-
Pollen Cones Of Virginia Pine
March 27, 2026 Male pollen cones of Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana). Compared to the female seed cones that we are more familiar with, male pollen cones are smaller, softer, in larger clusters, than female cones. In central Virginia pollen cones release their yellow pollen into the wind from mid-March through May. The pollen cones soon…
-
Unpredictable Purple Finches
March 26, 2026 A Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus). Here in central Virginia they sometimes come for winter’s nonbreeding season. Sometimes they don’t. They are said to be irruptive migrants, much like Robins (Turdus migratorius). They may come into your general area and stay for most of the winter season, or they may be just a…
-
Virginia Bluebells Emerging
March 25, 2026 Just emerging. So small you need to know where to look to find them. Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). Soon to be blooming with bright yellow Wood Poppies (Stylophorum diphyllum), both being native to the Eastern and Midwest United States, in rich, moist, deciduous woodlands. You will often find them growing side by…
-
The Show Is Just Beginning
March 23, 2026 Early spring. Such an elegant look is unfolding in the woods up here. A wash of pink is just beginning to take over the leafless landscape. Blooms of Redbud (Cercis canadensis) are just beginning to open. As spring develops, so will the pink wash, being joined by Flowering Dogwood blooms (Cornus florida).…
-
Woodpeckers And Concussions
March 22, 2026 A Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), pounding on a tree quite a distance away, yet making as much noise as a jackhammer. Hammering on a tree at up to 20 times per second. That makes my head hurt just thinking about it. Woodpeckers hammer on trees in search of food, to create a…
-
Yellow Spotted Salamander
March 21, 2026 This afternoon’s potato planting brought about quite a surprise, a Yellow Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum). A Salamander that is not often seen since they generally are under logs, in leaf litter, or in underground burrows created by other animals. They are usually near a vernal pool, which they migrate to once a…
-
First Black Ratsnake Of Spring
March 20, 2026 Today, the first day of astronomical spring and what shows up? An Eastern Black Rat Snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis). Also known to me as, Squiggles. Not a specific Black Rat Snake, but any that I see automatically gets that name. Certainly not what I would have expected to see on this day. This…