It’s the second day in a row that the day time temperatures are above 60… The Song Sparrows and Chipping Sparrows have started vocalizing in my neighborhood. Warm winds gently blow from the south-west and are quite pleasant, not biting and bitterly cold. I am cautiously optimistic that spring has arrived.
Today I spotted my first identifiable butterfly – the Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa). I was walking with a new friend, who probably thought I was absolutely nuts, I started jumping up and down clapping, pointing and yelling, “Mourning Cloak! Mourning Cloak! That’s one of the first butterflies you’ll see in the spring.”
Photo courtesy of wunderground.com
That’s not the only thing that I’m excited about… Tomorrow I will attend a wonderful workshop on the Magnificent Monarch, but Friday is the day that I have looked forward to for months – the start of butterfly and dragonfly survey season. Be sure to check out the new book Butterflies and Skippers of Northern Virginia by Robert Blakney. A must for any lepidoptera enthusiast!
After the survey I will visit with my dear friend and gardening guru Karen Rexrode. While I still miss her amazing catalog each spring (I still have every copy) and visiting her at Windy Hill Plant Farm, I’m thrilled that I can visit her at Merrifield Garden Center, talk plants, art, photography… did I mention plants?
I’ve got my first assignment for the season – a makeover for the flagpole landscaping and planters around town. Will post before and after pictures later. I have to say I’m not sorry to see March go! Only 81 days ’til summer, but who’s counting?
thesuburbanecologist 