Feb
18
Flowering Maples
Filed Under Not-birds, Winter Birds |
Yes indeed, the odd Red/Silver Maples have begun to bloom, as well as a few Sweet Gums here and there, here on southernmost tip of NJ.
I guess they have been fooled by the last ten days of above normal temps, but mid February is early even here, and we shall see if this early flower doesn’t get thwarted. What is very interesting is that the pattern of which trees have already popped seems rather random-Off the top of my head, I’d bet 5% or fewer of the Maples are in full flower. Very cool to see individual variation at work- Ahhh, the oil which propels natural and sexual selection. Excellent.
(Willows are also getting tawny, the way they will before they turn yellow and bud-out, however, they are not nearly in full flower.)
A quick trip to Hereford Inlet before the rain revealed nice numbers of Dunlin, a few Oystercatchers, no fewer than four Western Sandpipers, a Semipalmated Plover, and soem very sharp Great Cormorants on the Channel markers. Drake Red-breasted Mergansers were doing their best deep bows as they asked the hens to dance for the season, too.