-
- Bill Dunson in front of huge American elm tree on the river bank
-
- A massive willow oak is in the background with a very tall limb less trunk and wide crown
-
- A variegated yard camelia
-
- A red yard camelia
-
- The classic yard daffodil
-
- A classic forest ephemeral flower- the bloodroot
-
- The wake robin trillium
-
- The common blue violet in its classic color
-
- A common blue violet that is not blue
-
- Spring beauties
-
- A dark blue hyacinth has attracted a carpenter bee
-
- A trout lily in bloom
-
- A snout butterfly is well camouflaged
-
- This is a very early tiger swallowtail
-
- This pilot black snake is still covered in mud from hibernationi
-
- River cooters are enjoying a sunny basking spot along the river
-
- The male bluebird is very brightly colored
-
- A female bluebird is much less bright than the male
-
- A female bluebird leaving the nest box
-
- Cormorants along the Haw River on their way north
This is my fourth spring in the Piedmont of N Carolina but due to a family event is the earliest I have returned from winter in FL. Middle March is still early enough to enjoy the spring ephemeral flowers but as a consequence night time temperatures can be quite cool. Once I adjusted to the weather I was able to appreciate the opportunity to see the fantastic flowers that open before the tree leaf canopy closes and restricts the amount of light reaching the forest floor.
My first concern on returning to our 50 acre Haw River nature preserve was for the well being of our wonderful old growth trees. Winter winds and wet ground can lead to tree falls even of healthy trees but most of our trees survived the winter. I am shown standing in front of one of my favorites- a 126 foot tall American elm with a circumference of 14.25 feet. This massive tree is growing on the river’s edge yet must be 80-100 years old. It is surprising that the river bank has been so stable for this long time. Another huge tree, a water oak 145 feet tall with a circumference of 13.2 feet is growing in a sweet gum swamp inland from the river’s edge; it can be seen as the distant tree with a very tall trunk with few branches and then a broad crown. I believe that these large trees date from about 100 years ago when much of the area farmland was abandoned due to soil infertility. Deer populations were low, and regeneration of these massive hardwoods occurred naturally. Unfortunately the current increase in deer populations and their near total herbivory of tree seedlings no longer permits regrowth of the natural forest canopy. .
The house I live in has some beautiful yard plants planted by previous owners. The camellias in particular are late winter and early spring bloomers and come in many colors. Although these non-native shrubs are beautiful and provide welcome flowers for this time of year, they seem to offer little nectar or pollen to pollinators which are very scarce. The same could be said for the traditional daffodils which brighten the heart but not the ecology.
A different story is found in the woods with a variety of interesting ephemeral native wildflowers which bloom before the leaves are out on the trees. I have shown here six examples which are highly variable in form and color. Bloodroots are a pure white, trilliums (wake robins) are red, common blue violets are usually blue but sometimes white with blue stripes (so called nectar guides to lead insects to the center of the flower), spring beauties are white with pink nectar guides, hyacinths are blue (and notice the carpenter bee on the flower), and yellow trout lilies. Insects are scarce this time of year so there must be considerable competition for insect pollinators.
I have seen very few butterflies. The unusual snout butterfly does visit flowers but also obtains nutrients from minerals in wet mud, fermenting fruits and animal dung. It is very well camouflaged when its wings are completely closed- here you can see a splash of color since the wings are partly open. Its caterpillars feed on hackberry trees which are abundant in the floodplain. An early tiger swallowtail butterfly is a fast flying species which does depend on nectar producing flowers.
On sunny afternoons reptiles are often seen basking to warm up enough to become active and enhance digestion. Pilot black snakes are lethargic this time of year until they can warm up. River cooter turtles are often seen basking on rocks in considerable numbers.
Most of our migratory birds have not yet arrived back from the tropics at this time in late March. But some of the residents such as chickadees, cardinals and bluebirds are starting to breed. I especially enjoy watching the wonderful bluebirds in our yard. It is interesting that the male and female are similar in general coloration, but the male is much brighter than the female. This “pretty male” phenomenon also found in cardinals is thought to give the females some insight into the health and fitness of the males and allow them to make choices of a mate that will provide the best health for their offspring.
Down on the river there are considerable numbers of cormorants which are in the process of migrating north to their breeding areas.
So I have really enjoyed seeing early spring ecology in action in NC in late March but am not sure I will give up the warmth and close views of migrating songbirds during fallouts to be found in Florida in April next year.
