Seasonal observations: It’s spring and love is in the air

My favourite correspondent, John Tschopp, has broken away from his usual orthithological themed observations to share this one, for our collective phenology journal.

Phenology, derived from the Greek word phaino, meaning “to show or appear,” is literally “the science of appearance.” It is a segment of ecology focused on the study of periodic plant and animal lifecycle events related to climate and seasonal changes. Although these natural observations can be done year-round, spring is a great time to get started by recording all the “firsts” you see. From noting the first bud on a tree to spotting the first robin in your yard, observing and recording these events can be the beginning of a life-long relationship with nature. ~ http://naturenetwi.blogspot.ca/2011/02/nature-journaling-and-phenology.html

It’s mating season. For the frogs. And the toads.

Tschopp observes that: “the cranberry farm up Pemberton Meadows Road is a good place to see the proceedings.”

From John:

These Western Toads have extremely long hind legs.

The juvenile Bald Eagle was standing on the bank of the pond watching the show.

Spotted my first Yellow-rumped Warblers today. Swallows are numerous. Spring is here.

I love filing this information into my own internal compass, adding it to the things I’ve learned over the years, curating the Wellness Almanac, and learning to pay attention to the original interweb, the network of energy and life force at play all around me.

I add it to my mental list of Signs of spring:

• chickens lay the first spring egg
• daffodils and other bulbs poking up
• garlic tops begin to peek up out of the garden
• nettles are out
• dandelions arrive
• rubber boas come out of the den to enjoy some fresh air
• Pacific Chorus frogs start to sing – for more on them, read Veronica’s post
• be on the look out for the first chocolate lilies
• trumpeter swans pass through on their way north
• western trillium blossoms among the devil’s club and stinging nettles
• you may spot a long toed salamander
• pussywillow’s soft buds emerge
• collect the sticky buds of the cottonwood and brew up your own healing salve
• the lambs are born
• calving season on the farm
• grass is turning green, the Meadows is all mud, and the potato trucks are shipping out their cargo of precious seed
• wild lily of the valley emerges
• skunk cabbage begins to grow
• other birds arriving in Pemberton include the mountain bluebird, western meadowlark and red-breasted Sapsucker, and the Townsend’s Solitaire

Coming soon:

• calypso orchids
• the fresh green tips on the evergreens
• preparations for the Lillooet Lake Rodeo

But for now, here’s to the frogs, romancing in the bogs. And to our cast of seasonal observers, always inviting us to pay attention and appreciate the details of the moment.