Spring?

Top Photo: The pollen flies as I tap hazel alder’s male catkins in our wetlands. February is the time of year hazel alder blooms in our wetland. The plants are monoecious, having both male and female flowers on the same plant. The wine-red female flowers stand above the amber male catkins and are pollinated via the wind, or through the tap of a naturalist’s finger. The shrub is also called smooth alder, common alder, tag alder, or Alnus serrulata inRead more

Spring Happenings

Happenings over the past few weeks have been a bit overwhelming. Insects that have been held back from emergence by cooler than normal temperatures are doing so now, snakes and other reptiles have been performing their springtime rituals, neotropical migrants are moving through, and local nesters are doing just that, nesting. Some have already fledged their first broods. It’s been difficult for me to keep up with all of the biological happenings in terms of posting them to this Journal. That beingRead more