Mid-April #phenology

 I finally remembered to close one of the “bluebird” bird houses. After posting this I’ll go close the one behind the house and raise the purple martin / tree swallow house. It’s time for arrivals, despite a snow forecast for this upcoming Thursday.

early April, bluebird

Photo by J. Harrington

In fact, Here’s the Nature Notes for the week ahead, from the Weatherguide Calendar:

Sunny, warm days will bring out leopard frogs, painted turtles, garter snakes, and both Compton tortoise shell and mourning cloak butterflies that hibernated through the winter as adults. Wood frogs make barking calls and western chorus frogs sound like metallic clickers; both are very vocal. Ice covers leave central Minnesota lakes. Male ruffed grouse begin drumming in northeastern Minnesota.

Now, we’re likely to be short the sunny, warm days for awhile still, but we can anticipate and eagerly await the forthcoming events. Ponds north of our property are less and less covered by skim ice these mornings. The patches of remaining ice/snow are fewer and smaller by the day. We’ve been watching turkey vultures spiral northwards for a couple of days now. Every once in awhile we’ll get to watch or hear a goose of crane as it flies over the house. Even I might begin to accept an inevitability of improving weather, some day.

April Chores

by Jane Kenyon

When I take the chilly tools

from the shed's darkness, I come

out to a world made new

by heat and light.

The snake basks and dozes

on a large flat stone.

It reared and scolded me

for raking too close to its hole.

Like a mad red brain

the involute rhubarb leaf

thinks its way up

through loam.

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