Catching up with Spring April 17, 2009

Spring is about change, and right now change is happening so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Yesterday we showed one Dwarf Iris flower and two buds — today there were three flowers:

All three Dwarf Iris buds have opened!

The Trout Lily bud we showed two days ago has not yet opened, but more flower buds have appeared, and most bud stems are no longer nestled in protective leaves:

Most Trout Lily buds were standing free, not wrapped in protective leaves.

Two fruit trees have burst into bloom along Garfield Street, east of Ridgeland Avenue:

I don’t know the name of this tree, but I think it’s an ornamental fruit.

So, some flowers are already blooming; others are catching up with their first buds of spring. Here’s a Lily of the Valley from the Oak Park Arts District, along Harrison Street:

As usual, the first Lily of the Valley buds formed along a south-facing wall.

After watching for more than a week, I finally spotted the first Virginia Bluebell of the year in Columbus Park:

Virginia Bluebell is a native wildflower, although these may have been planted by the Park District.

Now let’s move from flowers to fruits, and the animals that eat them. In late February we posted photos of Staghorn Sumac fruits, which added color to the winter woods. We saw squirrels eat some sumac fruits this winter, but most remained on the trees until last week. That’s when I noticed Northern Flickers and Downy Woodpeckers eating sumac fruits. By today the sumac trees were stripped bare:

Flickers and other woodpeckers ate all the sumac berries. Perhaps it was for food, or maybe they used red sumac pigments to brighten up their feathers.

Here’s more news of animals in our neighborhood: I heard my first Columbus Park Bullfrog of the spring — it croaked as it jumped into the lagoon, too fast for me to see. I also watched Painted Turtles sun themselves on lagoon logs, and I spotted my first Cabbage White Butterfly of 2009 in a meadow near Austin Boulevard. And my first Honey Bee of 2009 was feeding on the fruit tree flowers on Garfield.

Finally, back in early March we started following hummingbird migration on hummingbirds.net. According to the online map, the first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds reached our area more than a week ago. We finally put out our hummingbird feeder yesterday:

Our backyard hummingbird feeder. We use a mix of one part sugar to four parts water, heated to boiling, and we don't add any dye.

Why the wait? No matter what we see on hummingbirds.net, we don’t know any birders who’ve seen Ruby-throats this year in Illinois. There have been no reports on IBET, and none on eBird, either. According to eBird, last year’s earliest Ruby-throat for our County was April 27. Last year we saw our first in Columbus Park on May 23.

So, these days we don’t have much faith in hummingbirds.net. It’s possible those folks are seeing a different species — perhaps Rufous Humingbirds, which wander here in colder weather — or maybe something else is going on. Anyway, our feeder’s out, and we’ll keep it filled and fresh until next fall.

And that’s the news. We’re caught up — until the next time we walk outside. There’s sure to be some new sign of spring tomorrow!

Yesterday a Bud, Today a Flower: Dwarf Iris April 16, 2009

Yesterday we showed a photo of a Dwarf Iris flower bud, taken on a cool and overcast day:

Yesterday the weather was cool and cloudy, and the Iris bud seemed barely formed.

Today the sun was out and temperatures rose into the sixties by lunchtime. So, look what I found about 10 inches east of the bud shown in yesterday’s post:

This Dwarf Iris flower bloomed this morning. (The bud from yesterday is at the top of the photo.)

A top view of the flower shows its three-part arrangement, with three long, white “beards”:

Dwarf Iris: The flower parts come in threes.

We also showed a Trout Lily bud yesterday. I checked Columbus Park today, and it had not bloomed. It’s only a matter of time, though (especially if we reach seventy degrees tomorrow).

Flower Buds: What’s Blooming Next? April 15, 2009

Some neighborhood plants have produced new flower buds among leaves that appeared a few days earlier. On Tuesday we found flower buds in a patch of Trout Lily leaves at Columbus Park:

The Trout Lily flower bud seems nestled in a folded leaf.

Today we found flower buds on our neighbor’s Dwarf Iris plants:

We found a flower buds among these Dwarf Iris leaves.

Iris plants grow either from underground stems, called “rhizomes,” or from bulbs. Erosion has exposed the rhizomes from which these Dwarf Iris grew:

These Drawf Iris plants grew from underground stems, called rhizomes.

As we’ve found many times this spring, these first buds and flowers were on plants with southern exposure. The first Trout Lily buds appeared on a south-facing slope near Columbus Park lagoon, and the first Iris buds were on the south side of a parkway tree.

We should have photos of the flowers soon, since temperatures may reach seventy later this week.

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Note added the next day: At least one Dwarf Iris had bloomed by the next morning. Go here to see photos of the flower.

Leaves of Native Wildflowers Are Emerging at Columbus Park April 13, 2009

On Sunday, April 12, while birding in the woods beside Columbus Park lagoon, we discovered the emerging leaves of native wildflowers. We found the first Mayapple leaves we’ve seen this spring:

There were several stages of opening Mayapple leaves. Soon we'll see flower buds below some of the leaf umbrellas.

And also the first Trout Lily leaves:

The purple-marked Trout Lily leaves had emerged, but no sign of flower buds so far.

We had seen Cutleaf Toothwort blooming earlier this spring at Clinton Lake in central Illinois, so we weren’t surprised to see both leaves and flower buds at Columbus Park:

Toothwort flowers look like tiny white teeth when they first open, and the leaves look like they've been cut out by tiny scissors.

We also made a slightly more ominous discovery. Back on March 23rd, we showed photos of a cultivated flower which we identified as Siberian Squill, but others know as Scilla (its scientific name). On Sunday we discovered that this garden flower has escaped its intended bounds and invaded the woods beside Columbus Park lagoon. Because this also happens elsewhere, Scilla is listed in the Global Compendium of Weeds and on some web documents about invasive plants. Some folks who track invasive species suggest that Scilla may not harm native wildflowers, like Trout Lily and Mayapple. But another wrote, “the jury is still out whether this is a harmless garden escapee or something to worry about.” So, we’ll keep an eye on the Park’s woodland Scilla this spring and beyond.

Two Kinds of Tulips, plus a Mamma Maple April 8, 2009

Yesterday I found my first Tulip flower of the spring. Today I found many more on my walk through south Oak Park:

Backlit by sunlight, these Tulip flowers glowed.

Another Tulip opened wide to show the six parts that make pollen, plus a three-sided female part.

(For the names of flower reproductive structures, go here or here.)

In Rehm Park I found a completely different plant that bears the “tulip” name. The Tulip Tree is a magnolia, planted in these parts but native farther south in Illinois. This year’s buds were opening; the dry remnants of last year’s fruits also graced the tree:

This year's opening buds are below, the dry husks of last year's fruits are above.

If you can’t wait for our Oak Park tree to bloom, go here to see Tulip Tree flowers. You’ll see dozens of male and female parts in each flower, compared with the six male and single female part in the garden Tulip (as shown two photos above).

Speaking of sex, ten days ago I showed the male flowers of a Red Maple (go here to see the complete post):

The male flowers of Red Maple explode off the twigs.

Today, also in Rehm Park, I found a female Red Maple in bloom:

The female flowers are not as flamboyant as the male, but they add a reddish glow to the entire tree.

Pollen-catching filaments protrude from female Red Maple flowers, gathering pollen that your nose misses.

These male and female trees are separated by more than half a mile, but maple pollen travels easily on spring breezes. (That’s why it’s being detected at the pollen counting station in Melrose Park.)

Yesterday, Snow; Today, a Tulip Flower…and Dandelions April 7, 2009

This morning temperatures dipped below freezing, yet I still found my first Tulip flower of spring. It was in the Oak Park Arts District, near the Eastgate Cafe:

The lone Tulip flower was so yellow it almost hurt my eyes.

Because the flower petals were splayed open, I could look inside.

I counted six parts that make sticky Tulip pollen, plus a three-horned female part.

If you want to learn what botanists call these reproductive structures, go here or here.

Further west on Harrison Street, there were more yellow blossoms:

Yes, Dandelions are back -- another sure sign of spring. The dark dots on the flowers are tiny pollen-carrying bees.

I know some folks don’t like them, but Dandelions are fine with me.

Note added April 23, 2009: Part of our Earth Day celebration at Wonder Works was digging for bugs in their organic garden. In addition to enjoying the bugs, our two- and three-year-old visitors appreciated the Dandelion flowers that dotted the garden. It was great that they could pick them — most kids don’t get to pick flowers these days.

Also, today I found a family that’s on a crusade to Save the Dandelions, rather than destroy them. I’m with them on that!

Forsythia in Bloom! April 2, 2009

There’s one house in south Oak Park where spring flowers bloom early, from Gail’s birthday Daffodils to today’s Forsythia:

These are the first Forsythia flowers we've seen this spring in south Oak Park.

If you need a dose of Forsythia flowers to get you through the week, try the Oak Park Arts District on Harrison Street, near Bead in Hand, but on the north side of the street:

There were lots of other flowers in bloom near the Forsythia, including some small blue and white ones I didn't recognize. (We'll go back later with Ethan's camera to try to get some close ups.)

Nature News: Bursting Buds and Tame Wildflowers March 26, 2009

In our neighborhood, the last few days have been cool, often cloudy, and sometimes rainy. Searching the streets of south Oak Park turned up a few spring bulbs about to burst into bloom. As usual, the flowers on the sunnier south sides of homes were further along:

This patch of Hyacinth has several stages of buds, from tightly closed green ones to colorful buds beginning to burst.

At several other homes, larger Daffodil plants were beginning to catch up to the Miniature Daffodils we photographed last week for Gail’s birthday — they weren’t blooming yet, but they were getting close:

These Daffodil buds were almost ready to bloom.

Go here to see what Daffodil buds looked like a week ago, when they first emerged from the soil (see the bottom of the post).

I was inspired by the almost-opened buds, so this morning I checked a secluded corner of our back yard, against a south-facing wooden fence. Guess what I found? The Miniature Daffodils we bought last year for Gail’s birthday also were beginning to open. As the day progressed with intermittent sun, four buds finally bloomed:

Gail's 2008 potted Daffodils bloomed in our back garden in 2009!

We bought these flowers as part of the American Cancer Society’s 2008 Daffodil Days. (The 2009 Daffodil Days just ended.)

I guess birthday flowers that support a good cause should be my favorite flowers of the spring so far, but they’re not. My favorites are some spring wildflowers living the tame life in a street-side garden near Maple Park. They’re Bloodroot, a common woodland wildflower that I was surprised to find in this residential neighborhood:

Bloodroot flower stalks are wrapped in leaves when they first emerge from the soil.

Like many North American wildflowers, Bloodroot was used as medicine and more by Native Americans. For me, it’s a reminder that I need to get to an old-growth woodland soon!

For tomorrow I’ll have good news and bad news to share. Tree flowers are back, some for better, and some for worse.

Nature News from Columbus Park: New Bird, New Flower, New Burns March 23, 2009

On my first day back from Circle Pines, I took an exercise walk to Columbus Park to monitor birds and other forms of nature.

The new bird of the day was a Belted Kingfisher patrolling the lagoon, flying back and forth and making its rattling call. Last year Kingfishers visited Columbus Park in early spring and later in the summer, but went elsewhere to nest. Some Kingfishers stick around Illinois all winter if there’s open water to dive and catch their fish, but last year they left the Park in late October. (Our other bird sightings from the Park are summarized on this page.)

The new flower is a cultivated plant in the shaded garden by Refectory pool. The flowers lent a bluish cast to the green carpet of leaves:

The deep green leaves and blue flowers carpeted a garden near the Refectory pool.

A closer look revealed droopy flowers that looked a bit like a Snowdrops but were intensely blue. Also the leaves were broader and darker green than Snowdrops:

Up close the flowers were shaped a bit like Snowdrops, but were intensely blue.

I’m no expert on cultivated plants, so I Googled a preliminary identification. My best guess is Siberian Squill — not as poetic as “Snowdrops,” but that seems to be its name. (If you know your flowers, please comment below to correct or confirm my identification.)

Two areas of the Park had prescribed burns this year. The burns were intentionally set fires designed to improve habitats for native plants and animals. The fires must have been set after my visit to the Park on Friday morning and were closely monitored so they didn’t spread too far. One burn was in the restored prairie on the large peninsula, between the arms of the lagoon. The other burn was in the woodland just west of the lagoon. Here’s what the burned prairie looked like:

The blackened area was burned by land managers to protect native grasses and wildflowers from invading shrubs and trees.

Looking closer, patches of prairie grass and dried wildflowers remained:

The prescribed burn on the "peninsula prairie" left some patches of unburned grass. (The box on a pole is a shelter for bats, recently installed.)

This field, which we call “peninsula prairie,” grows native grasses, sedges, and summer wildflowers. It attracts migrating birds rare elsewhere in our neighborhood, like Lincoln’s and Clay-colored Sparrows. (Obscure sparrows like these both delight and frustrate beginning birders.) Without periodic burning, willows and other woody plants might overwhelm the prairie, and we’d lose the native plants and birds. So far, so good with this round of burning. I heard a male Song Sparrow singing, claiming the blackened ground. An Eastern Phoebe searched for flying insects above the burn, and Dark-eyed Juncos foraged on the edges. We’ll watch the prairie through spring and summer to see how plants and other birds respond.

The second burn was something new. The “lagoon woodland,” as we call it, has lots of oaks and other trees, an understory of shrubs, but few native wildflowers. Without plants covering the ground, fallen leaves blow away, leaving bare soil to erode. The burn seems designed to “open up” the woods, so sun-loving native grass and flowers can flourish:

In the woodland west of the lagoon, the ground cover and bases of the shrubs were burned, but the trees were not harmed.

Again, so far so good. Today I saw and heard Cardinals, Juncos, and Phoebes in the woods, and a Swamp Sparrow at the water’s edge. I’m excited to see what happens to the plants — we’ll watch this growing season and next to see how things change. Ethan will record the changing plants, birds, butterflies, and bugs with his new camera.

So, that’s the news from Columbus Park. Tomorrow we’ll update you on spring in south Oak Park.

Happy Birthday, Gail! March 20, 2009

Today’s your birthday, so we found you the first daffodils of spring:

Five inch tall Miniature Daffodils bloom early on the south side of a home in the Oak Park Arts District.

We’ll show you the real thing later this afternoon. We hope you enjoy your spring vacation and our weekend trip to Circle Pines.

And thanks for supporting our birding and our blogging!

Love,

Eric, Ethan, and Aaron

(We’ll have more to say in private….)