Another month has passed by without giving me time to notice.
It's hard to believe that it is May already! Most of the spring
ephemerals have completed their reproductive cycles and now the
canopy is leafing out. The various shades of green are gorgeous
at worst, and when the sun is shining down through the canopy
the colors can be ethereal.
The last of the spring wildflowers and the first of the summer
species are coming into bloom this month. Among the more commonly
found ones are: Grey Beardtongue, Hedge Bindweed, Low Bindweed,
Bluebead Lily, Blue-eyed grass, Bowman's-root, Cat's Ear, Hooked
Crowfoot, Devil's Bit, Doll's Eye, Dutchman's
Pipe, False Goat's Beard, False Hellebore, False Solomon's
Seal, Flame Azalea, Fleabane, Fly Poison, Galax,
Goat's Rue, Buttercups, Large Houstonia, Wild Hyacinth, Hydrangea,
Indian Cucumber Root,
Yellow Flag Iris, Yellow
Lady Slippers, Canada May Flowers, Yellow Mandarin, Mountain Laurel, Pink Shell
Azalea, Polygala, Pussytoes, Queen Anne's Lace, Raspberry, Hairy
Skull Cap, Common Strawberry, Squaw Root, Sweet Cicely, Virginia
Creeper, and Wood Sorrel.
Most of our resident birds are in place and many have produced
their first broods. One of my particular favorites is the Eastern
Bluebird. In early spring when the male takes on his breeding
plumage his iridescent blue is amazing! A friend has them nesting
on his property here in Weaverville, and his pair have produced
their first brood, which means that both parents are constantly
working to feed the voracious young. The "gape," or
open mouth, of the young is what signals the parents to feed
that chick at any given time. Apparently the bigger the gape,
the better the chance of being fed. After having been incubated
by the female for 12 - 13 days, the young remain in the nest
for 15 - 18 busy days for the parents. Each pair will raise up
to three broods in a year here in the mountains of western North
Carolina.
Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, Rufous-sided
Towhees and Brown Creepers are just a few of our breeding species
in the area. Additionally, many different warblers are in the
area where some will spend the summer while others are simply
passing through to more northerly breeding areas. As difficult
as these can be to identify under optimal conditions, that their
arrival coincides with the increasing canopy cover strikes me
as cruel and unusual punishment - at least for a birder of my
modest abilities.
Just as a note: The common names of birds change frequently,
too frequently for me at any rate, so if I'm using an outdated
name, bear with me. I'd much rather watch them than learn their
new names!
