SPRINGING SLOWLY
As Spring returns to the Catskills, life itself flows back into the land, much the same as the sap returns to the tree-trunk - in fits and starts - ebbing and flowing in that great seasonal tide. Soon, a reddish haze will appear in the hardwoods, little dark-red bud-caps protecting new life. Once they fall off, red dots sprinkled on the ground, then a light-green haze gradually sweeps up the mountain valleys, buds bursting forth, green grasses jumping up to the new sun.
THE PINK MOON - Finally Spring begins to unfold and this moon (interchangeable with “month”, but runs from full moon to full moon) is the epitome of the season - bright, full of life and light - a time of rebirth and renewal. Rarely is this moon really pink, but this is the time when Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata), also called Moss Pink unfolds in the Northeast. To the Lenape this is the Frog Moon, when the Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers sing their Medicine Songs, calling/praying to bring Life back to the Earth. Other common Indigenous names for the full moon in April are Egg Moon, referring to birds laying their eggs, and the Fish Moon as fish return in numbers to northern waters. Don’t forget, Spring is burgeoning everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere and all northern peoples had their names for this time, like the Celt’s Budding Moon and Slavic peoples Birch Moon. In China it was called the Peony Moon, which is interesting since most peonies will be pink. Again, all these names reflect a common theme - the return of life, light and warmth to the Land. A major reason why the Full Pink Moon (April 12, 8:22pm this year) was so important was that it was the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which marks the halfway point between the Winter and Summer Solstices. Not only is it a major turning point in the year for Native, Traditional peoples, but it coincides with some of the holiest times of different cultures and religions. Passover begins with the Pink Moon, or Pesach Moon.
Easter, the modern Christian holiday of resurrection (inspired by the ancient Celtic holy day of 1Eostre, which celebrated the rebirth of Life), occurs on the first Sunday of what’s called the Paschal Moon. It is a special time - no matter how we celebrate it.
FAUNA - There is nothing subtle about the return of animal-life to our region. From the raucous calls of Canada Geese as they teem overhead on their way back to the far north and the strident busyness of the Redwing Blackbirds and Robins, Spring announces itself with noisy abandon. Commensurate with the increase in bird-life will always be an increase in insect-life as the two life-forms are inextricably bound together for untold millennia as predator and prey.
Indeed, there will be an outburst of every form of insect, including Compton Tortoise Shell and Mourning Cloak butterflies - both among the very first to join us since they hibernate fully-grown under bark and shingle - unlike every other butterfly. Myriad moth-species are haunting light- bulbs large and small. Enjoy the relative bug-free early spring while you can, though spring rains usually bring the first hatching of Non-Biting (but very annoying) Midges. More and more migrating birds will make their way up the Hudson Valley flyway, following ancestral routes deeply etched in avian DNA and guided by starlight and the earth's magnetic field. Numerous species of Hawks and Herons hunt their way northward, stopping to feed along their way, hawks looking for the hapless small rodent, herons hunting newly awakened Woodfrogs, Spotted Salamanders and Spring-peepers (part of the reason for the sudden burgeoning of these amphibians is to insure against over-predation) - and any small fish they can find. The amazing Woodcock - our little Timberdoodle - is soon to return to our fields, it's plaintive "peent" resonating far and wide. For some local Bald Eagles this is the time for nesting and soon the eagle-couples will be seen taking turns feeding the new, rapidly-growing hatchlings. Now is when local eagles are most protective of their nest, so this is a good time to give these wonderful creatures some space.
FLORA - As the world "greens up" around us, we know Spring is here. Fields and lawns are rapidly becoming brightly verdant. Ajuga, Crocuses, Daffodils, Ferns, Spring Beauties, Wild Chives, many species of wild grasses, all are awake with life now. Every day more plants pop out from little (or not so little) buds, soon to become flower or leaf. With mild days and cool nights, the sap is flowing well in all the hardwoods, most notably Maples. The first of the Spring Ephemerals, Canada Mayflower (Wild Lily-of-the-Valley), and Trout-lily, are starting their seasonal march. For now, just the leaves of the Mayflower are poking up through the leaf-litter, but in May they will sprout their delicate little crown of white. Many square miles - literally - of our forest floor will then be covered by these little beauties. Trout-lily leaves resemble (somewhat) a trout’s speckled skin and always come up around the beginning of trout-season.
Soon, they will present their own yellow, bell-like flowers for our approval. Another fleeting aspect of a Catskills spring is the bright blush of our native flowering spring shrubs - Crabapple, Dogwood, Spicebush, Shadbush, Wild Cherry and others, interspersed throughout the soon-to-be-leafed-out understory, adding temporary color to our otherwise wan early spring woods.
BIRDS-EGGS - yes, FAWNS - no. This is important, but doesn’t apply quite yet - soon it will. If you can replace an egg that fell from its nest, please don’t hesitate to do so - I’m sure their parents will appreciate it. You can touch a bird-egg since they have no sense of smell. This is in direct contrast to a newborn fawn, which - amazingly - is born virtually without scent. This incredible adaptation allows the doe to leave it in tall grass while she desperately feeds to regain strength, knowing that predators (Black Bear and Coyotes, for instance) will not smell it. So bird-eggs, yes, and fawns, no. Actually, if you handle the fawn you may imbue it with your scent and mom will most likely reject it, so please.
WATCH WHERE (AND HOW) YOU STEP - This is a particularly sensitive time for many of these small plants like the Spring Ephemerals. After having been protected by snow and ice, they are almost exposed, barely hiding just under the surface. If we wear the wrong shoes on the trails right now, and avoid mud-puddles, we can cause unnecessary damage both to these delicate little beauties (a number of which are struggling back from being Endangered/Threatened) and to the trail itself. By not walking down the middle of the path, we make it wider, so - PLEASE! - wear the right boots and stay on the trails, even if it means walking in the mud.
WATER IS LIFE - With any luck this season will be wetter than last year, when we had many brushfires and some minor (relatively speaking) forest fires, coming perilously close to major canopy-destroying forest-fires. Hopefully we can avoid them entirely this season. Have a great early Spring everyone. It's a beautiful, if frustrating, season because it sometimes seems to take forever as it makes up its mind whether it wants to be warm or cold, like someone tentatively dipping their toe into ice-cold water. Part of this is just our expectations after a long - and weird -winter. It's almost like Spring is getting us ready (ever so gradually) for Summer.
Thank you all.
Take Care,"Ranger" Dave Holden
(845) 594-4863
Dave Holden on Facebook
rangerdaveholden on Instagram
Comments