http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/ Beautiful illustrations and notes from the field by Dan Hazlett, Organic Valley's naturalist. en-us Wed, 09 May 2012 11:09:29 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Typo3 webmaster@organicvalley.coop webmaster@organicvalley.coop http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/killdeer-2/ It has been cooler this week. The frost warning is still in effect, but these spring days have been nice. We’ve gotten a little more rain, and things are looking pretty green. Leaf-out hasn’t quite happened yet, but I think it would have if not for the consistent hard frosts. Leaf-out is when the leaves on the trees all seem to pop out at once. This usually happens around the first or second week of May, when the day and nighttime temperatures work together to make it happen. It’s the first greeting of summer. I mowed the lawn over two weeks ago, and it still doesn’t look like it needs mowing again. The frost has kept it from growing out of control. Wed, 09 May 2012 11:09:29 -0500 dnt548 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/morel-mushroom-time/ It warmed up a bit Friday. That night, the temperature stayed in the 50s. It was nice not to have a frosty morning for a change. The juncos must have liked the warm breeze from the south because, they were gone Saturday morning. It was time for them to head to their breeding grounds in the far north. Wed, 02 May 2012 10:36:41 -0500 dnt547 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/soft-shell-turtle/ Most of the Canada geese in the area have courted and are now paired up. Some have already started the next step. One mother goose is already on her nest in the cattail marsh. It will be weeks before new green cattails will grow tall enough to conceal her precious nest located in a depression on top of a muskrat house. It is heavily lined with the down from her lower breast and stomach. It would be hard to imagine a warmer place for a dozen goose eggs. I’m looking forward to seeing those little yellow goslings in three to four weeks. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:25:59 -0500 dnt546 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/april-birds/ Wednesday night we were treated to a spring lunar experience as the full moon dominated the dark skies. With a light breeze from the south, it was a perfect night for migration as the wild birds continue to make their way north. Millions of song birds will fly by the light of the moon, eager to get to their summer homes where they will start new beginnings. As they pass by in the darkness, I hear only their gentle, faint songs, but the man in the moon sees them all. Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:30:34 -0500 dnt545 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/early-spring/ So many strange things are going on that I haven’t experienced in my lifetime.  This extraordinarily warm spring has been absolutely beautiful, yet oh so puzzling. It’s been so warm that we’re about a month ahead of a normal spring schedule. Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:36:48 -0500 dnt543 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/sounds/ The sounds of spring are growing a little more in volume with each passing day. Crazy warm temperatures have brought a host of different bird songs this week and several firsts for the season. The lovely melodic song of a song sparrow greeted me from the meadow Monday afternoon: tiddle, widdle, widdle, widdle. His famous song is “Maids, Maids, Maids, put on your teakettle-ettle-ettle-ettle.” Monday also brought the first harsh “creak” from the first purple grackle. It was good to see one of the long tailed blackbirds after not seeing or hearing one all winter. Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:58:17 -0500 dnt542 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/hot-spring/ February’s cool days reminded me of March, but when March came along, there wasn’t a day under 30 degrees for the first week and a half. Wednesday was the second day of 60-plus degrees. It rained late in the day and through the night, making me think that old weather adage might have to change: March showers bring April flowers. Things are definitely happening early this year and I’m wondering if trees and shrubs will leaf out earlier, too, something that usually happens around the first week of May. It will be interesting to see what the weather will be in April. Will it seem like May? Stay tuned! Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:57:03 -0500 dnt541 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/warm-weather/ The bald eagles must have heard that I was watching for them to return to their nest, because they showed up Tuesday morning. The male eagle perched regally on a nearby branch in the old white pine, while the female got reunited with the old stick nest. As huge as the old nest is already, they will add even more material to it. It won’t be long before the female lays her eggs and starts the long incubation period, which lasts about 35 days. It looks like the bald eagles nesting season has begun and it will be fun to see what develops. It’s hard to say where the two young eagles from last year are. I haven’t seen any sign of them for a couple of weeks. Time for them to start their new lives elsewhere. Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:36:12 -0500 dnt540 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/pond/ The first color of green appears around the spring pond in the form of fresh, new watercress. One entire corner of the clear-water pond is completely covered by a thick bed of beautiful green cress. The first taste of watercress is the first taste of spring. The sharpness of that first bite wakes up my senses, but the flavor comes through only after chewing a few pieces. Wed, 07 Mar 2012 07:55:26 -0600 dnt539 Dan Hazlett http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/down-natures-trail/article/frog/ The mildest winter ever continued this week with high temperatures around 40 degrees and lots of sunshine. It may not be the warmest winter here on record, but it’s the warmest in my lifetime. Only a trace of snow remains on the landscape to remind us that it’s still February, not March. Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:35:04 -0600 dnt538 Dan Hazlett