The Daily Bucket is a place to catch your casual observations of the natural world and turn them into a valuable resource. Whether it's the first flowers of spring or that odd bug in your basement, don't be afraid to toss your thoughts into the bucket. Check here for a more complete description.
I had really intended to go out and take pictures of the great swaths of wildflowers that had bloomed across our area in the last week -- Wild Sweet William, Violet Wood Sorrel, Venus Looking Glass, and Dead Nettle -- all of which have lent a decidedly purple tinge to the ground between the trees and on the big mossy area we call a yard. However, the sky continues to be overcast, the woods are boggy, and the constant hailstorms and downpours have beaten most of the petals off the flowers. About the only ones happy with the current weather seem to be the frogs, who are still croaking like crazy, and the little white-spotted
Western Slimy Salamanders. These guys seem particularly plentiful this year (they moved in early to the new greenhouse and are always looking up at me in amphibian shock every time I move a pot). I also suspect they're responsible for the salamander eggs I found in the creek below the house, though there are several other candidates.
As I arrived back home yesterday from a week of wandering around the storm-tossed Midwest, I saw a big, heavy-bodied bird come swooping through the woods to plop down on a branch of an Ash tree. I thought at first it was one of our local turkey vultures, but when I second bird followed I had to amend my guess by dropping the word "vulture." It was a turkey. Two turkeys. They wobbled there for a few minutes before flapping down to the ground and hustling away. There's been almost constant gobbling from the woods this morning, so I assume turkeys are in the thick of their season. On the other hand, the wild hoots of the Barred Owls seem to have calmed down.
And now, the ongoing parade o' images chronicling the spring changes in the view from my kitchen window. I promise to stop this in another week or so.
27 March 2011
9 April 2011
16 April 2011
23 April 2011
As for the Towering Abomination, the tallest stalks of the vivax bamboo are now better than 4' tall. They're larger than last years, something like 2.25" in diameter. I'm guessing they'll top out at 40-something feet.
But of course, the story of Missouri this week is one of storms, storms, storms. We threaded the needle when it comes to tornadoes. One struck just a mile north of us two days ago. Another hit just to the west last night. So far we've made it through the season with little more than a few missing roof tiles. Which is pretty good considering that we have had tornado warnings for the area on Jan 1, Feb 5, Feb 27, Mar 5, Mar 26, Apr 11, Apr 19 (2), Apr 21, and Apr 22 (2). Uggh.
Hopefully things are a little more stable where you live.
Today's observations come from these locations
Share your own observations in comments, and I'll add a marker to the map. Please give a city and state (as close as you feel comfortable in providing). Green pins for observations mostly about plants, brown for animals, and blue for weather or other inorganic items. The letter at the center of each pin will be the first letter of the user who provides the data.