Watching Tree Swallows

 

Tree swallows have returned to South Jersey from their wintering grounds. I photographed this one on Wednesday. It may have flown all the way from Cuba, Mexico, Central America, or somewhere in the southeastern US. I'm working as a volunteer this spring for a local county park, monitoring nest boxes that are suitable for tree swallows and for eastern bluebirds. Click to enlarge.

This is one of my nest boxes. A tree swallow is checking it out. It looks beautiful when the sun reflects from their feathers, right? A few birds have peeked into this box, and a pair flew around it and landed on it together, but so far none have gone inside. I plan to photograph events at the nests as the season progresses and to share them here. I will be watching two nest boxes, so I'm hoping for bluebirds in one and swallows in the other. We shall see. Let the nesting begin!

Great Egret Contortions

 

I was watching great egrets at the Jersey shore yesterday. They get their long legs, neck, and other parts into very complicated positions while hunting at the water's edge. Click to enlarge.

Like this.

And this.

And like when you try to suck in your stomach to look slender...

And when folded into a delicate twisted filigree.

Or just sitting in a tree showing off the breeding plumes.

Just Purple Flowers

 

I am seeing purple flowers everywhere. Like striped crocuses.

Periwinkle.

A crocus with a visitor.

Glory-of-the-snow.

And rogue hyacinths.

Pretty! Click on the photos to enlarge.

Spring Comes on Thursday

By astronomical reckoning, spring will arrive this Thursday, March 20. Meteorologists already started spring on March 1. For me, it begins the first time I hear this bird sing. It's a white-throated sparrow. I heard one singing this morning! Click on this sentence for a recording on the Cornell Lab or Ornithology website.  Let the spring begin!

 

Daylight Savings Time is On

 

Daylight savings time starts today. It was dark when I got up this morning. It will be light longer this evening. Most of my clocks turned themselves forward automatically, but the microwave is still living in the past and will have to be changed manually. Check your place for rogue devices.

On the seasonal update front, bees are visiting the crocuses. Click to enlarge. 

And heads up for a lunar eclipse on March 14th. A red moon is coming!

It's Meteorological Spring!

 

A local witch hazel bush is covered with squiggly flowers now, despite the sudden return of frigid temperatures. My fingers nearly froze while I was taking pictures of it this morning! It's officially spring now, starting March 1 according to the reckoning of meteorologists. In another 17 days, we'll achieve astronomical spring at the equinox.

To recap -- the crocuses in my yard came out last week. Click to enlarge. 

Snowdrops appeared in early February.

And now this. Welcome, early bloomers!

First Crocus!

 

I found this crocus blooming in my yard yesterday. It's time to quote Algernon Charles Swinburne again.

" ... time remembered is grief forgotten 

And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,

And in green underwood and cover

Blossom by blossom the spring begins."

Click to enlarge.

31 Days Until Spring

 

Snowdrops are blooming despite the icy rain. Click to enlarge the photo. I have started counting down to spring. Here's a link to a website that makes that easy: https://days.to/until/spring. It tracks other things, too. Like, the next full moon is 4 days away. Just 22 days to Robert Burns Day! And 64 days until Easter. 

Go Birds!

Grey February with ice in the Delaware River and a color coordinated gull. 

Birds have a sophisticated heat exchange system of closely arranged blood vessels that warm blood coming back to the body from the legs, while simultaneously cooling blood flow in the other direction. The bird's core does not lose energy. The bird stays warm inside its insulating feathers. Click to enlarge.

Snowdrops

Snowdrops are blooming! I saw the first signs yesterday, just the tips of green spears pushing up. I took the photos in this blog this morning. You can see white petals. These flowers are also called Candlemas Bells because they traditionally bloom in time for the Christian feast of Candlemas on February 2. They made it just in time this year. Click to enlarge.

How do they do it? They have strong leaf tips that can push up through frozen soil and snow. They produce proteins that act like biological antifreeze to keep their sap from freezing. They reproduce asexually from bulbs growing underground. Later in the season, their flowers also can be pollinated by insects and produce seeds.

It's nice to have flowers again. Even if I almost froze looking for them. As the poet Charles Algernon Swinburne said, "blossom by blossom, the spring begins."

Winter Robins

 

There are a lot of robins around my place today! Click on this photo to enlarge. See five? They were among a few dozen that were feeding on fallen holly fruit amid a noisy flappy fluttering of wings. 

 

There were more across the street under another holly tree, also eating berries. I estimate that I saw about 100 robins on my morning walk.

Contrary to popular belief, our robins don't all fly south for the winter, nor do they all suddenly return in spring. They do disappear from our lawns when worms and insects become scarce. They switch to dry fruits and berries. Some may fly to other locations seeking food. Want to read more about it? Click on this sentence to go to an earlier blog with lots more details. And do not worry, spring will come. Fifty-two days and counting.

Waiting for Snowdrops

I photographed these snowdrops in bloom on January 14th last year. Read about them by clicking on this sentence to go to that blog. When I went out to look for them on the 14th last week, there was no sign in any of the places where I usually find them. Disappointing. I will look for them again soon. Click to enlarge.

Meanwhile, as I was walking along the icy river, I saw...

 Canada geese on the shore.

So, the cold continues. There is no sign yet of winter flowers. Stay warm.

Winter Ducks

 

I visited Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge this week, to look for winter ducks. It was windy, cold, and lovely. Click to enlarge.

There were lots of ducks. I saw norther shovelers.

Pintails.

Buffleheads. 

 

A male bufflehead with some food he caught dangling from his beak.

Ruddy ducks!

The two pictured above gave me pause because they were swimming together, and seemed at first to be a couple. They turned out to be two different species. In front, a female bufflehead. In back, an immature male hooded merganser. Tricky!

It was worth the trip for beautiful scenery and abundant interesting ducks. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge has an 8-mile one-way wildlife drive. Click on this sentence to visit the refuge website for information and directions. It's a nice place to visit, even in the cold. Stay in your car or wear your warmest coat.

Creature of the Year Awards, 2024

 

There was a lot of drama at the Creature of the Year judging for 2024, which resulted in the first ever tie. White squirrel was a co-winner. Seems to be saying "who, me?" right? Congratulations, 2025 Creature of the Year! Click to enlarge.

A latecomer to the race, but a popular favorite, was the beloved reindeer. She is co-Creature of the Year, 2025! Cheers, reindeer!

The upset was caused by a substantial number of write-in votes for this stunningly lovely clear winged moth. Insect supporters had been outraged when moth was left off the ballot due to an oversight. Moth is the official runner-up. In the event that both winners cannot fulfill their duties, moth will step in.

The look on katydid's face (spokesperson for the insect contingent) says it all.