Catch up

Nesting Northern Flicker in Shakespeare Garden - last May
Photo by Lloyd Spitalnik
http://www.lloydspitalnikphotos.com

It feels like just a minute ago that the first phoebe arrived. Now the place is hopping: phoebes, golden crownded kinglets, flickers everywhere, swamp sparrows, song sparrows, cedar waxwings. Oh, I almost forgot: THE FIRST WARBLER -- as usual, a Pine Warbler, sighted a few days ago.

Saw a Mourning Claok butterfly yesterday near the Shakespeare Theater.

Daffodils opening up everywhere, crocuses almost finished, , the cornelian cherries [Cornus mas] are about to open. There are huge numbers of these throughout Central Park, but after they finish blooming sometime in April they just melt into the background and become ordinary green bushes. The color of their blossoms is a rich golden yellow, less flashy than forsythias, but more satisfying, somehow.

The willows all have a green cast. The red maples and the Norway Maples are beginning to flower. Spring!

As I'm sure you all know, Lola is sitting on an unknown number of eggs in the Fifth Avenue nest -- almost certainly two or three. This may be the year --mid April should be the hatch. Wouldn't it be loverly?