April 2024
maritime Pacific Northwest
Spring is in full swing here: for plants it’s the big transition from winter dormancy into the explosion of activity of summer. Foliage is emerging, flowers peeking out, pollen wafting everywhere. Pollinators are out. This proliferation of life has a fragrance I tend to forget about in winter.
All the marked changes of this season make spring a good time to track local phenology. Over many years the leaf out, blooming, pollinator emergence and such become valuable in monitoring the effects of climate change. I’ve lived at my home here in the islands of the PNW for nearly 40 years, and while I haven’t paid close attention all that time I’m building a database for the future as each spring rolls around.
What’s up this first week of April in my immediate neighborhood in 2024 —
New foliage:
Lots more vegetation is leafing out too, like the Snowberry thickets, the alders, cottonwoods, brambles.
New flowers:
New fruits:
Insect activity:
Lots of bumblebees in the Red-flowering currant and Salmonberries. Flies and wasps are active now too.
While spring temps have been running about average, our precip has been significantly below normal. This very dry spring may mean a big wasp year. Queen Yellowjackets are discouraged from building nests in wet weather.
Short video of insects swarming the freshly opening Big leaf maple flowers earlier this month:
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Meanwhile, the tent cats have been growing fast. I first noticed them April 2.
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THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
WE INVITE YOU TO NOTE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING AROUND YOU IN YOUR OWN PART OF THE WORLD, AND TO SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF THE DAILY BUCKET FEATURE, CHECK OUT THIS DIARY: DAILY BUCKET PHENOLOGY: 11 YEARS OF RECORDING EARTH'S VITAL SIGNS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
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Mostly sunny in the PNW today. Temps in 50s. Light breeze.
WHAT’S UP IN NATURE IN YOUR AREA TODAY?