It’s the perfect time for birding. The trees don’t have leaves yet, so it’s easy to spot the birds. We’re also in the middle of migration, and wide varieties are returning home, while others are on their way north. I had some interesting finds last week.
Local news has been filled with flood warnings, potential dam failures, and road washouts. Torrential rains and record snowmelt have also affected the backcountry areas where I take pictures. Vernal ponds have tripled in size. Woods and wetlands have turned into lakes. So much for April showers.
With all the rain we’ve had, the vernal ponds and marshes are waterlogged, making them a perfect habitat for nesting geese and ducks. But what I enjoy most when I drive next to these roadside wetlands is the sound of spring peepers. It’s hard to believe a chorus of one-inch frogs could make these loud, high-pitched songs. Listen up.
I was out Monday afternoon, hoping to take pictures of hawks in flight, when an unexpected snow squall kicked up, bringing whiteout conditions. The wind was so strong that waves on this vernal pool bounced around a pair of buffleheads. The best I got was a seagull in flight.
The sun came out yesterday afternoon, and I went looking for more of those sweet early spring flowers I’d seen at the Lakeshore. The snow was mostly gone, and vernal ponds and wetlands were saturated from the heavy rains and snowmelt. I saw a flock of fifteen sandhill cranes and caught a ruffed grouse high in a tree. No flowers, though. The closest I got was the hint of green in some of the fields.
