Peepers!

Two nights ago, April 12, we heard the peepers for the first time this year.  It is amazing that one night all is silent and the next night the sound of hundreds or thousands of tiny newborn animals fills the air.

The Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) is a small frog common throughout the Eastern US and for many of us who live near wetlands, the sound of peepers is another sure sign that spring is coming.  Next to Clam Pudding Pond, we have a small pond that is nearly inaccessible from thick brush that surrounds it.  This tiny pond is home to peepers and, later on, a few bullfrogs.  If you've never heard peepers, click the link by  the picture for a sound sample:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Springpeepers.ogg

Lots of Ducks this year!

We have more ducks in the pond than last year, including at least three pairs of ring-necked ducks like these.  It was in the 60's today and beautiful.  We planted blue pansies in the front window boxes and cilantro, oregano, stevia and a few strawberry plants in the boxes on the back deck.

 

First Daffodils

 

We are getting weather in the 50's now and it is projected to get into the 70's early next week.  We have daffodils starting to bloom and the crocus are all over.  Even the tulip shoots are a couple inches high.  The pond is beautiful and changing as always and I caught this sunrise yesterday.

Last of the ice and first flowers

The ice is retreating to the northern edge of the pond...

....while the first Crocus are starting to bloom.

The ducks return to Clam Pudding Pond

The pond is over half clear of ice and the ice that is left is thin and pocked with holes. It is so exciting to see the water reappear from under the ice after such a cold, snowy winter.

We were thrilled to see several ducks on the pond yesterday morning so soon after the ice started clearing.  We saw a Hooded Merganser pair, a Bufflehead pair, a Mallard male with his beautiful green head and at three brown ducks which are likely females of some species.  Since we saw a pair of Mergansers and Buffleheads last year, we were wondering if they are the same birds.

Male Bufflehead

Female Bufflehead

Female Hooded Merganser

Male Hooded Merganser

Male Mallard

We also saw a hawk or osprey being harassed by a number of crows in the large pine trees between our deck and the pond.  It is so great to see more birds of all kinds being active in our woods--we are all happy to feel spring coming.

Early signs of spring!

Over the last few days we've seen the first signs that Spring is coming soon! Daffodil and crocus shoots have appeared where snow was a foot thick less than a week ago.

And the pond ice is breaking up with dark streaks of open water showing between the melting ice sheets
























Our garden is finally today completely free of snow.  I am amazed at the plants that are still green after being under the snow for months.  Christmas Fern, our new ornamental grasses, the Goldmoss Sedum, the Lavender and the Irish Moss are all looking pretty alive.

We had a bit of cracking in our travertine walk that we'll have to see about fixing and our Hino Crimson Azalea was badly damaged by the buildup of snow.  We will have to replace it and protect it better next year--that corner of the yard gets a lot of snow drift and the Azalea branches are too brittle to hold it.

I also pruned our two-year-old dwarf Methley Plum tree for the first time.  Made me nervous because I am establishing it's structure permanently, but I like how it turned out and hope it's happy!