variety
in color, form and bloom time. When you'll find them depends
a great deal on your elevation and exposure. But by the end of
March nearly all of these will be in bloom throughout the region.
To see more photos of the spring flowers check out my Early
Spring Photo page.
