Look for Signs of Spring in the Middle of Winter

                        With winter halfway over and subtle signs of spring beginning to appear, you can come out to the parks and see in person the events unfolding even as we wrongly believe that everything is in hibernation mode.

            First, check out the maples. Their buds are a sure sign of spring when they swell up when March comes around. Well, did you realize that those buds are actually flower buds? And that the trees prepared for this spring way b

ack last year when those flower buds were set in late summer? Now that’s preparation! Wow, If only I were that organized!

            The two types of native maple trees that show their flower buds to us are the Silver Maple and its close relative the Red Maple. Their flowers are fuzzy and extremely small, and range in color from light yellow to deep red, giving the appearance of a colored mist covering the tree.

            When the weather co-operates bees and many other insects get their first taste of nectar of the year from maple flowers. Many times the flower color indicates what color the leaves will turn later in the fall. A tree with dark red flowers usually turns shades of red in the fall!

            Second, look for the skunk cabbage flowers. Even as I write this in January, the flowers are emerging from the ground. Skunk cabbage grows in wet areas that have not been disturbed in a long time. A great place to look for them at Bluebird Farm Park is near the covered bridge, by the small stream that joins Indian Fork Creek. It is actually best to have snow on the ground when looking for the flowers because the flower actually generates heat that melts the snow!

            Up close (but not too close--they smell bad) the emerging plant is a marbled brown-green with stripes and blotches, shaped like an urn. Totally unique and over-looked because it blends in with leaves and other debris from last fall, but for those who photograph flowers, it makes a very unique close up photo.

            The seeds are alien looking, with square segments on an oblong, greenish brown pod that is hidden under the gigantic leaves all summer. Look for them after first frost when leaves disappear!

            Third, keep an eye and ear out for the birds. Many different species are at the park and many you won’t see at your feeder. Red-tailed hawks, pileated woodpeckers, crows, screech owls and great horned owls all call the park home. January and February is the courting season for the huge great horned owls. Listen for them as night begins, as this time of year they are very vocal, males and females calling to each other and proclaiming their territories. The eggs will be laid in early March, the first of the bird species to nest in the area.

            At the edge of the park inside the village limits is a little known roost for turkey                                                                                                                                vultures. Although they have migrated south for a few months, look for them to be back soon. Early morning as the sun comes up you can see them from the restaurant parking lot, lifting off on the thermals of warm air that rise off of Alamo Road to begin their day of soaring.

            In closing lets not forget the awesome gem that Mrs. Hannon gave us to enjoy, Bluebird Farm Park. She enjoyed the wonders of nature and all the surprises that come with it, and hoped that others could as well.

            So come on out, walk the trails and lower your blood pressure, by observing the many surprises that surround you when walking through the park.

Park Manager, Chad Steele