Notes from a Nature Watcher
By John Roberts

Watching spring start is among my favorite pastimes. This year I am sharing a bit of apprehension with our plants as we all wonder just what last year's nasty climate may bring to our flora this season. I note many small leaves already peeking out from their protective buds with an imagined bit of trepidation based on recent experience. So far this year some of our weather data offer positive and encouraging information. Our official rainfall to date this year totals 14.19 inches, compared to last year's 7.63. After factoring in evaporation, we are nearly three times better off this year than we were last year. Add to that the unofficial two inches that has fallen today and we are definitely off to a much better start this year. Temperatures to date this year are interesting. Comparing days with highs above 50 degrees, this year we had 55, but had only 43 last year. I hope we are not getting set up for another devastating freeze.

I note that among the early flowerers many of the Bradford Pears are showing the signs of the drought with their bare branch tips. The native early bloomers decorating our woods and roadsides look to be doing relatively well. I trust that the centuries of adaptation to our mountain environment has equipped our stalwart native plants with the genetic armament necessary to survive what ever our climate may throw their way. This should encourage landscaping with native plants whenever possible.

Our bird feeders keep us busy watching and refilling. We have the usual complement of winter friends including the Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, American Goldfinch, White- Breasted Nuthatch, Yellow- Bellied Sapsucker, plus some Blue Jays and Crows that sneak in to clean up any cat food our outdoor cat, Sadie, may have overlooked or spilled. A few weeks ago we attracted a small group of Pine Siskins. They really like the thistle seed and look a bit like the American Goldfinch curled around the feeder. Last week the first wave of northbound Robins arrived seeking to surprise the unlucky early worms. It is almost as if they arrived on a scheduled train since I saw them all at once, all around the area. Today a pair of Buffleheads stopped the lake by after a month-long vacation promising to provide some fun watching their diving antics. Nearly each year we manage to attract a new bird to our feeders. This year pair of Ruby-Crowned Kinglets has shown up and must like our brand of bird seed as they have stayed for well over a month. They are a nice addition to our neighborhood!

Some of our spring tidings are heard, not seen. We hear the Piliated Woodpecker and the Red-Tailed Hawk nearly every day. The spring peeping Spring Peepers are tuning up most nights now and a few nights ago we heard the "Boss" bull frog announce his return to activity. The squirrels that compete for the bird feed scold me loudly whenever I interrupt their feeder raiding antics. We did see one last week that will likely not be back.. Our timing was perfect to catch sight of our Red-Tailed Hawk carrying a careless squirrel across the pasture towards his nest. I hope he was not just taking him to our place; we already have enough to feed.

John Roberts is a Georgia Master Naturalist who is Camp Host at Trackrock Campground near Blairsville, Georgia. He is also a retired USDA-ARS Research Plant Pathologist having spent over 40 years as a scientist in wheat breeding and pathology.