Nature Note:Chionadoxa

Chionadoxa,the glory of the snow,got a rare chance to live up to its name today.There was indeed a dusting of snow on the ground this morning,and the small blue flower with a white center was at peak bloom.This could be a record for accumulating snow.I can't recall a later date for it.The crocuses are no longer in bloom,but have spread their leaves out to make food for next spring.Plants don't leave anything for later.As soon as they can,they do what needs to be done for next year.

Nature Note:February Thaw

While January was nine degrees colder than normal,February has so far seemed about nine degrees warmer than normal.That is the way of nature:always balancing things out.With the rising temperatures,bird song volume has markedly increased.When you go out in the morning,you are greeted with quite an avian chorus.By this weekend,however,we will be back to cold conditions,with a possibility of a little snow.We will listen for any change in song with the return of the north wind.

Nature Note:Rabbit Tracks

Every morning I've been finding cottontail tracks in the snow.The front feet leave a single,small track,while the rear feet leave separate,larger tracks.Its favorite food,grass,has been covered for some time by a layer of frozen snow.I could walk on the snow without sinking in.It had become porcelain snow from the cycle of thawing and re-freezing overnight.A number of mild days are ahead,which should bring the crocuses up and help the rabbits.

Nature Note:Soggy Snow

What could have been a pleasant snow turned into a heavy,wet one as a wedge of warm air sliced into the cold,causing freezing rain and plain rain.Nonetheless,the first northern cardinal song was heard yesterday,and house finches were singing this morning,which is one of the first reminders of spring.It can't be called a sign of spring,as that season is two months off,but the birdsong is a presaging of it.Certainly the days are noticeably longer and the tree buds are a little bigger then they were a month ago.

Nature Note:Ice Again

So far,much of the Mid-Atlantic region has seen precious little snow this winter.Mostly it's been a wintry mix of snow,sleet and freezing rain.Yesterday morning began with sleet,then rose to plain rain,and finally fell back to freezing rain overnight,ending as plain rain once more this morning.It's a shifting about of layers of temperature and moisture,a very dynamic regime.The ice decorates the trees and shrubs even as the rain pours,saving the day from dullness.There is something rarefied to look at beyond the cold buckets being dumped on our heads.

Nature Note:First Winter Storm

The first winter storm arrived yesterday.We got an inch of snow,or2.54 cm,topped by freezing rain.The young white pine was bent over under even the small weight of the snow and thin glaze of ice from the freezing rain.It wasn't taking any chances.It reacts to the slightest weight to avoid breakage.How many of us are as vigilant about our health? No wonder the white pine can live to be an old growth tree.