The Joy of Spring

Skunk Cabbage leaves unfolding

Chippy after a field trip to the bird feeder

The female flower of a Norway Spruce tree

Eurasian honeysuckle, an invasive shrub, in full bloom

A mature doe reaching above my protective fencing to nibble on the new growth of a young apple tree; deer are losing their winter coats and look pretty ragged

Morels in a maple-hemlock woodlot

A fat and happy Red Squirrel framed in dandelion seed heads

Osprey after an incredible 30 meter dive into the shallow water of a large pond

Gone fishing………………………………….

Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.

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Early Wildflowers: a Wetland Favorite

Having failed in my attempt to photograph a migrating Woodcock, I veered away from the wet thickets to a nearby hemlock swamp. I hoped to find something of interest in the melting snow.

As far as I know, Skunk Cabbage (Arum family) is the first wetland wildflower to surface and bloom. The flowers aren’t the main attraction though: it’s the protective hood, a shapely, multicolored spathe, that draws us into the muck for a closer look…and confirmation that Spring is indeed on its way.

Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.