May 2

Friday was a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi. The mid afternoon weather was cloudy with a temperature of 52 degrees and a stiff wind out of the southwest. At the crest of the hill, I gazed west at an early May landscape. I climbed down the hill past Mallard Marsh where three female Redwings were perching along with their mates. Moving through Bobolink Meadow, I spotted my first Thistle rosette along with my first Dandelion blossom of the season. I entered North Woods where I was pleased to see patches of Spring Beauty flowers coloring the forest floor. At the vernal pond, blossoms of Purple Cress were on display. Before exiting the woods, I noticed the May apples were starting to pop up from the leaf litter. I turned west and circled Succession Field where I saw one of the new Blue Bird houses put up this morning by some Alma College students who have joined us for a few weeks while enrolled in a spring term course. Entering South Woods, I was delighted to see a blossoming Trout Lilly under the large White Oak and surprised to see another dead Snapping Turtle next to Swanson Swamp. I exited the woods, turned east and came to Artist Overlook where I noticed how expansive Sora Swale was after frequent spring rains. Following south trail, I stopped to admire the dainty flowers hanging from a branch of a Box Elder tree. I came to Frog Fen and turned south toward Brady Cemetery where I flushed a mother Robin off her nest, sheltered in a Honeysuckle bush next to the trail. Passing the cemetery, I turned north into Native Grassland and came to the edge of Grebe Pond where two-dozen Tree Swallows performed their aerial acrobatics just above the water surface. I followed the path to the barn where I spotted a young Burdock rosette near the front entrance. Before finishing up, I went out on the dock of Grebe Pond to check on the Redwing Blackbird nest, well hidden in the cattails. Finally, we made it back to the car for our trip home.

Nature’s music of the season

While I await a warming sun

I hear a pheasant’s call

Before it begins to run

I hear the blackbird’s shrill

As it protects a nesting site

I hear the honking goose

Before it takes to flight

I hear the croaking frog

Hidden in the duckweed

I welcome every sound

Spring symphony indeed

D. DeGraaf