April is a busy month for a dedicated naturalist in Maryland (and I suppose probably the rest of the Northern Hemisphere). It’s when one can expect to start seeing early spring wildflowers and trees in bloom. It’s amphibian breeding season, so it is an excellent time to find frogs, toads, and salamanders and observe the various stages in their life cycles. Snakes and turtles rouse themselves and begin their ritual basking. Butterflies can be found on the wing with increasing frequency. It’s peak migration for a lot of migratory birds and begins the return of summer residents. For gardeners it’s time to start thinking about prepping beds, pruning, taking those seedlings outside, sowing, weeding… the list goes on. It rains a lot – and often unexpectedly – but it’s otherwise the perfect time to be outside.
Early Spring Wildflowers & Trees
Virginia spring beautieswood anemonegolden ragwortstar chickweed
Amphibians
salamander, species TBDanother salamander, species also TBD (this species appear to possess a strange camouflaging property that causes it to appear blurry in photographs.)
Snakes & Turtles
an eastern black ratsnake just hangin’ outA northern red-bellied turtle saying hello.a grizzled old snapping turtle who decided the grass was greener (or the water was wetter, I guess?) in the other pond.a northern water snake that did NOT like that I was all up in his business. In fairness I didn’t see it until after it fled.what I think is a spotted turtle (but may be a painted turtle) perched atop what I am quite confident is a red-eared slider.
Butterflies
first tiger swallowtail of the seasonpearl crescents mating
Returning Birds
a Baltimore Oriolesome purple martinsa green heron
Gardening
flats of seedlings under a grow lampa stump planter for some annualssome veggies – to be planted tomorrowaccenting returning perennials with some brightly colored annualsI told everyone the rock pile would eventually serve a purpose…
Wildly Mistaken 