For some reason, we see more animals in the yard during the winter. I'm not sure if it comes from seasonal changes in their behavior or in ours. We've seen deer every morning this week and an opossum last night.
Most conifers in Michigan are green year round. The Tamarack (Larix laricina) is the only one that loses its needles for winter. The brown needles remind me of an artificial tree I almost bought by mistake in Uruguay.
While we had a few flurries earlier, this weekend was the first time there was enough snow to cover the ground. Last night the roads were slippery. The pond iced over as well. It feels like winter is here.
Kalamazoo had its first snow of the season this weekend. Not enough to cover the grass, but I did need to scrape my windshield this evening. Winter is on its way.
Maples are the star of Michigan's fall color season and they are brilliant now. Unseasonably warm weather made it really pleasant for a walk through the woods.
Each Fall, Sandhill Cranes gather together to prepare for their long flight south. Baker Sanctuary outside of Battle Creek attracts thousands of the big birds. They'll stay in the area for several weeks before migrating to Florida and Georgia for the winter.
Sumacs are consistently one of the earliest and most colorful trees of autumn. They don't form dense forests and never grow very tall, so they add bright accents to the landscape.
Over the last few days, more color is appearing in the woods. These silver maples near the Kalamazoo River were almost red while most of the trees were still green. The boardwalk is part of the Kalamazoo Nature Center's trail system.
While the trees are still green, this Virginia Creeper already shows some Fall color. We've had frost on the grass, too, but not a killing frost yet.
Cicadas are emerging from their years underground and are metamorphosing. We found this one on a tree in the yard this morning. They're singing as I write this.
Michigan's bogs have a number of unusual plants, including carnivorous ones. Orchids don't eat meat but they are beautiful enough that collectors threaten their existence. Many are protected by state and federal laws.
Redbud is one of the most interesting local flowering trees. The flowers appear in clusters on the bare branches before the leaves open.
Mid-to-late April is the beginning of the wildflower season in West Michigan. Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica, like many of the other early spring flowers is small and pale. These plants grow in mature woods and bloom quickly while sunlight still reaches the forest floor. In a few weeks, the maples and beeches will leaf out, creating daylong shade.
Spring really feels like it's here now. The daffodils are in full bloom; turtles are sunning themselves after their winter hibernation; toads are hunting for insects and the days are warm.
Aconites are always one of the earliest flowers in my yard. Only the snowdrops are earlier. These are the first sign of spring colors to come.
After nearly three months of continuous snow cover, Spring is coming to Kalamazoo. Officially, it started with over a foot of new snow about a week ago. Now, there are some signs that warmer weather is actually on its way. These snowdrops just broke through this morning.
