Hints of green

After one warm and sunny day, hints of spring growth are edging past the hint stage and moving into the almost there stage. Today may be the day for the bloodroot, that gorgeous one-day wonder of a wildflower. If so, I hope I get to see them. By late afternoon when I arrive home, they are already in a shadow created by the cabin, and that’s usually enough for them to decide the sun has gone behind a cloud and it’s time to close up. And tomorrow will bring rain, which will certainly keep them from appearing.

Both the violet photos I posted the other day and the bloodroot are among the earlier wildflowers. I’m not really expecting to see many different kinds again for a while. The trees, even the redbud, haven’t started yet. The nearby orchard blossoms are still nonexistent, and those trees look as barren as they do in midwinter.

But if the greenery still has a ways to go, the local birds are pairing up and preparing to settle down to nesting duties. I’ve seen a pair of mourning doves staring at each other in the middle of the road at the exact same spot for the past three days now. The pileated woodpeckers resound with riotous laughter as they swoop through the forest. They always nest near the cabin, if not in the exact same spot. This year, I think I know which tree they are favoring, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to watch some of their nest action from my back deck before the leaves grow out too much.

Spring is a busy time in the forest, and it’s only going to get busier, by a lot, in the coming weeks.